Nutraceuticals and Natural Product Derivatives

Disease Prevention & Drug Discovery

Mohammad Fahad Ullah, Aamir Ahmad, Mohammad Fahad Ullah, Aamir Ahmad

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781119436676
• eBook ISBN: 9781119436737
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Sciences biologiques
• Subtopic: Biochimie

Introduces readers to the growing applications of nutraceuticals and other natural product derivatives

This comprehensive book presents a prophylactic and therapeutic approach to chronic disease prevention strategy by highlighting the translational potential of plant-derived dietary and non-dietary factors from epidemiological, laboratory, and clinical studies. It also shares the experiences of highly reputed experts working in the area of phytomedicine and nutraceutical agents in chemoprevention, to promote the significance of natural products and dietary factors as an elite priority for containing chronic diseases in the human population.

Nutraceuticals and Natural Product Derivatives: Disease Prevention & Drug Discovery starts by examining natural food sources for the control of glycemia and the prevention of diabetic complications. It then looks at the anti-aging effects of sulfur-containing amino acids and nutraceuticals, and the potential of garcinia fruits to combat metabolic syndrome. Other topics covered include honey- and propolis-mediated regulation of protein networks in cancer cells; recent trends in drug discovery against Alzheimer's disease; the therapeutic potential of metalloherbal nanoceuticals; and much more.

• Offers an alternative, natural approach to the prevention of chronic diseases
• Emphasizes the potential of plant-derived dietary and non-dietary factors from epidemiological, laboratory, and clinical studies
• Features contributions from world-renowned experts in the field of phytomedicine and nutraceutical agents in chemoprevention
• Includes prevention strategies in normal/risk populations through routine inclusion of specific dietary regimens and as therapeutic strategy for better management through adjuvant interventions with conventional treatment protocols

Nutraceuticals and Natural Product Derivatives: Disease Prevention & Drug Discovery will appeal to graduate students and professionals in cell and molecular biology, translational research, pharmacology/drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and clinical nutrition.

1
Natural Food Sources for the Control of Glycemia and the Prevention of Diabetic Complications

Carlo Pesce¹Carla Iacobini² and Stefano Menini²

¹ Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Riabilitazione, Oftalmologia, Genetica e Scienze Materno‐Infantili (DINOGMI), Università di Genova, Genova, Italy

² Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica Molecolare, Università “La Sapienza”, Roma, Italy

1.1 Introduction: Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes Epidemics: The Role of Nutrition

Over the last 50 years, people have experienced drastic changes in their living environment, behavior, and lifestyle. These changes have led to an alarming increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes, overweight, and frank obesity [1]. The replacement of human labor with automation, increased consumption of “empty calories,” globalization of technology, and improvement in transportation are some of the factors that have led to this sad state of affairs [2]. A study on the prevalence of obesity, carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Obesity Task Force, found that the worldwide prevalence of overweight individuals, after adjusting for ethnic differences, was 1700 million, of which 312 million were obese [1, 3]. Data from successive cohorts of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [4] show that the average waist circumference of adults in the USA increased progressively from 95.5 cm in 1999–2000 to 98.5 cm in 2011–2012. The same study reported that prevalence of abdominal obesity increased significantly from 46.4% in 1999–2000 to 54.2% in the same period of observation. Of note, over the past 20 years, prevalence rates for obesity have tripled in those developing countries that have adopted western lifestyles [1], including reduced physical activity and overconsumption of high‐calorie meals. Accordingly, obesity is now considered one of the greatest health threats in the world, for it is the major risk factor of a wide range of noncommunicable disease and, particularly, type 2 diabetes [1, 3].

Today, the extent of the type 2 diabetes epidemic is growing worldwide, in both developed and emerging countries. WHO reports that the number of people with diabetes has almost quadrupled in a quarter of a century, from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014, that is, from 4.7% to 8.5% of the general population. Prevalence of diabetes has risen even more rapidly in middle‐ and low‐income countries (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en), an alarming trend that represents a major burden for public health systems worldwide. WHO estimated that 1.6 million deaths worldwide were directly linked to diabetes in 2015 (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en). The control of diabetes, a major risk factor for vascular diseases, is crucial for the prevention of debilitating and life‐threatening conditions such as kidney failure, blindness, stroke, heart attacks, and lower limb complications [5]. Vascular complications are among the most serious manifestations of type 2 diabetes. Atherosclerosis is the main factor limiting life expectancy; retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy (DN) cause blindness and end‐stage renal disease [5]. The most efficacious approach to prevent vascular complications of diabetes includes strict blood glucose control with antidiabetic drugs and/or insulin, antihypertensive treatment, and statin administration to decrease cholesterol levels. Despite current therapeutic advances, diabetes complications are a persistent concern because keeping blood glucose in check, which is effective to delay the onset of nephropathy and retinopathy, is less effective at reducing diabetes‐associated cardiovascular disease [6]. Therefore, identification of novel therapeutic approaches for diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and their vascular complications is an enthusiastic area of research.

Lifestyle adjustment is a key point for treatment of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity [7], which result from a predisposing genetic background exacerbated by an unhealthy lifestyle, namely sedentary behavior and poor diet quality. The crucial step is weight loss, which is associated with numerous beneficial effects, including lipid profile improvement, reduction of glucose and inflammation marker levels, and normalization of blood pressure and left ventricular mass. The combined long‐term gain of these changes is abatement of the diabetes‐associated death risk and, in obese subjects and in patients with metabolic syndrome, delayed progression to type 2 diabetes [8, 9]. Both exercise and diet correction contribute to reduction and maintenance of body weight [10], which is associated with improvement of all manifestations of metabolic syndrome and reduction of incidence of vascular complications [11]. In particular, diet interventions can help prevent the onset and progression of cardiometabolic disorders and DN [12].

The diet composition can also affect vascular health through the protective effects provided by specific food components. Besides well‐established general recommendations, such as restricting intake of fat of animal origin; increasing servings of fruits, vegetables, and fiber‐rich cereals; avoiding industrially processed foods; and increasing the protein fraction of white meat and fish, a major area of discussion today is supplementing the diet with functional foods. These sources provide nutraceuticals with antiglycemic, anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and additional protective effects for metabolic disorders and diabetic vascular complications [13]. Our chapter deals with the vast literature that has appeared in the last decade on specific food nutrients with purported beneficial effects to prevent diabetes and its microvascular and macrovascular complications, including nephropathy, retinopathy, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease.

1.2 Phytochemicals of Nutraceutical Importance and Functional Foods of Plant Origin

1.2.1 Dietary Oils

Considerable attention has been paid in recent decades to the possible beneficial effects of olive oil, especially that of extra‐virgin grade – one of the three pillars, with cereals and grapes, of the “Mediterranean diet.” In an experimental setting with mice fed a high‐fat (lard) diet, extra‐virgin olive oil substitution for lard improved plasma lipid profile, and it reduced body weight; plasma and epidydimal‐fat interferon‐γ (INFγ), interleukin‐6 (IL6), and leptin levels; and macrophage infiltration [14]. The positive effects of extra‐virgin olive oil are ascribed to its polyphenol compounds content, which has antioxidant properties. A possible confirmation of the popularity of the Mediterranean diet is the steady rise in olive oil consumption in Central and Northern Europe.

Olive oil supplement administered to healthy volunteers from Scotland led to a significant improvement in the proteomic coronary artery disease score change; both normal and extra‐virgin olive oils were related to positive changes in the urinary proteomic biomarkers and other indicators such as triacylglycerols, oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), and LDL cholesterol [15]. In the clinical setting, the effects of a polyphenol‐rich extra‐virgin olive oil on the metabolic control and the production of specific pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory adipokines were evaluated in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This diet reduced fasting plasma glucose levels, body mass index (BMI), and body weight, and it lowered serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase [16].

Non‐olive vegetable oils have also been investigated. Canola oil was administered as a food ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Editor Biographies
• List of Contributors
• Foreword
• Preface
• About the Book
• Expert Commentary: Dietary Factors and Natural Product Derivatives in Cancer Therapy
• 1 Natural Food Sources for the Control of Glycemia and the Prevention of Diabetic Complications
• 2 Anti‐Aging Effects of Sulfur‐Containing Amino Acids and Nutraceuticals
• 3 Garcinia Fruits: Their Potential to Combat Metabolic Syndrome
• 4 Pro‐Angiogenic and Anti‐Angiogenic Effects of Small Molecules from Natural Products
• 5 Nutraceuticals and Natural Product Derivatives in the Premises of Disease Prevention
• 6 Honey‐ and Propolis‐Mediated Regulation of Protein Networks in Cancer Cells
• 7 Antiproliferative Effects and Mechanism of Action of Phytosterols Derived from Bioactive Plant Extracts
• 8 Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil.): A Promising Adjuvant in the Treatment of Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolic Syndrome
• 9 Role of Natural Antioxidants from Selected Plants Belonging to the Scrophulariaceae and Buddlejaceae Families in the Prevention and Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases
• 10 Recent Trends in Drug Discovery against Alzheimer's Disease: Use of Natural Products and Nutraceuticals from Botanicals
• 11 Therapeutic Potential of Metalloherbal Nanoceuticals: Current Status and Future Perspectives
• 12 Green Tea Polyphenols: A Putative Mechanism for Cytotoxic Action against Cancer Cells
• 13 Nature's Armamentarium against Malaria: Antimalarials and Their Semisynthetic Derivatives
• 14 Nutraceutical‐Based Pharmacological Intervention in the Management of Liver Diseases
• Index
• End User License Agreement