Rattlesnake venom for Hepatitis C treatment

A group of Brazilian scientists has achieved promising results using isolated compounds from the venom of the South American rattlesnake to combat hepatitis C. The investigation was based on records in scientific literature in which animal venom showed activity against some viruses, such as yellow fever, measles and dengue, which belongs to the same Flaviviridae virus family as hepatitis.
There is a great need for new methods in the fight
hepatitis C.

The researchers tested three compounds from the venom of Crotalus durissus terrificus rattlesnake, and also investigated the antiviral potential of flavonoids extracted from Pterogyne nitens, a kind of plant endemic to Brazil. Results from these experiments were published in PloS One and Scientific Reports , respectively. In the Laboratory of Toxicology at FCF-USP, two proteins from the rattlesnake venom were successfully isolated: phospholipase A2 (PLA2-CB) and crotapotin (CP).

They are found in nature as subunits of the crotoxin protein complex, which the researchers also tested. In a series of in vitro experiments with cultured human cells , they tested the antiviral action of the two compounds, both separately and together in the protein complex. They observed the compounds' effects on human cells (to prevent infection by the virus ) and directly on hepatitis C virus. The hepatitis C virus genome consists of a single strand of RNA (ribonucleic acid), which is a simple chain of nucleotides encoding the proteins in the virus.

This virus invades the human host cell to replicate, producing new viral particles. Inside the host cell, the virus produces a complementary strand of RNA, from which molecules of viral genome will emerge to constitute the new particles. The research showed that phospholipase can intercalate into double-stranded RNA, a virus replication intermediate, inhibiting the production of new viral particles. Intercalation reduced these by 86 percent compared with their production in the absence of phospholipase." When the same experiment was performed using crotoxin, production of viral particles fell 58 percent.

The second stage of the research consisted of verifying whether the compounds blocked the virus's entry into cultured human cells. In this case, the results were even more satisfactory: Phospholipase blocked 97 percent of viral cell entry, and crotoxin reduced viral infection by 85 percent.

Lastly, they tested crotapotin, another compound isolated from the same rattlesnake's venom. Crotapotin had no inhibitory effect on viral entry or replication, but did affect another stage of the virus's life cycle, reducing the release of new viral particles from cells by 78 percent. Treatment with crotoxin achieved 50 percent inhibition of viral release. According to the researchers, the results of the experiments show that phospholipase and crotapotin produced better results when used separately than together.

Substances derived from Brazilian flora: sorbifolin and pedalitin, both flavonoids isolated from the leaves of Pterogyne nitens during the experiments conducted by Professor Luis Octávio Regasini at UNESP's Green & Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory in Sao José do Rio Preto. Flavonoids are compounds found in fruit, flowers, vegetables, honey and wine. As with the compounds isolated from rattlesnake venom, the flavonoids were tested for antiviral action in human cells infected with hepatitis C virus and in uninfected cells. "Sorbifolin blocked viral entry into human cells in 45 percent of cases, while pedalitin provided more promising results, blocking entry in 79 percent of cases.

The experiment was performed with two genotypes of hepatitis C virus: genotype 2A, the standard type in all studies, and genotype 3, the second most prevalent in Brazil. In both cases, the antiviral action of the flavonoids was equivalent. At the other end of the viral life cycle, the flavonoids had no effect on viral particle replication and did not prevent their release from infected cells. The flavonoids from P. nitens are among some 200 tested compounds isolated from Brazilian plants or synthesized using natural structures. The two flavonoids were tested against hepatitis C virus because they'd been shown to have antiviral action in experiments with dengue virus.
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MIND diet for cognitive decline

A diet created by researchers at Rush University Medical Center may help substantially slow cognitive decline in stroke survivors, according to preliminary research to the general population. The diet, known as the MIND diet, is short for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. The diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets. Both have been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, heart attack and stroke.

The foods that promote brain health, including vegetables, berries, fish and olive oil, are included in the MIND diet, the diet has slow cognitive decline in stroke survivors. MIND diet based on information from years of research about what foods and nutrients have good, and bad, effects on the functioning of the brain. The diet has been associated with reduced Alzheimer's risk in seniors who adhered to its recommendations. Even people who moderately adhered had reduced risk of Alzeimeir's disease D and cognitive decline.

The MIND diet has 15 dietary components, including 10 "brain-healthy food groups" and five unhealthy groups-red meat, butter, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food. To benefit from the MIND diet, a person would need to eat at least three servings of whole grains, a green leafy vegetable and one other vegetable every day along with a glass of wine, snack most days on nuts, have beans every other day or so, eat poultry and berries at least twice a week and fish at least once a week. The diet also specifies limiting intake of the designated unhealthy foods, limiting butter to less than half teaspoons a day and eating less than 5 servings a week of sweets and pastries, and less than one serving per week of whole fat cheese, and fried or fast food.

From 2004 to 2017, Cherian and colleagues studied 106 participants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project who had a history of stroke for cognitive decline, including decline in one's ability to think, reason and remember. They assessed people in the study every year until their deaths or the study's conclusion, for an average of 5.9 years, and monitored patients' eating habits using food journals.
The researchers grouped participants into those who were highly adherent to the MIND diet, moderately adherent and least adherent. They also looked at additional factors that are known to affect cognitive performance, including age, gender, education level, participation in cognitively stimulating activities, physical activity, smoking and genetics.

The study participants whose diets scored highest on the MIND diet score had substantially slower rate of cognitive decline than those who scored lowest. The estimated effect of the diet remained strong even after taking into account participants' level of education and participation in cognitive and physical activities. In contrast to the results of slower decline with higher MIND diet score, stroke survivors who scored high on the Mediterranean and DASH diets, did not have significant slowing in their cognitive abilities.

The Mediterranean and DASH diets have been shown to be protective against coronary artery disease and stroke, but it seems the nutrients emphasized in the MIND diet may be better suited to overall brain health and preserving cognition. According to Cherian, studies have found that folate, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids and flavonoids are associated with slower rates of cognitive decline, while substances such as saturated and hydrogenated fats have been associated with dementia.
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Berry boosts cervical cancer therapy

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention many women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. One of the most common treatments for cervical cancer is radiation. While radiation therapy destroys cancer cells, it also destroys nearby healthy cells. University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers studied in vitro human cancer cells to show that combining blueberry extract with radiation can increase the treatment's effectiveness.

Radiosensitizers are non-toxic chemicals that make cancer cells more responsive to radiation therapy. In a previous study, Fang and his research team showed that resveratrol, a compound in red grapes, could be used as a radiosensitizer for treating prostate cancer. Blueberries also contain resveratrol. In addition to resveratrol, blueberries also contain flavonoids.

The researchers used human cervical cancer cell lines to mimic clinical treatment. The cell lines were divided into four groups that included a control group, a group that received only radiation, a group that received only blueberry extract, and a group that received both radiation and the extract. Researchers used three different measures to confirm results of the study.

 Radiation decreased cancer cells by approximately 20 percent. Interestingly, the cell group that received only blueberry extract had a 25 percent decrease in cancer. However, the biggest decline in cancer cells occurred in the radiation and extract group.
The mechanism that makes blueberry extract a radiosensitizer also reduces the abnormal explosion of cell growth. Cancer cells avoid death by remodeling themselves. Along with reducing cell proliferation, the extract also 'tricks' cancer cells into dying. So it inhibits the birth and promotes the death of cancer cells.
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Drinking tea reduces the risk of glaucoma

A daily cup of tea slashes the risk of developing a serious eye condition. People who drink a cup of hot tea at least once a day are 74 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with glaucoma - a severe eye problem. But coffee, iced tea and soft drinks don't seem to make any difference, the researchers found.

The University of California team found a significant link between tea and glaucoma. Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness, causes fluid pressure to build up inside the eye, damaging the optic nerve.

The scientists believe the antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory chemicals in tea may play a role in protecting against this process. Glaucoma becomes more common with age, and is a significant cause of blindness.

Tea is a healthy drink, rich in antioxidant polyphenols such as tea catechins and other flavonoids. However, in this research it wasn't the type of tea or its strength that appeared protective, rather the temperature at which it was drunk.
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Chocolate boots brain power

Chocolate is made from cocoa butter and sugar, there are different types of chocolate, some of them are: milk, sweet, dark, brown and white chocolate.

Cocoa contains flavonoids that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidants that control insulin resistance.

Tryptophan in chocolate is used by brain to produce serotonin and phenylethylalanine that encourages feeling of happiness, attraction and excitement.

Valeric acid in chocolate reduces stress and pain, theobromine also relieve throaty tickle.

Eating chocolate improves memory, aids concentration, prevents high blood pressure and  protects the skin.