Search results

Renal failure is an end-stage consequence after persistent hyperglycemia during diabetic nephropathy (DN), and the etiology of DN has been linked to oxidative stress. The purpose of this research was to determine the beneficial synergistic effects of S-Allyl Cysteine (SAC) and Taurine (TAU) on oxidative damage in the kidneys of type 2 diabetic rats induced by hyperglycemia.

Experimental diabetes was developed by administering intraperitoneal single dose of streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/kg) with nicotinamide (NA; 230 mg/kg) in adult rats. Diabetic and control rats were treated with SAC (150 mg/kg), TAU (200 mg/kg) or SAC and TAU combination (75 + 100 mg/kg) for four weeks. The estimation of body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), oxidative stress markers along with kidney histopathology was done to investigate the antidiabetic potential of SAC/TAU in the NA/STZ diabetic group.

The following results were obtained for the therapeutic efficacy of SAC/TAU: decrease in blood glucose level, decreased level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and increased levels of GSH, glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT). SAC/TAU significantly modulated diabetes-induced histological changes in the kidney of rats.

SAC/TAU combination therapy modulated the oxidative stress markers in the kidney in diabetic rat model and also prevented oxidative damage as observed through histopathological findings.

Taurine (2-aminoethane sulfonic acid; C2H7NO3S) is a nonprotein sulfur-containing β-amino acid present in nearly all mammalian tissues and the most ubiquitous free endogenous biomolecule in human cells. Taurine is commonly known as a conditionally essential amino acid because taurine is one of the few amino acids that are not incorporated in protein synthesis. The purpose of this study is to review the existing articles related to taurine and to give an account how useful is taurine to the different body systems. In this thorough overview, taurine is covered in terms of its essentiality, sources, advantages for neonates and the elderly, the effects of taurine deficiency, and the safety and toxicity of taurine supplements.

This is a narrative review into the subject matter. Published articles were searched on different portals like PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, PubChem etc. The authors also evaluated the availability of taurine in commercially available energy drinks.

This comprehensive review, presents the potential clinical benefits and functional properties of taurine as a conditionally essential amino acid. Energy drinks containing taurine (and their concentration) are also reported in this review.

This is the first data that the authors are aware of that shows taurine content in a variety of energy drinks on the market.

A total of 12 Alliums, used for culinary purposes, were examined for anti‐bacterial activity against Escherichia coli using disc assay and minimum lethal concentration methods. The 12 Alliums were: garlic (Allium sativum); onion (A. cepa); shallot (A. cepa var. ascolonicum); everlasting onion (A.cepa “Perutile”); ramsons (A.ursinum); leek (A. porrum); chives (A. schoenoprasum); wild leek (A. ampeloprasum); Babington’s leek (A. ampeloprasum var. babingtonii); Chinese chives (A. ramosum); nodding onion (A. cernuum) and crow garlic (A. vineale). Garlic, ramsons, wild leek, Babington’s leek, Chinese chive and crow garlic exhibited anti‐bacterial activity. The correlation coefficient between the results of the disc assay and minimum lethal concentration methods was highly significant (r = 0.977; p = 0.0001).

Garlic (Allium sativum L) is becoming increasingly popular as an important component in the culinary vocabulary of the cooks in this country. Humans are known to have consumed garlic for many millennia as a cure for a wide variety of different conditions. Its volatile components are reputed to have antithrombotic, antimicrobial, free radical scavenger activity associated with them. Its mythical medicinal properties are now being studied scientifically and some of the claims have been proven to be correct. Ten years ago garlic would have been difficult to obtain except in the speciality health shops or ethnic supermarkets: now it is freely available everywhere.

A quantitative method involving colony counting was undertaken to assess the antibiotic effects of garlic Allium sativum on possible food‐borne bacteria. The investigation using garlic was targeted at higher education students planning an Independent Study or Dissertation into the antibacterial properties of food plants. The effect of concentrations of garlic varying from 0 per cent to 20 per cent in chicken stock, which had been inoculated with either E.coli B and S. albus, was investigated over three days. Bacterial numbers were reduced with increased garlic concentration and with the duration of incubation. Heating the garlic for 30 min at 100 C destroyed its anti‐bacterial activity.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of olive cake (OC) on lipid peroxidation as well as antioxidant enzymes activities of serum, red blood cells (RBCs) and liver, in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced-diabetic rat fed cholesterol-enriched diet.

Hypercholesterolemic male rats were rendered diabetic (HC-D) by a single intraperitoneal injection dose of STZ (35 mg/kg BW). HC-D rats were divided into two groups fed for 28d a diet supplemented with OC at 7.5 percent (HC-D-OC) or not (HC-D). A control group (C) was submitted to standard diet containing 20 per cent casein for the same experimental period.

RBCs, serum and liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) contents were significantly increased in HC-D, compared to C group (p = 0.04, p = 0.02 and 0.03). These values were significantly decreased (48 per cent and 64 per cent; p = 0.02 and p = 0.0007) in serum and liver of HC-D-OC vs HC-D group. In RBCs, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities were, respectively, 1.5, 2- and 1.7-fold higher (p = 0.03, p = 0.008 and p = 0.03) in HC-D group compared to HC group. In serum and liver, SOD, CAT and GST activities were, respectively, 1.3-, 2.6- and 1.6-fold increased (p = 0.03, p = 0.007 and p = 0.02). In HC-D-OC compared to HC-D group, RBCs glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), CAT and GST activities were, respectively, 2.1-, 3.3- and 2.1-fold higher (p = 0.04, p = 0.0009 and p = 0.03). In serum, SOD and CAT activities were, respectively, 1.5- and 1.9-fold increased (p = 0.02, p = 0.02). In liver, SOD, GSH-PX, CAT and GST activities were significantly increased (p = 0.005, p = 0.03, p = 0.02 and p = 0.04).

In diabetic rats-fed cholesterol-enriched diet, OC was able to reduce oxidative stress by decreasing lipid peroxidation and increasing antioxidant enzymes activities in serum, RBCs and liver.