Objective: To elucidate the protective effects of rice bran water extract on the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), and a cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) in the vasculature of high-fat diet-fed rats. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups. Group I served as control, Group II was treated with high-fat diet, and Group III was treated with high-fat diet and rice bran water extract at 2 205 mg/kg/day. After four weeks, the metabolic parameters, malondialdehyde as a marker of oxidative stress, and histological features of the aorta were evaluated. The levels of transcripts and proteins in aorta were determined by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Results: In comparison with the Group II, rice bran water extract administration resulted in a significant reduction in body weight, visceral fat tissue weights, blood glucose levels, and serum total-cholesterol and free fatty acid levels in Group III. Serum triglyceride levels tended to decrease in the Group III. Also, rice bran water extract administration obviously decreased malondialdehyde levels in both serum and aorta. Interestingly, rice bran water extract treatment demonstrated a significant up-regulation of eNOS expression and down-regulation of NF-kB p65 and CD36 expressions. Nonetheless, all groups showed normal histology of aorta. Conclusions: Rice bran water extract exhibited vasoprotective effects in the high-fat diet-induced obesity condition by modulating the expression of eNOS, NF-kB, and CD36 and metabolic parameters.

Objective: To study the inhibitory effect of rice bran extracts of Thai black Kam Muang and red Hawm Dawk Mali Deang on oxidative stress factors including superoxide (O

Objective To elucidate the protective effects of rice bran water extract on the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and a cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) in the vasculature of high-fat diet-fed rats. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups. Group I served as control, Group II was treated with high-fat diet, and Group III was treated with high-fat diet and rice bran water extract at 2 205 mg/kg/day. After four weeks, the metabolic parameters, malondialdehyde as a marker of oxidative stress, and histological features of the aorta were evaluated. The levels of transcripts and proteins in aorta were determined by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Results In comparison with the Group II, rice bran water extract administration resulted in a significant reduction in body weight, visceral fat tissue weights, blood glucose levels, and serum total-cholesterol and free fatty acid levels in Group III. Serum triglyceride levels tended to decrease in the Group III. Also, rice bran water extract administration obviously decreased malondialdehyde levels in both serum and aorta. Interestingly, rice bran water extract treatment demonstrated a significant up-regulation of eNOS expression and down-regulation of NF-κB p65 and CD36 expressions. Nonetheless, all groups showed normal histology of aorta. Conclusions Rice bran water extract exhibited vasoprotective effects in the high-fat diet-induced obesity condition by modulating the expression of eNOS, NF-κB, and CD36 and metabolic parameters.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antioxidant activities as well as phytochemical constituents of Antidesma thwaitesianum Müll. Arg. leaf extracts.

METHODSThe leaves of A. thwaitesianum were extracted using three different methods: blending with distilled water, maceration with ethanol and decoction. The chemical antioxidant activity of the plant leaf extracts was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS⁺) radical scavenging assays, as well as the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. Cellular antioxidant activity was determined by superoxide and nitric oxide scavenging assays. The cytotoxicity of the leaf extracts in RAW 264.7 and differentiated HL-60 cells was tested in parallel using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assays, respectively. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also assessed by spectrophotometric analysis. Phytochemical constituents of the most potent extract were investigated by liquid chromatography with an electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS).

RESULTSThe ethanolic (ME) and decoction (LW) extracts of dried leaves had the highest chemical scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS⁺ free radicals with half maximal effective concentration (EC) values ranging from 3.54 to 6.44 μg/mL. ME and LW exerted moderate ferric reducing activity, with ferric reducing antioxidant power values of 847.41 and 941.26 mg Fe/g extract, respectively. Similarly, ME showed potent cellular scavenging activity against superoxide and nitric oxide radicals with ECvalues of 58.12 and 71.90 μg/mL, respectively. However, LW exhibited only strong nitric oxide scavenging activity with an ECvalue of 91.20 μg/mL. The cell viability of RAW 264.7 and HL-60 cells was greater than 70% in all tested concentrations of both extracts, thus confirming the absence of their cytotoxicity. ME and LW contained high total phenolic contents of 231.14 and 274.42 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram, respectively, as well as high total flavonoid contents of 18.82 and 22.17 mg quercetin equivalents per gram, respectively. LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of 52 structurally characterized compounds in ME, 43 of which were tentatively identified. Hydroxycinnamic acids such as caffeic acid and its derivatives were the predominant phenolic compounds.

CONCLUSIONThis is the first report describing potent chemical and cellular antioxidant effects of the ethanolic leaf extract of A. thwaitesianum. The extract contained high total phenolic and flavonoid contents. LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis further revealed an abundance of caffeic acid derivatives and flavonoids. These data support its potential use as dietary supplements in oxidative stress prevention.