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Current Atherosclerosis Reports May 2023This narrative review summarizes the current peer-reviewed literature and mechanisms surrounding the cardiovascular health impact of coconut oil. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
This narrative review summarizes the current peer-reviewed literature and mechanisms surrounding the cardiovascular health impact of coconut oil.
RECENT FINDINGS
No randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and/or prospective cohort studies have investigated the effect or association of coconut oil with cardiovascular disease. Evidence from RCTs indicated that coconut oil seems to have less detrimental effects on total and LDL-cholesterol compared to butter, but not compared to cis-unsaturated vegetable oils, such as safflower, sunflower, or canola oil. The isocaloric replacement (by 1% of energy intake) of carbohydrates with lauric acid (the predominant fatty acid in coconut oil) increased total cholesterol by 0.029 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.014; 0.045), LDL-cholesterol by 0.017 mmol/L (0.003; 0.031), and HDL-cholesterol by 0.019 mmol/L (0.016; 0.023). The current evidence from shorter term RCTs suggests that replacement of coconut oil with cis-unsaturated oils lowers total and LDL-cholesterol, whereas for the association between coconut oil intake and cardiovascular disease, less evidence is available.
Topics: Humans; Coconut Oil; Dietary Fats; Cardiovascular Diseases; Plant Oils; Cholesterol, LDL; Triglycerides
PubMed: 36971981
DOI: 10.1007/s11883-023-01098-y -
Nutrition Reviews Apr 2016Coconut oil is being heavily promoted as a healthy oil, with benefits that include support of heart health. To assess the merits of this claim, the literature on the... (Review)
Review
Coconut oil is being heavily promoted as a healthy oil, with benefits that include support of heart health. To assess the merits of this claim, the literature on the effect of coconut consumption on cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes in humans was reviewed. Twenty-one research papers were identified for inclusion in the review: 8 clinical trials and 13 observational studies. The majority examined the effect of coconut oil or coconut products on serum lipid profiles. Coconut oil generally raised total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to a greater extent than cis unsaturated plant oils, but to a lesser extent than butter. The effect of coconut consumption on the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was often not examined. Observational evidence suggests that consumption of coconut flesh or squeezed coconut in the context of traditional dietary patterns does not lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, due to large differences in dietary and lifestyle patterns, these findings cannot be applied to a typical Western diet. Overall, the weight of the evidence from intervention studies to date suggests that replacing coconut oil with cis unsaturated fats would alter blood lipid profiles in a manner consistent with a reduction in risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, LDL; Coconut Oil; Cocos; Diet; Dietary Fats; Humans; Plant Oils
PubMed: 26946252
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuw002 -
Food Science and Biotechnology Dec 2019Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a noncancerous growth of the prostate. BPH commonly occurs in elderly men. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to BPH... (Review)
Review
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a noncancerous growth of the prostate. BPH commonly occurs in elderly men. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to BPH (LUTS/BPH) have significant impacts on their health. Saw palmetto () extract (SPE) has been evaluated for its effectiveness in improvement of LUTS/BPH at preclinical and clinical levels. Potential mechanisms of actions include anti-androgenic, pro-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, SPE efficacy was inconsistent, at least partly due to a lack of a standardized SPE formula. A hexane extract (free fatty acids, > 80%) provided more consistent results. Free fatty acids (lauric acid) were effective in inhibition of 5α-reductase, and phytosterol (β-sitosterol) reduced prostatic inflammation. Multiple actions derived from different constituents may contribute to SPE efficacy. Evaluation of the clinical relevance of these bioactive components is required for standardization of SPE, thereby enabling consistent efficacy and recommendations for the use in the prevention and treatment of BPH.
PubMed: 31807332
DOI: 10.1007/s10068-019-00605-9 -
Immunity Oct 2015Growing empirical evidence suggests that nutrition and bacterial metabolites might impact the systemic immune response in the context of disease and autoimmunity. We... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Growing empirical evidence suggests that nutrition and bacterial metabolites might impact the systemic immune response in the context of disease and autoimmunity. We report that long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) enhanced differentiation and proliferation of T helper 1 (Th1) and/or Th17 cells and impaired their intestinal sequestration via p38-MAPK pathway. Alternatively, dietary short-chain FAs (SCFAs) expanded gut T regulatory (Treg) cells by suppression of the JNK1 and p38 pathway. We used experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as a model of T cell-mediated autoimmunity to show that LCFAs consistently decreased SCFAs in the gut and exacerbated disease by expanding pathogenic Th1 and/or Th17 cell populations in the small intestine. Treatment with SCFAs ameliorated EAE and reduced axonal damage via long-lasting imprinting on lamina-propria-derived Treg cells. These data demonstrate a direct dietary impact on intestinal-specific, and subsequently central nervous system-specific, Th cell responses in autoimmunity, and thus might have therapeutic implications for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Topics: Animals; Autoimmunity; Central Nervous System; Dietary Fats; Duodenum; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental; Fatty Acids; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gene Expression Regulation; Lauric Acids; Liver X Receptors; Lymphopoiesis; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Mice; Molecular Weight; Orphan Nuclear Receptors; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Spleen; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; Th1 Cells; Th17 Cells; Transcriptome
PubMed: 26488817
DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2015.09.007 -
Cells Dec 2021Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading cause of mortality worldwide, and dietary habits represent a major risk factor for dyslipidemia; a hallmark of CVD. Saturated...
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading cause of mortality worldwide, and dietary habits represent a major risk factor for dyslipidemia; a hallmark of CVD. Saturated fatty acids contribute to CVD by aggravating dyslipidemia, and, in particular, lauric acid (LA) raises circulating cholesterol levels. The role of red blood cells (RBCs) in CVD is increasingly being appreciated, and eryptosis has recently been identified as a novel mechanism in CVD. However, the effect of LA on RBC physiology has not been thoroughly investigated. RBCs were isolated from heparin-anticoagulated whole blood (WB) and exposed to 50-250 μM of LA for 24 h at 37 °C. Hemoglobin was photometrically examined as an indicator of hemolysis, whereas eryptosis was assessed by Annexin V-FITC for phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, Fluo4/AM for Ca, light scatter for cellular morphology, HDCFDA for oxidative stress, and BODIPY 581/591 C11 for lipid peroxidation. WB was also examined for RBC, leukocyte, and platelet viability and indices. LA caused dose-responsive hemolysis, and Ca-dependent PS exposure, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), cytosolic Ca overload, cell shrinkage and granularity, oxidative stress, accumulation of lipid peroxides, and stimulation of casein kinase 1α (CK1α). In WB, LA disrupted leukocyte distribution with elevated neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) due to selective toxicity to lymphocytes. In conclusion, this report provides the first evidence of the pro-eryptotic potential of LA and associated mechanisms, which informs dietary interventions aimed at CVD prevention and management.
Topics: Benzamides; Calcium; Dietary Fats; Eryptosis; Extracellular Space; Fatty Acids; Glutathione; Glutathione Peroxidase; Hemolysis; Homeostasis; Humans; Imidazoles; Lauric Acids; Lipid Peroxidation; Lymphocytes; Neutrophils; Oxidative Stress; Phosphatidylserines; Protein Carbonylation
PubMed: 34943896
DOI: 10.3390/cells10123388 -
Bioinformation 2023It is of interest to develop potent and safer anti-inflammatory drugs from plants, as medicinal plants and herbs attained great attention in the medical world due to...
It is of interest to develop potent and safer anti-inflammatory drugs from plants, as medicinal plants and herbs attained great attention in the medical world due to their multifunctional activities. This article studied the anti-inflammatory effects of lauric acid (LA), thiocolchicoside (TC) and thiocolchicoside-lauric acid (TC-LA) formulation. The anti-inflammatory effects of these compounds were determined by following the methods of inhibition of protein denaturation and proteinase inhibition activity. This was assessed at different concentrations to determine the 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of the compounds. The result indicated that the activity of LA, TC, TC-LA formulation, and reference drug increased with the increase in the concentration from 10-50 µg/ml, thus proving the activity of LA, TC, and TC-LA formulation against inflammation was in a dose-dependent manner. The percentage of inhibition of protein denaturation was 59.56%, 66.94%, 86.62%, and 60.34% for LA, TC, the combination of TC-LA and standard drug, and the IC50 values were found to be 44.78 µg/mL, 37.65 µg/mL, 27.15 µg/mL and 43.42 µg/mL, respectively. The percentage of proteinase inhibition activity of LA, TC, and a combination of TC-LA and the standard drug was 66.65%, 77.49%, 94.07%, and 69.83%, and IC50 of LA, TC, a combination of TC-LA and standard drug were35.5 µg/mL, 32.12 µg/mL, 24.35 µg/mL and 37.80 µg/mL, respectively. We found out that lauric acid, thiocolchicoside, and thiocolchicoside-lauric acid formulation exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity.
PubMed: 38046516
DOI: 10.6026/973206300191075 -
Journal of Microbiology and... Jan 2021Persister cell formation and biofilms of pathogens are extensively involved in the development of chronic infectious diseases. Eradicating persister cells is...
Persister cell formation and biofilms of pathogens are extensively involved in the development of chronic infectious diseases. Eradicating persister cells is challenging, owing to their tolerance to conventional antibiotics, which cannot kill cells in a metabolically dormant state. A high frequency of persisters in biofilms makes inactivating biofilm cells more difficult, because the biofilm matrix inhibits antibiotic penetration. Fatty acids may be promising candidates as antipersister or antibiofilm agents, because some fatty acids exhibit antimicrobial effects. We previously reported that fatty acid ethyl esters effectively inhibit persister formation by regulating an antitoxin. In this study, we screened a fatty acid library consisting of 65 different fatty acid molecules for altered persister formation. We found that undecanoic acid, lauric acid, and N-tridecanoic acid inhibited BW25113 persister cell formation by 25-, 58-, and 44-fold, respectively. Similarly, these fatty acids repressed persisters of enterohemorrhagic EDL933. These fatty acids were all medium-chain saturated forms. Furthermore, the fatty acids repressed Enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) biofilm formation (for example, by 8-fold for lauric acid) without having antimicrobial activity. This study demonstrates that medium-chain saturated fatty acids can serve as antipersister and antibiofilm agents that may be applied to treat bacterial infections.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Infections; Biofilms; Escherichia coli; Fatty Acids; Lauric Acids; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans
PubMed: 33046677
DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2008.08027 -
Iranian Journal of Basic Medical... Apr 2022Gemcitabine is a first-line drug for the treatment of bladder cancer. One of the most important mechanisms of gemcitabine resistance is the low expression of cellular...
OBJECTIVES
Gemcitabine is a first-line drug for the treatment of bladder cancer. One of the most important mechanisms of gemcitabine resistance is the low expression of cellular membrane transporter hENT1. Various derivatives containing fatty acid side chains have been developed in order to facilitate gemcitabine uptake and prolong its retention in cells, such as CP-4126. In this study, the anti-tumor effect and mechanism of a new derivative of gemcitabine named SZY-200 on bladder cancer cells were investigated. SZY-200 was assembled from the gemcitabine-lauric acid conjugate.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Antiproliferative activities of SZY-200 and lauric acid were evaluated using CCK-8 assay and clonogenic survival assay. The hENT1 inhibitor NBMPR was employed to determine the role of hENT1 in the apoptotic activity of GEM, CP-4126, and SZY-200. RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, fluorescence microscope, western blotting, and wound healing assay were used to study the mechanisms of SZY-200. The target genes were predicted using the BATMAN-TCM database.
RESULTS
Our data showed that SZY-200 could inhibit the proliferation of bladder cancer cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The inhibitory effects were comparable to gemcitabine and CP-4126. SZY-200 does not rely on hENT1 to help it enter bladder cancer cells. Also, we found that lauric acid could inhibit the proliferation of bladder cancer cells. SZY-200 could down-regulate the expressions of PPARG and PTGS2 which were related to the occurrence and development of bladder cancer.
CONCLUSION
SZY-200 has the same or more advantages as CP-4126 and could be an ideal candidate drug for further investigation.
PubMed: 35656081
DOI: 10.22038/IJBMS.2022.61118.13528 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jun 2022Due to the increasing global population, the world cannot currently support the well-known techniques of food production due to their harmful effects on land use, water... (Review)
Review
Due to the increasing global population, the world cannot currently support the well-known techniques of food production due to their harmful effects on land use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. The key answer is a solution based on the use of edible insects. They have always been present in the diet of animals. They are characterized by a very good nutritional value (e.g., high protein content and contents of essential amino acids and fatty acids, including lauric acid), and products with them receive positive results in palatability tests. Despite the existing literature data on the benefits of the use of insects as a protein source, their acceptance by consumers and animal caregivers remains problematic. In spite of the many advantages of using insects in pet food, it is necessary to analyze the risk of adverse food reactions, including allergic reactions that may be caused by insect consumption. Other hazards relate to the contamination of insects. For example, they can be contaminated with anthropogenic factors during breeding, packaging, cooking, or feeding. These contaminants include the presence of bacteria, mold fungi, mycotoxins, and heavy metals. However, insects can be used in the pet food industry. This is supported by the evolutionary adaptation of their wild ancestors to the eating of insects in the natural environment. The chemical composition of insects also corresponds to the nutritional requirements of dogs. It should be borne in mind that diets containing insect and their effects on animals require careful analysis. The aim of this article is to discuss the nutritional value of insects and their possible applications in the nutrition of companion animals, especially dogs.
PubMed: 35739851
DOI: 10.3390/ani12121515 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2022Water shortage is a key factor that can restrict peach tree growth. Plants produce fatty acids and the fatty acid derivatives lauric acid (LA) and 12-hydroxylauric acid...
Water shortage is a key factor that can restrict peach tree growth. Plants produce fatty acids and the fatty acid derivatives lauric acid (LA) and 12-hydroxylauric acid (LA-OH), which are involved in abiotic stress responses, but the underlying stress response mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, physiological examination revealed that in (L.) Batsch, pretreatment with 50 ppm LA-OH and LA reduced drought stress, efficiently maintained the leaf relative water content, and controlled the relative conductivity increase. Under drought stress, LA-OH and LA treatments prevented the degradation of photosynthetic pigments, increased the degree of leaf stomatal opening and enhanced the net photosynthetic rate. Compared with drought stress, LA-OH and LA treatment effectively increased the net photosynthetic rate by 204.55% and 115.91%, respectively, while increasing the Fv/Fm by 2.75% and 7.75%, respectively, but NPQ decreased by 7.67% and 37.54%, respectively. In addition, the level of reactive oxygen species increased under drought stress. The content of O in LA-OH and LA treatment decreased by 12.91% and 11.24% compared to CK-D, respectively, and the content of HO decreased by 13.73% and 19.94%, respectively. At the same time, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased by 55.56% and 58.48%, respectively. We believe that the main reason is that LA-OH and LA treatment have improved the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). The application of exogenous LA increased the levels of soluble sugars, soluble proteins, proline and free amino acids under drought stress, and maintained the osmotic balance of cells. Compared with CK-D treatment, it increased by 24.11%, 16.89%, 29.3% and 15.04%, respectively. At the same time, the application of exogenous LA-OH also obtained similar results. In conclusion, exogenous LA-OH and LA can alleviate the damage to peach seedlings caused by drought stress by enhancing the photosynthetic and antioxidant capacities, increasing the activities of protective enzymes and regulating the contents of osmotic regulators, but the molecular mechanism is still in need of further exploration.
PubMed: 36340368
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1025569