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Wound-healing and Anti-aging found in an invasive weed.

Wound-healing and Anti-aging found in an invasive weed.

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Many people are expressing a desire for skin care products made from natural ingredients. Fruit from the cocklebur plant contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. This may make it effective as a skin protectant, according to researchers presenting at Discover BMB.

In 3D tissue models, researchers discovered that cocklebur extracts sped up wound healing and decreased UVB damage. More and more individuals are looking for substances that are naturally derived when it comes to skin care. According to previous customer polls, many women prefer all-natural skin care products.

According to recent studies, the fruit of the cocklebur plant, a noxious weed, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities that may not only make it beneficial as a skin protectant but also aid reduce UVB damage and speed wound healing.

The research is presented at Discover BMB, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s annual meeting, March 25–28 in Seattle, Washington.

What is the cocklebur plant?

The cocklebur plant, or Xanthium strumarium as it is named in science, is a summer-growing weed. The weed has both male and female heads as it grows. Its maximum height at maturity is six feet.

With burs, the weed produces blooms. The “fruit” of the plant is found inside these burs. The burs can attach to an individual and disseminate to other locations when a person or animal rubs up against the plant.

Plants called cocklebur are indigenous to parts of China, Central Asia, and Southern Europe. The United States is one of the places in the globe where they are presently, nevertheless.

From ancient times, the cocklebur has been utilised in traditional Chinese medicine, most frequently to relieve headaches and rhinitis. More recently, researchers have investigated using the cocklebur plant to treat cancer, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Cocklebur extract and skin protection

In this work, scientists examined how the molecular characteristics of cocklebur fruit extracts can impact collagen synthesis, wound healing, and UVB radiation damage using cell cultures and a 3D tissue model resembling human skin.

Upon examination, researchers discovered that the cocklebur fruit extracts accelerated the healing of wounds and boosted both the creation and breakdown of collagen. It had a protective effect against UVB radiation at lesser doses as well, but at the highest measured dose, it reduced the ability of the cell to react to UVB.

Eunsu Song, a PhD student at Myongji University in South Korea and the study’s principal author, told that there have been numerous published studies that describe the chemical makeup of cocklebur fruit.

The identification of bioactive substances in natural goods is greatly helped by solvents. In the majority of published studies, solvents were extracted using methanol, which may not be suitable for usage as food or cosmetic additives. The initial step in our research, according to Song, was the ethanol extraction and examination of the cocklebur fruit’s bioactive component.

As a result, the primary phenolic ingredient in cocklebur was the antioxidant chlorogenic acid, she said. Additionally, the predominant phytosterol in cocklebur was ß-sitosterol. Both bioactive substances have been investigated because of their antioxidant, skin-allergenic, and wound-healing properties.

Potential toxicity of cocklebur in high doses

Although the research team’s findings are encouraging, they also issued a warning that cocklebur fruit extract taken in large dosages may be dangerous. To ascertain the safe limits for cosmetic and pharmaceutical purposes, more study must be done.

According to Song, the carboxyatractyloside found in the burs of cocklebur is what gives it its toxic properties. That can be one of the causes of the poisonous effects in the high cockleburs concentration. At high amounts, additional substances than carboxyatractyloside can also be hazardous. As a result, it is crucial to determine the optimum dose using acute toxicity studies.

It hasn’t been clear up until now whether cocklebur actually promotes collagen formation and wound healing, two processes that are crucial to the molecular health of the skin. We need to identify any potential molecular mechanisms before moving on to the next phase. Following that, we’ll test cocklebur using additional non-animal methods.

Intriguing anti-aging, healing potential

Dermatologist Dr. Alexis L. Young, clinical assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, provided the following commentary on this study:

According to her, the field of cosmeceuticals as well as wound healing could be greatly impacted by this new study, which she called “extremely exciting.” “The key principles of anti-aging products include promoting collagen synthesis, preventing collagen degradation, using antioxidants to ward off DNA damage and the ageing effects of free radicals, and boosting the skin’s elasticity and volume. This plant could be able to do those tasks in cell and tissue culture.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a temporary addition to the skin that briefly plumpens the skin for around 15 minutes before disappearing, according to Dr. Young. “A topical agent that can genuinely boost collagen and HA formation would be new. Presently available retinols, which promote collagen synthesis and prevent its deterioration, can be quite irritating to the skin. We’re constantly looking for skin-care products that are more tolerable yet still effective.

This study, according to Dr. Lamb, is interesting since it reveals a novel development that may be employed as both an antioxidant and a skin protectant: “Naturally derived goods are currently popular, and this is a fresh one that can be quickly added to the arsenal.”

The main concern will be whether or whether something similar can induce allergic contact dermatitis, as the plant itself can. Whilst the research is encouraging, we must wait to see if we should put it on the skin because it actually seems to be quite irritating. If it can do more harm than good, we should avoid using it.

The conclusion

Compounds found in the cocklebur’s fruit, according to South Korean researchers, may aid in skin protection. These substances accelerated wound healing, lowered UVB exposure damage, and boosted collagen formation in tests employing cells and tissues. But more research is still required.

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How coffee helps lower type 2 diabetes risk?

How coffee helps lower type 2 diabetes risk?

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A significant new study investigates the mechanisms underlying the well-established link between coffee drinking and a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes.

According to the study, coffee’s anti-inflammatory characteristics may account for a major portion of its positive effects. Pro-inflammatory biomarkers seem to decrease with coffee consumption while anti-inflammatory biomarkers rise.

Coffee consumption has been associated to a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. According to a recent study, the connection is well-established, although the exact mechanism is still unknown.

Another study contends that through reducing subclinical inflammation, coffee consumption may reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes. The advantage was greatest in espresso or filtered ground coffee consumers and non-smokers or never-smokers.

Data set on coffee and type 2 diabetes

The authors of the study examined a sizable data set from participants in two population-based studies: the Rotterdam Study in the Netherlands and the UK Biobank.

The 502,536 participants in the UK Biobank cohort were from England, Scotland, and Wales and enrolled in the study between April 2006 and December 2010. They ranged in age from 37 to 73. Follow-up information on these people became accessible in 2017.

The Rotterdam Study, which started in 1990 and will eventually include 14,929 people, is still ongoing. In 2015, follow-up information was revealed. Researchers found alterations in the levels of type 2 diabetes-associated biomarkers connected to inflammation in the study.

Researchers found that those who increased their daily intake of coffee by just one cup had a 4% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. This reduction in risk was most likely brought about by decreased inflammation, the study’s authors speculate.

The current study’s “main strength is the large number of individuals included in the cohorts, the long follow-up time, and the comprehensive assessment of inflammatory markers,” according to Dr. Angélica Amato, associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Brasil who was not involved in it.

Effects of coffee on inflammation

The Rotterdam Project and the UK Biobank provided the researchers with the 152,479 participants’ health records for evaluation. They examined the daily coffee consumption of the participants, which ranged from 0 to about 6 cups, as well as the prevalence of type 2 diabetes across a 13-year period.

By the use of fasting blood samples, the team also assessed levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin, and adiponectin as well as indicators of insulin resistance.

The researchers discovered that drinking an extra cup of coffee each day was linked to a 4–6% decreased chance of developing diabetes.

Greater levels of interleukin-13 and adiponectin concentrations, which have anti-inflammatory effects, were linked to higher levels of coffee consumption instead of lower levels of CRP and leptin, pro-inflammatory markers. Blood glucose levels can be lowered by adiponectin’s ability to make people more sensitive to insulin.

Researchers believe that drinking coffee can help lower inflammatory biomarkers, which are known to rise in the body when there is inflammation, as is the situation with type 2 diabetes.

The researchers also think that the type of coffee is important because espresso or filtered coffee was more closely related to risk reduction.

According to Andrew Odegaard, PhD, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, Irvine, the results are consistent with earlier research that found a relationship between higher levels of coffee consumption and a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes across various populations and demographics.

Odegaard noted that more information is required to fully grasp the potential pathways, but that “the mediating estimates of inflammation provide evidence on a major postulated mechanism.”

Enjoy coffee but avoid relying on it

Tan would not necessarily recommend it to individuals wanting to protect themselves. Tan says persons with diabetes and those at risk for the condition should feel comfortable consuming black coffee or espresso.

There are alternative strategies that have been more thoroughly researched to lower the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and general health, according to Tan.

Tan advises increasing physical exercise, reducing inactive time, abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, having a balanced diet, and, if at all feasible, avoiding specific drugs that can worsen hyperglycemia in order to reduce one’s chance of developing diabetes.

She exhorts them to consider the kind of coffee they consume. Moreover, Tan remarked, “I would like to caution patients that the study indicated the most benefit from filtered coffee or espresso rather than from coffee beverages that can include very high amounts of sugar and fat.”

Why inflammation matters in diabetes?

Dr. Amato expressed his concern that a longitudinal study like this one could not be used to conclusively prove causality. She did, however, add that “it is most likely that the association between coffee use and reduced type 2 diabetes risk is due to decreased insulin resistance, one of the physiopathological pathways underpinning the development of type 2 diabetes.”

Insulin produced by the pancreas cannot regulate blood sugar levels in persons with type 2 diabetes. These levels are able to escalate dangerously out of control due to such insulin resistance.

According to Dr. Amato, subclinical inflammation, which is reportedly reduced by coffee drinking, has a significant role in insulin resistance.

Dr. Kausel continued, “Adipokine released by adipocytes has anti-inflammatory benefits in addition to making patients more sensitive to insulin. Further enhancing insulin sensitivity and lowering systemic inflammation are coffee’s polyphenol components.

Dr. Ochoa-Rosales advised patients worried about preventing type 2 diabetes to take a stance against inflammation by consuming a diet high in polyphenols from fruits and vegetables.

Smokers don’t get the same coffee benefits

The researchers also discovered that among people who smoke, coffee’s health benefits were less pronounced.

According to Dr. Ochoa-Rosales, “there is a correlation between smoking and higher coffee consumption – heavy coffee consumers are often smokers,” therefore the researchers first considered smoking a confounding factor in their analysis.

Nevertheless, when they investigated the impact of coffee consumption on diabetes risk among smokers, non-smokers, and never-smokers, they discovered that the effect of coffee’s positive relationship with decreased C-reactive protein and type 2 diabetes risk was only present among former- and never-smokers.

Treating and avoiding type 2 diabetes

Although the link between inflammatory markers and cardiovascular disease has been researched, Dr. Kausel pointed out that the new study offers a “fresh perspective.”

However finding increasing your coffee intake won’t likely prevent type 2 diabetes, “anything that lowers these inflammation indicators can be acquired as a daily routine, and since most people consume coffee, it’s a good thing to know,” she continued.

Dr. Ochoa-Rosales noted that there is already increased interest in treatments that target inflammatory indicators as a result of the substantial body of information linking systemic inflammation to the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Amato acknowledged this and suggested that the biomarkers identified in the study could serve as “promising targets” for therapeutic treatment of type 2 diabetes:

“Exploring the precise mechanisms by which the bioactive components of coffee function to elucidate potential targets and pathways that may be addressed to treat or prevent the disease” is another fascinating option.

No matter what new pharmacological targets are discovered as a result of research like this one, Dr. Kausel emphasised that “if individuals don’t start thinking about healthy practises, it will be impossible to avoid the disease.”

Dr. Kausel underlined that eating a good diet is the major component in preventing diabetes.

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Can Cinnamon actually improve memory and learning ability?

Can Cinnamon actually improve memory and learning ability?

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Researchers examined 40 research that looked at the impact of cinnamon on cognition. They discovered that taking cinnamon supplements may enhance learning and memory. Before conclusions can be drawn, additional research is required.

Cinnamon has a long history of usage in herbal medicine, as well as in cooking and as an aroma. According to studies, cinnamon has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory qualities in addition to providing benefits to cognition.

Cinnamon may have neuroprotective properties, including those against Alzheimer’s disease, according to some research.

Cinnamaldehyde, a component of cinnamon, has been demonstrated to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain, which are a crucial indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. The development of preventative measures for cognitive decline may be aided by more research into cinnamon’s possible cognitive advantages.

A recent meta-analysis of 40 studies looking into cinnamon’s impact on cognitive performance was done by researchers. Scientists discovered that cinnamon greatly enhances cognition, often known as learning and memory.

Cinnamon and cognitive function

The researchers examined 40 studies that examined the connection between cinnamon and cognitive function for the study.

They used two clinical trials, five in vitro studies, and 33 in vivo studies for the study. Of these, 17 studies used rats, 15 used mice, and one used a common fruit fly. The researchers started by reviewing studies that used cinnamon extract or powder.

Researchers discovered that adolescents’ memories improved after eating cinnamon gum for 40 days in one clinical investigation. However, the other clinical research found no appreciable differences in memory when administered orally.

The majority of in vivo research discovered that cinnamon improved learning and memory. But according to one study, cinnamon reduced learning and short-term memory.

Meanwhile, an in-vivo investigation discovered that a methanol extract from cinnamon bark can reduce the development of amyloid-beta. The scientists then looked into the compounds found in cinnamon, including eugenol, cinnamic acid, and cinnamaldehyde.

They discovered that eugenol’s antioxidant qualities and capacity to prevent amyloid plaques have cognitive beneficial effects. They also discovered that the chemicals cinnamaldehyde and trans-cinnamaldehyde have anti-cell death and anti-inflammatory properties that shield against cognitive decline in animal models.

While both low and high doses of cinnamon had beneficial benefits, the researchers emphasised that their findings were not dose-dependent.

Limited clinical data

Molly Rapozo, RDN, Registered Dietician Nutritionist & Senior Nutrition and Health Educator at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, who was not involved in the study, responded as follows when asked about the study’s limitations:

Just 2 clinical studies—one of which did not demonstrate a beneficial effect were included in this review. Rodent models made up the majority of the included literature. Further clinical research is therefore required. The length, dosage, and components of the cinnamon utilised in the experiments varied widely as well.

She speculated as to why one of the two clinical trials with reported positive effects included cinnamon’s lack of efficacy, saying: “Perhaps cinnamon didn’t show a positive effect in one of the clinical studies because the dosage, duration, or cinnamon used wasn’t as impactful as the combination used in the positive study.”

I CARE FOR YOUR BRAIN inventor and board-certified neuropsychologist Dr. Karen D. Sullivan, who was not engaged in the study, added:

The majority of the included studies are of poor quality, and even the authors call them “imprecise,” which is one of the key weaknesses. There were several poorly specified variables, such as the cognitive abilities assessed, the usage of various cinnamon components, and different exposures to the chemicals.

She went on to say that the evidence for cinnamon’s ability to block the pathophysiological processes involved in Alzheimer’s disease was extremely weak and limited to very tiny sample sizes in laboratory samples.

While not engaged in the study, Dr. Jonathan J. Rasouli, Director of Complicated and Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery at Staten Island University Hospital, told that the human trials lacked sufficient control groups. Dr. Rasouli stated that We will need a prospective, randomised controlled trial, and that is still pending, in order to conclusively claim there is a benefit.

Including cinnamon in diet 

There are two varieties of cinnamon: cassia and ceylon. Both can be beneficial additions to a person’s diet, however cassia cinnamon has a toxin that can be detrimental if consumed in excess.

“High intakes of cassia cinnamon can impair liver function, raise the risk of lung, liver, and kidney cancer, cause drug interactions, and do so because of the high coumarin content. However, consuming too much ground cinnamon—of any variety—at once can make you cough and have trouble breathing because of the spice’s extremely fine texture, which can get stuck in your lungs’ vacuoles. For those who have asthma, this is extremely troubling, Dr. Sullivan advised.

Rapozo pointed out, however, that cinnamon is regarded as a safe natural remedy and has a lengthy cultural history. This implies that it might be easily incorporated as a component of a whole foods diet that is accessible to a wide range of people.

‘I advise using culinary herbs and spices as a part of an anti-inflammatory diet for brain health. In addition to being an excellent addition to hot or cold tea, whole grains, and fruit, cinnamon is also a crucial component of many savoury spice blends around the world’, she said.

REFERENCES:

  • https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cognitive-decline-predictors-besides-dementia
  • https://neurosciencenews.com/cinnamon-learning-memory-22444/
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2023/02/04/cinnamon-improves-your-memory-and-cognition/
  • https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-effects-cinnamon-memory.html

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