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Natural Bioactive Compounds to Promote Cardiovascular Health

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 16742

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Natalia Di Pietro

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Guest Editor

Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
Interests: stem cells; biomedical engineering; molecules; extracellular matrix; tissue regeneration; biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Caterina Pipino

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Guest Editor

Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, Centro Scienze dell'Invecchiamento e Medicina Traslazionale, StemTeCh Group, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti‐Pescara, Chieti, Italy
Interests: bioactive molecules; nutrition and health; oxidative stress; antioxidants; cell biology; stem cells; endothelial cells; in vitro studies; regenerative medicine; cardiovascular disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

You are cordially invited to submit original research articles and reviews that summarize state-of-the-art and future applications for a new Special Issue entitled “Natural Bioactive Compounds to Promote Cardiovascular Health”.

Natural bioactive compounds (NBCs) are physiologically active constituents present in minimal quantities in plant products and in lipid-rich foods. They have been extensively studied to assess their beneficial health effects.

Varied in vitro, in vivo (animal and human studies), and clinical evidence indicates that NBCs participate in the maintenance of cardiovascular health mainly through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. Therefore, the increasing demand for NBCs deserves further in-depth investigation and supports the search for new sources of these compounds.

Some of the most important bioactive components found in fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs, seeds, and even algae that show potential cardiovascular protective effects are:

Polyphenols, the most widespread class of plant secondary metabolites, which based on their structure can be mainly grouped into: phenolic acids, lignans, stilbenes (resveratrol) and flavonoids which include flavones, flavonols, flavanols (epigallocatechin-3 gallate), anthocyanins, flavanones, and isoflavones;
Carotenoids, a class of natural fat-soluble pigments, including β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin, which are the most abundant in the diet;
Omega-3 fatty acids, including omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA);
Plant sterols and plant stanols;
Vitamins (such as vitamin C, E, K2, etc.) and other emerging natural bioactive compounds (such as turmeric, curcumin, piperine, etc.).

This Special Issue aims to provide a forum collection of the latest studies on NBCs and their biological activities, with a view to a possible therapeutic application for cardiovascular health. Furthermore, as conventional extraction techniques of bioactive compounds may adversely affect human and environmental health, studies including design and use of green and sustainable extraction methods are also welcome.

Dr. Natalia Di Pietro
Dr. Caterina Pipino
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

Natural bioactive compounds
Extraction methods
Cardiovascular diseases
Endothelial dysfunction
Inflammation
Oxidative stress
Atherosclerosis
Hypertension
Obesity
Dyslipidemia

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 3108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Essential Oils from Mediterranean Plants Inhibit In Vitro Monocyte Adhesion to Endothelial Cells from Umbilical Cords of Females with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

by Valeria Schiavone, Tea Romasco, Nadia Di Pietrantonio, Stefania Garzoli, Carola Palmerini, Pamela Di Tomo, Caterina Pipino, Domitilla Mandatori, Rossella Fioravanti, Elena Butturini, Manuela Sabatino, Maria Pompea Antonia Baldassarre, Rino Ragno, Assunta Pandolfi and Natalia Di Pietro

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7225; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087225 - 13 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1463

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) are mixtures of volatile compounds belonging to several chemical classes derived from aromatic plants using different distillation techniques. Recent studies suggest that the consumption of Mediterranean plants, such as anise and laurel, contributes to improving the lipid and glycemic profile of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the potential anti-inflammatory effect of anise and laurel EOs (AEO and LEO) on endothelial cells isolated from the umbilical cord vein of females with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM-HUVEC), which is a suitable in vitro model to reproduce the pro-inflammatory phenotype of a diabetic endothelium. For this purpose, the Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric (GC-MS) chemical profiles of AEO and LEO were first analyzed. Thus, GDM-HUVEC and related controls (C-HUVEC) were pre-treated for 24 h with AEO and LEO at 0.025% v/v, a concentration chosen among others (cell viability by MTT assay), and then stimulated with TNF-α (1 ng/mL). From the GC-MS analysis, trans-anethole (88.5%) and 1,8-cineole (53.9%) resulted as the major components of AEO and LEO, respectively. The results in C- and GDM-HUVEC showed that the treatment with both EOs significantly reduced: (i) the adhesion of the U937 monocyte to HUVEC; (ii) vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) protein and gene expression; (iii) Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 nuclear translocation. Taken together, these data suggest the anti-inflammatory efficacy of AEO and LEO in our in vitro model and lay the groundwork for further preclinical and clinical studies to study their potential use as supplements to mitigate vascular endothelial dysfunction associated with DM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Bioactive Compounds to Promote Cardiovascular Health)

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16 pages, 2021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Glabridin, a Bioactive Flavonoid from Licorice, Effectively Inhibits Platelet Activation in Humans and Mice

by Chi-Li Chung, Jui-Hsuan Chen, Wei-Chieh Huang, Joen-Rong Sheu, Chih-Wei Hsia, Thanasekaran Jayakumar, Chih-Hsuan Hsia, Kuan-Rau Chiou and Shaw-Min Hou

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11372; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911372 - 27 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2804

Abstract

Platelets are crucial for hemostasis and arterial thrombosis, which may lead to severe cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Thus, therapeutic agents must be developed to prevent pathological platelet activation. Glabridin, a major bioalkaloid extracted from licorice root, improves metabolic abnormalities (i.e., obesity and diabetes) and protects against CVDs and neuronal disorders. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have focused on glabridin’s effects on platelet activation. Therefore, we investigated these effects in humans and mice. Glabridin exhibited the highest inhibitory effects on collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation and moderate effects on arachidonic-acid-stimulated activation; however, no effects were observed for any other agonists (e.g., thrombin or U46619). Glabridin evidently reduced P-selectin expression, ATP release, and intracellular Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]i) mobilization and thromboxane A₂ formation; it further reduced the activation of phospholipase C (PLC)γ2/protein kinase C (PKC), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and NF-κB. In mice, glabridin reduced the mortality rate caused by acute pulmonary thromboembolism without altering bleeding time. Thus, glabridin effectively inhibits the PLCγ2/PKC cascade and prevents the activation of the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β and MAPK pathways; this leads to a reduction in [Ca²⁺]i mobilization, which eventually inhibits platelet aggregation. Therefore, glabridin may be a promising therapeutic agent for thromboembolic disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Bioactive Compounds to Promote Cardiovascular Health)

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14 pages, 4971 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dipeptide IF and Exercise Training Attenuate Hypertension in SHR Rats by Inhibiting Fibrosis and Hypertrophy and Activating AMPKα1, SIRT1, and PGC1α

by Jou-Hsuan Ho, Rathinasamy Baskaran, Ming-Fu Wang, Zuhair M. Mohammedsaleh, Hong-Siang Yang, Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian and Wan-Teng Lin

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8167; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158167 - 25 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2242

Abstract

Bioactive peptides are physiologically active peptides produced from proteins by gastrointestinal digestion, fermentation, or hydrolysis by proteolytic enzymes. Bioactive peptides are resorbed in their whole form and have a preventive effect against various disease conditions, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress. In recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence showing that physiologically active peptides may have a function in sports nutrition. The present study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effect of dipeptide (IF) from alcalase potato protein hydrolysates and exercise training in hypertensive (SHR) rats. Animals were divided into five groups. Bioactive peptide IF and swimming exercise training normalized the blood pressure and decreased the heart weight. Cardiac, hepatic, and renal functional markers also normalized in SHR rats. The combined administration of IF peptide and exercise offer better protection in SHR rats by downregulating proteins associated with myocardial fibrosis, hypertrophy, and inflammation. Remarkably, peptide treatment alongside exercise activates the PI3K/AKT cell survival pathway in the myocardial tissue of SHR animals. Further, the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway (AMPKα1, SIRT1, and PGC1α) was synergistically activated by the combinatorial treatment of IF and exercise. Exercise training along with IF administration could be a possible approach to alleviating hypertension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Bioactive Compounds to Promote Cardiovascular Health)

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Review

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23 pages, 9331 KiB

Open AccessReview

Lycopene in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases

by Sylwia Przybylska and Grzegorz Tokarczyk

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(4), 1957; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23041957 - 10 Feb 2022

Cited by 54 | Viewed by 9074

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of human mortality worldwide. Oxidative stress and inflammation are pathophysiological processes involved in the development of CVD. That is why bioactive food ingredients, including lycopene, are so important in their prevention, which seems to be a compound increasingly promoted in the diet of people with cardiovascular problems. Lycopene present in tomatoes and tomato products is responsible not only for their red color but also for health-promoting properties. It is characterized by a high antioxidant potential, the highest among carotenoid pigments. Mainly for this reason, epidemiological studies show a number of favorable properties between the consumption of lycopene in the diet and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. While there is also some controversy in research into its protective effects on the cardiovascular system, growing evidence supports its beneficial role for the heart, endothelium, blood vessels, and health. The mechanisms of action of lycopene are now being discovered and may explain some of the contradictions observed in the literature. This review aims to present the current knowledge in recent years on the preventive role of lycopene cardiovascular disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Bioactive Compounds to Promote Cardiovascular Health)

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