Graded concentrations (0.1-100 mg/mL reaction mixture) of the methanolic extract of the flowers of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn., its water-soluble fraction as well as compounds isolated from this fraction were tested for their inhibitory effect on alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity in vitro. Both the methanolic extract and its water-soluble fraction showed significant inhibitory effects on th...

BACKGROUND Hydradermabrasion is a relatively new procedure that combines crystal-free microdermabrasion with the pneumatic application of an antioxidant-based serum. OBJECTIVE This study aims to validate the safety and efficacy of hydradermabrasion for nonablative facial rejuvenation and to determine whether antioxidant levels could be increased in the skin with this technique. METHODS Twen...

The effects of short-term oral administration of red wine polyphenolic compounds on hemodynamic parameters and on vascular reactivity were investigated in rats. Endothelial function and vascular smooth muscle contractility were studied in association with the induction of gene expression in the vascular wall. Rats were treated daily for 7 days by intragastric administration of either 5% glucose...

Various epidemiological studies have shown an inverse association between the consumption of polyphenols or polyphenol-rich foods and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the study was to emphasize the effects of the association between the renin inhibitor and the polyphenolic extract on biochemical parameters and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The polyphenols are extract...

We screened seaweed species from Atlantic Canada for antidiabetic activity by testing extracts for alpha-glucosidase inhibitory effect and glucose uptake stimulatory activity. An aqueous ethanolic extract of Ascophyllum nodosum was found to be active in both assays, inhibiting rat intestinal alpha-glucosidase (IC50 = 77 microg/mL) and stimulating basal glucose uptake into 3T3-L1 adipocytes duri...

Polyphenols are considered to be responsible for some of the health benefits derived from the consumption of red wine. These protective effects might probably be explained in the context of the xenohormesis theory that considers plant metabolites as interspecific chemical signals. However, the complexity of the polyphenolic constituents of different wines makes it difficult to clarify the speci...

Background: The aromatic plant Stachys mucronata (Lamiaceae) is endemic to the island of Crete (southern Greece), but as opposed to other native Greek members of this family, this species has never been investigated in the past with regard to its polyphenolic composition and antioxidant potency. Methods: Aerial parts of S. mucronata were exhaustively extracted and partly fractionated through pa...

We examined for first time the ripened fruits of Indian yellow raspberry (Rubus ellipticus Smith) (RE), an under exploited fruit from the Nilgiris, India, for its polyphenolic compounds and in vitro antioxidant/radical scavenging ability. The fruit yielded phenolic content (TPh) of 6100 ± 0.082 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100g of fresh material (FM) and total flavonoid content (TFl) of 320...