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Archives of Dermatological Research Jun 2024One common problem in various patient groups is excessive hair loss on the head. One such group is people struggling with hypothyroidism. The market for preparations for... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
One common problem in various patient groups is excessive hair loss on the head. One such group is people struggling with hypothyroidism. The market for preparations for hair growth and hair loss prevention includes betulin.
PURPOSE
This pilot study investigated its effect on hair loss in hypothyroid patients.
STUDY DESIGN
The study included a group of hypothyroid patients and a control group of people without hypothyroidism. Participants were randomly divided into a group taking placebo and betulin.
METHODS
Results were investigated using photographic assessment of hair, trichoscopy and subjective evaluation of participants.
CONCLUSION
The study did not conclusively prove that betulin would contribute to the inhibition of hair loss or regrowth.
Topics: Humans; Pilot Projects; Triterpenes; Female; Adult; Hypothyroidism; Hair; Middle Aged; Male; Alopecia; Plant Oils; Treatment Outcome; Betulinic Acid
PubMed: 38822862
DOI: 10.1007/s00403-024-02913-5 -
International Wound Journal Jun 2024Recent randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated the analgesic activity of sesame oil among patients with limb trauma; nevertheless, their findings are... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Alleviating severity of limb trauma pain with coadministration of topical sesame oil and standard treatments: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Recent randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated the analgesic activity of sesame oil among patients with limb trauma; nevertheless, their findings are inconsistent. Hence, this review aimed to clarify the impact of topical administration of sesame oil on acute pain of adult outpatients with minor limb trauma. The online databases (e.g., Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science) were searched up to 31 January 2024. The RCTs were included if they compared the effect of applying standard treatments plus topical sesame oil to administering standard treatments alone or with a placebo/sham treatment. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) and the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool were applied to address the evidence quality and the study's methodological rigour, respectively. Four RCTs had the inclusion criteria, and their findings were pooled in a meta-analysis employing a random-effects approach. According to the pooled analysis, the reduction in mean change of the pain score from baseline to the second/third intervention day was significantly higher in favour of clients who received standard care plus daily massage of the trauma site with sesame oil compared to those who received a control condition (weighted mean difference: -1.10; 95% confidence interval [-1.62, -0.57]; p < 0.001). However, the evidence quality was moderate, and only two studies had good methodological rigour. Hence, more high-quality studies are needed to make a solid evidence-based conclusion about the favourable consequence of topical sesame oil on alleviating acute traumatic limb pain.
Topics: Humans; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Sesame Oil; Administration, Topical; Pain Management; Adult; Female; Male; Analgesics; Pain Measurement; Middle Aged; Extremities
PubMed: 38822706
DOI: 10.1111/iwj.14907 -
BMC Genomics May 2024The citral-type is the most common chemotype in Cinnamomum bodinieri Levl (C. bodinieri), which has been widely used in the daily necessities, cosmetics, biomedicine,...
The citral-type is the most common chemotype in Cinnamomum bodinieri Levl (C. bodinieri), which has been widely used in the daily necessities, cosmetics, biomedicine, and aromatic areas due to their high citral content. Despite of this economic prospect, the possible gene-regulatory roles of citral biosynthesis in the same geographic environment remains unknown. In this study, the essential oils (EOs) of three citral type (B1, B2, B3) and one non-citral type (B0) varieties of C. bodinieri were identified by GC-MS after hydrodistillation extraction in July. 43 components more than 0.10% were identified in the EOs, mainly composed of monoterpenes (75.8-91.84%), and high content citral (80.63-86.33%) were identified in citral-type. Combined transcriptome and metabolite profiling analysis, plant-pathogen interaction(ko04626), MAPK signaling pathway-plant(ko04016), starch and sucrose metabolism(ko00500), plant hormone signal transduction(ko04075), terpenoid backbone biosynthesis (ko00900) and monoterpenoid biosynthesis (ko00902) pathways were enriched significantly. The gene expression of differential genes were linked to the monoterpene content, and the geraniol synthase (CbGES), alcohol dehydrogenase (CbADH), geraniol 8-hydroxylase-like (CbCYP76B6-like) and 8-hydroxygeraniol dehydrogenase (Cb10HGO) were upregulated in the citral-type, indicating that they were associated with high content of geraniol and citral. The activities of CbGES and CbADH in citral type were higher than in non-citral type, which was corroborated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This study on the accumulation mechanism of citral provides a theoretical basis for the development of essential oil of C. bodinieri.
Topics: Cinnamomum; Acyclic Monoterpenes; Monoterpenes; Gene Expression Profiling; Transcriptome; Oils, Volatile; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes, Plant
PubMed: 38822238
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10419-7 -
Scientific Reports May 2024Growing obesity is linked to shifts in dietary patterns, particularly the increased intake of ultra-processed high-fat foods. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of...
Growing obesity is linked to shifts in dietary patterns, particularly the increased intake of ultra-processed high-fat foods. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of interesterified palm oil consumption on glucose homeostasis, adipose tissue remodeling, and hepatic lipogenesis in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet. Sixty C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups (n = 15): the control group (C) fed a standard diet (4% soybean oil), the high-fat group (HF) (23.8% lard), the high palm oil fat group (HFP) (23.8% palm oil), and the high interesterified palm fat group (HFI) (23.8% interesterified palm oil) for 8 weeks (all groups received 50% energy from lipids). The HFI group exhibited higher body mass than the HF group (+ 11%, P < 0.05), which was attributed to an increased percentage of fat mass. Plasma concentrations of IL-6, insulin, and HOMA-IR were also elevated in the HFI group. Both the HFP and HFI groups showed hypertrophied adipocytes and pancreatic islets, increased alpha and beta cell masses, hepatic steatosis, low expression of genes related to beta-oxidation, and upregulated lipogenesis. In conclusion, the consumption of interesterified palm oil alters inflammatory and glucose profiles.
Topics: Animals; Palm Oil; Diet, High-Fat; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Inflammation; Adipose Tissue, White; Male; Lipogenesis; Obesity; Liver; Insulin; Insulin Resistance
PubMed: 38822155
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63488-9 -
Brain Research Bulletin Jul 2024Growing evidence has demonstrated that gut microbiota could be developed as a therapeutic target due to its contribution to microglia activation in the pathological...
Growing evidence has demonstrated that gut microbiota could be developed as a therapeutic target due to its contribution to microglia activation in the pathological process of ischemic stroke. Acorus tatarinowii oils (AT oils), which is considered as the active fraction of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine Acorus tatarinowii, exerts various bioactivities and prebiotic effects. However, it remains unclear that the effect of AT oils on inflammatory response after ischemic stroke and whether its underlying mechanism is associated to gut microbiota and the intestinal barrier. In the current study, we aim to investigate the anti-microglial neuroinflammation mechanism of AT oils in a middle cerebral artery occlusion model of ischemic stroke. The compositions of AT oils were identified by GC-MS. Our results demonstrated that AT oils could effectively relieve cerebral infarction, inhibit neuronal apoptosis, degrade the release of pro-inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-17, IL-6 and IFN-γ), and mediate the polarization of microglia. Moreover, AT oils restored the composition and the balance of gut microbiota in stroke rats, and reduced abundance of opportunistic genera including Verrucomicrobia, Akkermansia and Tenericutes, as well as increased beneficial bacteria abundance such as Tenericutes and Prevotella_copri. To investigate the role of gut microbiota on AT oils against ischemic stroke, we conducted the fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments with gut microbiota consumption, which suggested that the depletion of gut microbiota took away the protective effect of AT oils, confirming the importance of gut microbiota in the protective effect of AT oils on ischemic stroke. FMT experiments have demonstrated that AT oils preserved the gut permeability and blood-brain barrier, as well as mediated the microglial phenotype under the intervention of gut microbiota. In summary, AT oils could efficaciously moderate neuronal damage and intervene microglial phenotype by reversing gut microbiota disorder in ischemic stroke rats.
Topics: Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Microglia; Rats; Male; Acorus; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Neuroprotective Agents; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; Stroke; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; Plant Oils; Disease Models, Animal; Inflammation
PubMed: 38821245
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.110990 -
Scientific Reports May 2024Plant essential oils contain many secondary metabolites, some of which can effectively inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, so it is a very promising...
Plant essential oils contain many secondary metabolites, some of which can effectively inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, so it is a very promising antibacterial agent. In this study, a qualitative and quantitative method based on high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of three bioactive substances, cinnamaldehyde (CNM), thymol (THY), and eugenol (EUG), in the essential oils of plants. Necessary tests for linearity, limit of quantification, recovery, carryover contamination and precision of the method were carried out. Then, the antibacterial activity of 3 bioactive compounds against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was evaluated by minimal inhibitory concentration and the synergistic antimicrobial effect. The results indicated that CNM, THY and EUG had good antibacterial activity. According to the results of fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI), it is considered that CNM + THY and CNM + THY + EUG has obvious synergistic inhibitory effect on E. coli, and CNM + THY and CNM + EUG has obvious synergistic inhibitory effect on S. aureus. Finally, we analyzed the effect of the bioactive compounds on trace elements in bacteria and found significant changes in magnesium, calcium, copper and iron.
Topics: Eugenol; Acrolein; Thymol; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Oils, Volatile; Escherichia coli; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Staphylococcus aureus; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Liquid; Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 38816435
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63114-8 -
Acta Pharmaceutica (Zagreb, Croatia) Jun 2024The principal function of skin is to form an effective barrier between the human body and its environment. Impaired barrier function represents a precondition for the... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
The principal function of skin is to form an effective barrier between the human body and its environment. Impaired barrier function represents a precondition for the development of skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis (AD), which is the most common inflammatory skin disease characterized by skin barrier dysfunction. AD significantly affects patients' quality of life, thus, there is a growing interest in the development of novel delivery systems that would improve therapeutic outcomes. Herein, eight novel lyotropic liquid crystals (LCCs) were investigated for the first time in a double-blind, interventional, before-after, single-group trial with healthy adult subjects and a twice-daily application regimen. LCCs consisted of constituents with skin regenerative properties and exhibited lamellar micro-structure, especially suitable for dermal application. The short- and long-term effects of LCCs on TEWL, SC hydration, erythema index, melanin index, and tolerability were determined and compared with baseline. LCCs with the highest oil content and lecithin/Tween 80 mixture stood out by providing a remarkable 2-fold reduction in TEWL values and showing the most distinctive decrease in skin erythema levels in both the short- and long-term exposure. Therefore, they exhibit great potential for clinical use as novel delivery systems for AD treatment, capable of repairing skin barrier function.
Topics: Humans; Liquid Crystals; Double-Blind Method; Adult; Male; Female; Administration, Cutaneous; Skin; Dermatitis, Atopic; Linseed Oil; Young Adult; Erythema; Cannabis; Middle Aged; Drug Delivery Systems; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 38815204
DOI: 10.2478/acph-2024-0014 -
Food Chemistry Oct 2024Terpenes in essential oils (EOs) have recently received significant attention due to their potential to improve brain and whole-body health. A deeper understanding of...
Terpenes in essential oils (EOs) have recently received significant attention due to their potential to improve brain and whole-body health. A deeper understanding of the terpene composition of edible EOs is important for fully exploring their possible applications. In our study, we employed a comprehensive study using four different methods to analyze EO samples, including GC-MS with solid phase microextraction (SPME), liquid injection (LI), derivatization to trimethylsilyl ethers (TMSE), and LC-MS. Our findings revealed that relying on a single analytical method may be insufficient for detecting all terpenes in EOs. Despite identifying a total of 156 terpenes in the samples, only 58 were detectable across all 4 methods. To obtain a more accurate terpene profile of EOs, we advocate for the combined use of LI-GC and TMSE-GC. The terpenes detected by these two methods are complementary, enabling the detection of all terpenes with high VIP in the samples.
Topics: Oils, Volatile; Terpenes; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Solid Phase Microextraction; Chromatography, Liquid; Plant Oils
PubMed: 38810452
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139792 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jul 2024Lavender, an aromatic plant with a history dating back to ancient Egypt and Greece, is consumed because of its diverse pharmacological properties, including sedation,...
Lavender, an aromatic plant with a history dating back to ancient Egypt and Greece, is consumed because of its diverse pharmacological properties, including sedation, sleep aid, and antidepressant effects. However, the mechanisms underlying these antidepressant properties remain unclear. In this study, we explored the impact of lavender essential oil (LEO) inhalation on the diversity of gut microbiota, metabolites, and differential gene expression in the hippocampus of alcohol-withdrawn depressive rats. Additionally, we examined alterations in the hippocampal transient receptor potential (TRP) channel-mediated inflammatory regulation within the brain-gut axis of depressive rats. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in sucrose preference, diminished activity in the central zone of the open field test, and prolonged immobility time in the forced swim test in alcohol-withdrawn depressive rats, indicating the amelioration of depressive states following lavender essential oil inhalation. 16 S rDNA sequencing analysis revealed a significant reduction in Bacteroidota and Muribaculaceae in the gut of alcohol-withdrawn depressive rats, whereas lavender essential oil significantly increased the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae and other bacterial species. Metabolomic analysis identified 646 distinct metabolites as highly correlated biomarkers between the model and lavender essential oil groups. Furthermore, lavender essential oil inhalation significantly attenuated hippocampal inflammatory factors IL-2, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. This study identified elevated expression of Trpv4 and Calml4 in the hippocampal region of alcohol-withdrawn depressed rats and showed that lavender essential oil inhalation regulated aberrantly expressed genes. Our research suggests that lavender essential oil downregulates Trpv4, modulates inflammatory factors, and alleviates depressive-like behavior in alcohol withdrawal rats.
Topics: Animals; Oils, Volatile; Lavandula; Hippocampus; Male; Depression; Plant Oils; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Rats; Behavior, Animal; Gene Expression Profiling; Antidepressive Agents; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Transcriptome; Ethanol; Brain-Gut Axis; Administration, Inhalation
PubMed: 38810402
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116835 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... Jun 2024Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a staple of the Mediterranean diet, is rich in phenolic compounds recognized for their potent bioactive effects, including anticancer and...
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a staple of the Mediterranean diet, is rich in phenolic compounds recognized for their potent bioactive effects, including anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its effects on vascular health remain relatively unexplored. In this study, we examined the impact of a "picual" EVOO extract from Jaén, Spain, on endothelial cells. Proteomic analysis revealed the modulation of angiogenesis-related processes. In subsequent in vitro experiments, the EVOO extract inhibited endothelial cell migration, adhesion, invasion, ECM degradation, and tube formation while inducing apoptosis. These results provide robust evidence of the extract's antiangiogenic potential. Our findings highlight the potential of EVOO extracts in mitigating angiogenesis-related pathologies, such as cancer, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.
Topics: Olive Oil; Proteomics; Humans; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Plant Extracts; Cell Movement; Olea; Endothelial Cells; Apoptosis; Spain; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; Cell Adhesion
PubMed: 38809962
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c08851