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Benefits of Bioactive Molecules from Food in Cardiovascular Disease

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2023) | Viewed by 6621

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Valerio Sanguigni

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Guest Editor

Department of System Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Interests: atherosclerosis; cardiovascular disease; hypertension; thrombosis; oxidative stress; antioxidants; foods; natural supplement; cholesterol; aging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Beatriz Martín-Fernández

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Co-Guest Editor

Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
Interests: heart failure; oxidation; fibrosis; proanthocyanidins; cardiovascular

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death worldwide. Factors that can reduce the occurrence of these important diseases could contribute to important improvements in health and longevity. While oxidative stress promotes ageing and related chronic diseases, a diet enriched in fruits, vegetables, and their processed products is known to be protective against oxidative stress, reducing the incidences of chronic diseases. The polyphenols contained in fruits and vegetables are the most powerful natural antioxidants. Many published clinical studies on the effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on health have shown an inverse association between dietary polyphenol intake and cardiovascular disease risk, with a reduction in cardiovascular mortality of up to 65%. In simple words, polyphenols can prevent the main cardiovascular diseases responsible for aging and death. Some controlled studies on the short-term effects of a dietary intervention with foods rich in polyphenols (e.g., cocoa, nuts, tea, red wine) have shown that the main positive effect on reducing the risk of cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke) is due to an evident improvement in vascular endothelial function. In particular, the acute and short-term intake of polyphenols with the diet, through a powerful direct antioxidant action as scavengers (substances capable of transforming oxygen free radicals into non-radical compounds free of reactivity and therefore toxicity), reduces the level of oxygen free radicals (oxidative stress) and therefore increases the bioavailability of nitric oxide (the most powerful endogenous natural vasodilator). All this leads to an increase in endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humans, with repair of vascular damage, improvement of blood perfusion to organs, and prevention of chronic degenerative diseases, with the result not only of a longer life but, above all, of an exceptional state of physical and mental form until late age.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences entitled “Benefits of Bioactive Molecules from Food in Cardiovascular Disease” will include a selection of original articles and reviews aimed at expanding our awareness of the progress in the knowledge of bioactive molecules from food acting as antioxidants, reducing oxidative stress and oxidant enzymes, and providing protection from deleterious reactive oxygen species.

Prof. Dr. Valerio Sanguigni
Prof. Dr. Beatriz Martín-Fernández
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

bioactive molecules
food
polyphenols
reactive oxygen species (ROS)
chronic diseases
cardiovascular disease
vascular function
oxidative stress
antioxidant activities

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 4267 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supplementation with a New Standardized Extract of Green and Black Tea Exerts Antiadipogenic Effects and Prevents Insulin Resistance in Mice with Metabolic Syndrome

by Mario De la Fuente-Muñoz, María De la Fuente-Fernández, Marta Román-Carmena, Sara Amor, María C. Iglesias-de la Cruz, Guillermo García-Laínez, Silvia Llopis, Patricia Martorell, David Verdú, Eva Serna, Ángel L. García-Villalón, Sonia I. Guilera, Antonio M. Inarejos-García and Miriam Granado

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 8521; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24108521 - 10 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2218

Abstract

Insulin resistance is one of the main characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the main cause of the development of type II diabetes. The high prevalence of this syndrome in recent decades has made it necessary to search for preventive and therapeutic agents, ideally of natural origin, with fewer side effects than conventional pharmacological treatments. Tea is widely known for its medicinal properties, including beneficial effects on weight management and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to analyze whether a standardized extract of green and black tea (ADM^® Complex Tea Extract (CTE)) prevents the development of insulin resistance in mice with MetS. For this purpose, C57BL6/J mice were fed for 20 weeks with a standard diet (Chow), a diet with 56% kcal from fat and sugar (HFHS) or an HFHS diet supplemented with 1.6% CTE. CTE supplementation reduced body weight gain, adiposity and circulating leptin levels. Likewise, CTE also exerted lipolytic and antiadipogenic effects in 3T3-L1 adipocyte cultures and in the C. elegans model. Regarding insulin resistance, CTE supplementation significantly increased plasma adiponectin concentrations and reduced the circulating levels of insulin and the HOMA-IR. Incubation of liver, gastrocnemius muscle and retroperitoneal adipose tissue explants with insulin increased the pAkt/Akt ratio in mice fed with Chow and HFHS + CTE but not in those fed only with HFHS. The greater activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in response to insulin in mice supplemented with CTE was associated with a decrease in the expression of the proinflammatory markers Mcp-1, IL-6, IL-1β or Tnf-α and with an overexpression of the antioxidant enzymes Sod-1, Gpx-3, Ho-1 and Gsr in these tissues. Moreover, in skeletal muscle, mice treated with CTE showed increased mRNA levels of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), Arnt and Nrf2, suggesting that the CTE’s insulin-sensitizing effects could be the result of the activation of this pathway. In conclusion, supplementation with the standardized extract of green and black tea CTE reduces body weight gain, exerts lipolytic and antiadipogenic effects and reduces insulin resistance in mice with MetS through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benefits of Bioactive Molecules from Food in Cardiovascular Disease)

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14 pages, 3768 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polyphenols and Triterpenes Combination in an In Vitro Model of Cardiac Damage: Protective Effects

by Natalia de las Heras, Adrián Galiana, Sandra Ballesteros, José Carlos Quintela, Ileana Bonilauri, Vicente Lahera and Beatriz Martín-Fernández

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(9), 7977; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24097977 - 28 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1121

Abstract

Olive products contain high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids as well as other minor components such as triterpenic alcohols and other pentacyclic triterpenes, which together form the main triterpenes of virgin olive oil. Olive fruits and leaves contain significant amounts of hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactives including flavones, phenolic acids and phenolic alcohols, amongst others. Several studies have shown the benefits of these substances on the cardiovascular system. Regardless, little is known about the specific combination of bioactive compounds in cardiovascular health. Thus, we aimed to test the combination of a triterpenes (TT70) and a polyphenols (HT60) olive oil bioactive extract in H9c2 cells under stress conditions: LPS and H₂O₂ stimulation. To evaluate the effectiveness of the combination, we measured cell viability, superoxide production and protein expression of caspase 3, eNOS, peNOS, TNF-α and Il-6. Overall, cells stimulated with LPS or H₂O₂ and co-incubated with the combination of triterpenes and polyphenols had increased cell survival, lower levels of superoxide anion, lower protein expression of eNOS and higher expression of peNOS, increased protein expression of SOD-1 and lower protein expression of TNF-α and Il-6. The specific combination of HT60+TT70 is of great interest for further study as a possible treatment for cardiovascular damage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benefits of Bioactive Molecules from Food in Cardiovascular Disease)

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Review

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37 pages, 4575 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Influence of Polyphenols on Atherosclerosis Development

by Agnieszka Ziółkiewicz, Kamila Kasprzak-Drozd, Robert Rusinek, Ewa Markut-Miotła and Anna Oniszczuk

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7146; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087146 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2853

Abstract

Polyphenols have attracted tremendous attention due to their pro-health properties, including their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and neuroprotective activities. Atherosclerosis is a vascular disorder underlying several CVDs. One of the main risk factors causing atherosclerosis is the type and quality of food consumed. Therefore, polyphenols represent promising agents in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, as demonstrated by in vitro, animal, preclinical and clinical studies. However, most polyphenols cannot be absorbed directly by the small intestine. Gut microbiota play a crucial role in converting dietary polyphenols into absorbable bioactive substances. An increasing understanding of the field has confirmed that specific GM taxa strains mediate the gut microbiota–atherosclerosis axis. The present study explores the anti-atherosclerotic properties and associated underlying mechanisms of polyphenols. Moreover, it provides a basis for better understanding the relationship between dietary polyphenols, gut microbiota, and cardiovascular benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benefits of Bioactive Molecules from Food in Cardiovascular Disease)

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