PMID: 

Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2011 Aug ;21(4):496-509. Epub 2011 Apr 18. PMID: 21496106

Abstract Title: 

Health benefits of cycling: a systematic review.

Abstract: 

The purpose of this study was to update the evidence on the health benefits of cycling. A systematic review of the literature resulted in 16 cycling-specific studies. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies showed a clear positive relationship between cycling and cardiorespiratory fitness in youths. Prospective observational studies demonstrated a strong inverse relationship between commuter cycling and all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, and cancer morbidity among middle-aged to elderly subjects. Intervention studies among working-age adults indicated consistent improvements in cardiovascular fitness and some improvements in cardiovascular risk factors due to commuting cycling. Six studies showed a consistent positive dose-response gradient between the amount of cycling and the health benefits. Systematic assessment of the quality of the studies showed most of them to be of moderate to high quality. According to standard criteria used primarily for the assessment of clinical studies, the strength of this evidence was strong for fitness benefits, moderate for benefits in cardiovascular risk factors, and inconclusive for all-cause mortality, coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality, cancer risk, and overweight and obesity. While more intervention research is needed to build a solid knowledge base of the health benefits of cycling, the existing evidence reinforces the current efforts to promote cycling as an important contributor for better population health.

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PMID: 

Ultrastruct Pathol. 2019 Oct 10:1-10. Epub 2019 Oct 10. PMID: 31599191

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin E protects against monosodium glutamate-induced acute liver injury and hepatocyte ultrastructural alterations in rats.

Abstract: 

Food additives such as nitrates and nitrites, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) used in the food industry increase the risk of certain cancers and inflict damage to vital organs. We sought to determine whether the antioxidant vitamin E can protect against liver injuries induced by a toxic dose of MSG in a rat model of MSG-induced acute liver injury. The model group of rats received a daily dose of MSG (4 gm/kg) for 7 days, whereas the protective groups were either received a 100 mg/kg vitamin E plus MSG or 300 mg/kg vitamin E plus MSG for 7 days. Rats were then sacrificed at day 8. Transmission and light microscopy images revealed substantial liver tissue damage induced by MSG in the model groupas demonstrated by apoptotic hepatocytes with Pyknotic nuclei and irregular nuclear membrane, and cytoplasm displayed many vacuoles, swollen mitochondria, dilated endoplasmic reticulum, dilated blood sinusoids and bundles of collagen fibers in extracellular space. Treatment of the model group withvitamin E showed a substantial protection of liver tissue and hepatocellular architecture by 300 mg/kg vitamin E compared to a partial protection by 100 mg/kg vitamin E. In addition, MSG significantly (

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PMID: 

Cureus. 2019 Aug 8 ;11(8):e5345. Epub 2019 Aug 8. PMID: 31602350

Abstract Title: 

A Case of Possible Monosodium Glutamate-Dependent, Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis.

Abstract: 

A 24-year-old Asian-American male presented to the Emergency Department with his third episode of anaphylaxis in a one-year period. Based on the clinical history provided by the patient regarding each of these episodes, the trigger for the patient's anaphylaxis appears to be the consumption of monosodium glutamate followed by physical exertion within the subsequent two to three hours. The case presented here represents a rare, but life-threatening, disorder. Identification of the triggers is important so that steps can be taken to prevent recurrence.

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PMID: 

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2019 Sep 25 ;185:109694. Epub 2019 Sep 25. PMID: 31562998

Abstract Title: 

Chronic effects of bisphenol S and bisphenol SIP on freshwater waterflea and ecological risk assessment.

Abstract: 

Bisphenol S (BPS) and 4-hydroxyphenyl 4-isoprooxyphenylsulfone (BPSIP) have been used as substitutes for bisphenol A (BPA) owing to increased regulation of BPA in plastics. In this study, long-term toxicity tests of BPS and BPSIP were performed using Daphnia magna and Moina macrocopa. The predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) of BPA, BPS, and BPSIP were derived by the assessment factor (AF) method and the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method. An ecological risk assessment was performed based on the measured environmental concentrations of BPA in surface water worldwide and the derived PNECs. The chronic NOEC of D. magna was 2.5 mg/L for BPS and 0.5 mg/L for BPSIP, and that of M. macrocopa was 0.03 mg/L for BPS and 0.1 mg/L for BPSIP. The PNECwas generally one order of magnitude less than the PNEC, and the PNEC of BPS was 10 times lower than that of BPA. The hazard quotients of BPA and BPS exceeded 1, indicating that concentrations in ambient water conditions could pose a potential risk to aquatic organisms. Since the use of alternative compounds is increasing, further monitoring data of the water environment and chronic toxicity in various aquatic organisms appears to be necessary.

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PMID: 

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Oct 8 ;16(19). Epub 2019 Oct 8. PMID: 31597243

Abstract Title: 

Memory Function, Neurological, and Immunological Biomarkers in Allergic Asthmatic Mice Intratracheally Exposed to Bisphenol A.

Abstract: 

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a major constituent of plastic products, including epoxy resin containers, mobile phones, dental sealants, as well as electronic and medical equipment. BPA is recognized as an endocrine system-disrupting chemical which has toxic effects on the brain and reproductive system. However, little is known about the effects of co-exposure of BPA with allergens on the memory function and neurological as well as immunological biomarker levels. In this study, we examined the effects of intratracheal instillation of BPA on the memory function and neuroimmune biomarker levels using a mouse model of allergic asthma. Male C3H/HeJ Jcl mice were given three doses of BPA (0.0625 pmol, 1.25 pmol, and 25 pmol BPA/animal) intratracheally once a week, and ovalbumin (OVA) intratracheally every other week from 5 to 11 weeks old. At 11 weeks of age, a novel object recognition test was conducted after the final administration of OVA, and the hippocampi and hypothalami of the animals were collected after 24 h. The expression levels of the memory function-related genes N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits, inflammatory cytokines, microglia markers, estrogen receptor-alpha, and oxytocin receptor were examined by real-time RT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) and immunohistochemical methods. Impairment of the novel object recognition ability was observed in the high-dose BPA-exposed mice with allergic asthma. In addition, the allergic asthmatic mice also showed downregulation of neurological biomarkers, such as NMDA receptor subunit NR2B in the hippocampus but no significant effect on immunological biomarkers in the hypothalamus. These findings suggest that exposure to high-dose BPA triggered impairment of memory function in the allergic asthmatic mice. This is the first study to show that, in the presence of allergens, exposure to high-dose BPA may affect memory by modulating the memory function-related genes in the hippocampus.

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PMID: 

Food Res Int. 2019 Nov ;125:108551. Epub 2019 Jul 12. PMID: 31554128

Abstract Title: 

Hydroalcoholic Myrciaria dubia (camu-camu) seed extracts prevent chromosome damage and act as antioxidant and cytotoxic agents.

Abstract: 

The camu-camu seeds, which comprehend about 20% of the fruit weight, is discarded without taking benefit of their chemical components and potential application by the industry. In the current study, we characterized the phenolic composition, the in vitro chemical antioxidant effects, cytotoxic activity, and the inhibition of induced-cisplatin chromosomal aberrations of five camu-camu seed extracts obtained with different proportions of water (HO) and ethyl alcohol (EtOH). The 50% HO + 50% EtOH was the most promising extract because it presented higher total phenolic content (4802 mg GAE/100 g), antioxidant capacity (DPPH = 3694 mg AAE/100 g; FRAP = 6604 mg AAE/100 g; FCRC = 4918 mg GAE/100 g) and inhibited the cell growth of four cancer cell lines (GI = 7.49 μg GAE/mL A549; 13.3 μg GAE/mL Caco-2; 15.57 μg GAE/mL HepG2 and 14.89 μg GAE/mL HCT8) without cytotoxic effects against normal cells (GIIMR90 > 43.2 μg GAE/mL). The cytotoxic effects presented high correlation with the (-)-epicatechin and methylvescalagin contents, while gallic and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acids were associated with cytoprotective effects of HCT8 cancer cell line. The 50% HO + 50% EtOH extract also presented protective effect by decreasing 37% of the induced-cisplatin chromosomal breaks index, suggesting its antimutagenic potential, which may be associated to its antioxidant and cytotoxic activities.

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PMID: 

J Clin Med. 2019 Aug 23 ;8(9). Epub 2019 Aug 23. PMID: 31450844

Abstract Title: 

Potential Protective Effect of Oleanolic Acid on the Components of Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

Abstract: 

The high prevalence of obesity is a serious public health problem in today's world. Both obesity and insulin resistance favor the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is associated with a number of pathologies, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. This serious problem highlights the need to search for new natural compounds to be employed in therapeutic and preventive strategies, such as oleanolic acid (OA). This research aimed to systematically review the effects of OA on the main components of MetS as well as oxidative stress in clinical trials and experimental animal studies. Databases searched included PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane, and CINAHL from 2013 to 2019. Thus, both animal studies (= 23) and human clinical trials (= 1) were included in our review to assess the effects of OA formulations on parameters concerning insulin resistance and the MetS components. The methodological quality assessment was performed through using the SYRCLE's Risk of Bias for animal studies and the Jadad scale. According to the studies in our review, OA improves blood pressure levels, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. Although there is scientific evidence that OA has beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of MetS and insulin resistance, more experimental studies and randomized clinical trials are needed to guarantee its effectiveness.

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PMID: 

Antioxidants (Basel). 2018 Dec 21 ;8(1). Epub 2018 Dec 21. PMID: 30577585

Abstract Title: 

Potential Application ofL. andL. Leaf Essential Oils as Antioxidant and of Cholinesterases Inhibitors.

Abstract: 

The aim of this work is to investigate the in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrycholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities of essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaves ofandin relation to their composition, analysed by Gas Chromatography⁻Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses, at different times. Moreover, considering the role of free radicals in the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, the antioxidant properties of essential oils were investigated by using, 2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and β-carotene bleaching tests. The relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI) was used to achieve more comprehensive comparison between analysed antioxidant effects of essential oils.oils were more active thanoils against AChE. Against BChE, the most active was the essential oil fromleaves collected in August with an ICvalue of 95.80μg/mL. This oil exerted the highest inhibitory activity of lipid peroxidation with ICvalues of 11.15 and 11.39μg/mL after 30 and 60 min of incubation, respectively. All samples demonstrated a remarkable ABTS radicals scavenging activity, with ICvalues in the range 0.45⁻0.57 μg/mL in comparison to the positive control, ascorbic acid.

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PMID: 

Nutrients. 2019 May 15 ;11(5). Epub 2019 May 15. PMID: 31096595

Abstract Title: 

Polyphenol-Enriched Plum Extract Enhances Myotubule Formation and Anabolism while Attenuating Colon Cancer-induced Cellular Damage in C2C12 Cells.

Abstract: 

Preventing muscle wasting in certain chronic diseases including cancer is an ongoing challenge. Studies have shown that polyphenols derived from fruits and vegetables shows promise in reducing muscle loss in cellular and animal models of muscle wasting. We hypothesized that polyphenols derived from plums () could have anabolic and anti-catabolic benefits on skeletal muscle. The effects of a polyphenol-enriched plum extract (PE60) were evaluated in vitro on C2C12 and Colon-26 cancer cells. Data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and we found that treatment of myocytes with plum extract increased the cell size by ~3-fold (

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PMID: 

J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2011 Dec ;31(12):2293-301. Epub 2011 Sep 14. PMID: 21915135

Abstract Title: 

GSM mobile phone radiation suppresses brain glucose metabolism.

Abstract: 

We investigated the effects of mobile phone radiation on cerebral glucose metabolism using high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) with the (18)F-deoxyglucose (FDG) tracer. A long half-life (109 minutes) of the (18)F isotope allowed a long, natural exposure condition outside the PET scanner. Thirteen young right-handed male subjects were exposed to a pulse-modulated 902.4 MHz Global System for Mobile Communications signal for 33 minutes, while performing a simple visual vigilance task. Temperature was also measured in the head region (forehead, eyes, cheeks, ear canals) during exposure. (18)F-deoxyglucose PET images acquired after the exposure showed that relative cerebral metabolic rate of glucose was significantly reduced in the temporoparietal junction and anterior temporal lobe of the right hemisphere ipsilateral to the exposure. Temperature rise was also observed on the exposed side of the head, but the magnitude was very small. The exposure did not affect task performance (reaction time, error rate). Our results show that short-term mobile phone exposure can locally suppress brain energy metabolism in humans.

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