Brief SummaryVirgin Coconut Oil (VCO) contains multiple compounds which have antibacterial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties. The role of VCO as an antivirus to treat COVID-19 requires further studies. A previous study has investigated the used of 30 ml of VCO to healthy volunteers for a month and reported no side effect. Here the investigators conduct a pilot trial to investigate the effect of VCO towards the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Indonesia.
Detailed DescriptionThe subjects of this pilot study are patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Central Public Hospital Dr. Sardjito, Teaching Hospital of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and Yogyakarta COVID-19 referral hospitals (RSUD Wonosari and Sleman). The COVID-19 patients are recruited according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, then divided randomly into two groups.
Group I, the intervention group, consists of COVID-19 patients receiving standard therapy and 15 mL of VCO twice a day for 14 days. Group II, the control group, consists of COVID-19 patients receiving standard therapy and 15 mL of placebo twice a day for 14 days. Both groups are monitored for four weeks with a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) swab test.
Pilot Trial for the Benefit of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) as a Potential Adjuvant Therapy in COVID-19 Patients
In the 1950s, the production of processed fats and oils from coconut oil was popular in the United States. It became necessary to find uses for the medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that were byproducts of the process, and a production method for medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) was established. At the time of this development, its use as a non-fattening fat was being studied. In the early days MCFAs included fatty acids ranging from hexanoic acid (C6:0) to dodecanoic acid (C12:0), but today their compositions vary among manufacturers and there seems to be no clear definition. MCFAs are more polar than long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) because of their shorter chain length, and their hydrolysis and absorption properties differ greatly. These differences in physical properties have led, since the 1960s, to the use of MCTs to improve various lipid absorption disorders and malnutrition.
More than half a century has passed since MCTs were first used in the medical field. It has been reported that they not only have properties as an energy source, but also have various physiological effects, such as effects on fat and protein metabolism. The enhancement of fat oxidation through ingestion of MCTs has led to interest in the study of body fat reduction and improvement of endurance during exercise. Recently, MCTs have also been shown to promote protein anabolism and inhibit catabolism, and applied research has been conducted into the prevention of frailty in the elderly. In addition, a relatively large ingestion of MCTs can be partially converted into ketone bodies, which can be used as a component of “ketone diets” in the dietary treatment of patients with intractable epilepsy, or in the nutritional support of terminally ill cancer patients.
The possibility of improving cognitive function in dementia patients and mild cognitive impairment is also being studied. Obesity due to over-nutrition and lack of exercise, and frailty due to under-nutrition and aging, are major health issues in today's society. MCTs have been studied in relation to these concerns. In this paper we will introduce the results of applied research into the use of MCTs by healthy subjects.
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are composed of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) (Figure 1). MCTs were developed as byproducts of coconut oil production in the 1950s, and research into their applications began.
Since then, they have been used in a wide range of food and non-food applications. Although MCFAs are classified as saturated fatty acids, their nutritional, physiological, and physicochemical characteristics differ from those of so-called long-chain saturated fatty acids.
Caprylic acid has widespread uses in the health promoting and disease control sector, and in cosmetics and other industrial products due to some of its unusual but brilliant properties. Caprylic acid is taken as a dietary supplement. There are some studies that show the use of caprylic acid in weight management by burning excess calories in the body. Caprylic acid is also used as part of a ketogenic diet to treat children with intractable epilepsy.
Caprylic acid also works as an antioxidant for skin and also boosts the antioxidants in skin products. It is also used in the form of an antimicrobial pesticide for surface sanitization in the food and dairy industry, and as disinfectant in some healthcare sectors and services. Caprylic acid has an oily texture, hence it is used in many cosmetic products that require slipperiness, easy spreadability, and smoothness after touch. Lack of color and order with high stability makes it a valuable ingredient in many cosmetic products. It has high resistance to oxidation.
Some products in which caprylic acid is easily found are facial and eye creams, moisturizers, lipsticks, antiaging creams, sunscreen lotions, face foundations, and lip and eyeliner (Swaminathan and Jicha, 2014). Caprylic acid is also widely used in the commercial production of esters and in perfume and dye manufacturing.
Caprylic acid, with the systematic name of octanoic acid, is a carboxylic acid. The structural formula of caprylic acid is shown in Fig. 3.1.9.1.
Over the past few decades, researchers have clarified that the human microbiome is critical to both short- and long-term human health. The microbiome is intimately linked to immune system development and determines immune function, microbiome, and overall health in adulthood. The concept of probiotics has been evolving over the past few decades, with the currently accepted definition describing probiotics as “live microorganisms that can benefit the host when consumed in sufficient quantities [1].
Although the definition of probiotics suggests that microorganisms should be viable to provide beneficial effects, recent studies have shown that microbial viability is not necessary to produce benefits [2, 3]. Some studies have found that extracts of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. have in vitro tumor suppressive activity [4, 5]. The idea that nonviable or inactive probiotics and their metabolic by-products can provide health benefits to the host has been proposed [6]. Postbiotics, also known as metabolites, biogenic or cell-free supernatant (CFS), refer to “soluble factors secreted by living bacteria or released by bacterial lysis” [5, 7].
These soluble factors can be short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), microbial fractions, functional proteins/enzymes, extracellular polysaccharides, cell lysates, cell wall peptides (teichoic acid, lipoteichoic acid, peptidoglycans, etc.) [7,8,9,10]. The exact mechanism of action by which postbiotics exert specific effects has not been fully elucidated [7, 11]. However, available scientific data suggest that postbiotics have different functional properties, including but not limited to antibacterial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory, which provide an immediate defense to the host [12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22]. These properties can positively affect microflora homeostasis, host metabolism, and signaling pathways, thus influencing specific physiological, immune, neurohormonal biological regulation, and metabolic responses [7, 23].
Recent studies have shown that the functional properties of postbiotics may be related to the enhancement of intestinal barrier function and mucosal immunity, which in turn can prevent immune diseases and regulate microflora composition and activity [24,25,26,27,28,29]. It has also been suggested that postbiotics have functional properties such as pathogen inhibition, obesity control, and maintenance of glucose homeostasis [30]. Although the importance of postbiotics has not been universally appreciated, and studies have been mainly derived from common Lactobacillus, research on their functional properties is gradually increasing [31]. Given the diversity of postbiotic components and significant bioactivities, this review presents and discusses the production and characterization of postbiotics, mechanisms of action with the most recent pre-clinical and clinical studies, and the wide range of non-clinical and clinical applications. The current and future market trends, knowledge gaps, and future clinical applications of postbiotics are also analyzed and discussed.
Postbiotics are secreted by food-grade microorganisms or released after cell lysis in complex microbial cultures (cell-free supernatant), food, or intestine [5, 32,33,34] (Fig. 1). After extracting the supernatant, the effects of the supernatant itself can be studied, or specific substances can be isolated from the supernatant for further study [25, 35,36,37]. The amount and type of postbiotic products are mainly related to the type of bacterial strain, the culturing medium, and the treatment of the bacteria after propagation.
Postbiotics in the food undergo no post-propagation treatment and contain only soluble factors, such as products or metabolic by-products secreted into the medium during bacterial growth [34]. However, in some work, bacterial cells are subjected to lysis after propagation by cell fragmentation techniques, including thermal, enzymatic, chemical, sonication, hyperbaric, solvent extraction, or a combination [36, 38, 39].
You might find these chapters and articles relevant to this topic.
Michelle SW. Xiang, ... Laurence Macia, in The Molecular Nutrition of Fats, 2019
• Short-chain fatty acids are released by gut bacteria upon fermentation of dietary fiber.
• Dietary fibers are complex carbohydrates undigested by the host and are the main source of energy for the gut microbiota.
•. Western diet is low in dietary fiber, which leads to decreased circulation levels of SCFA in people consuming such a diet.
•. Short-chain fatty acids modulate immune cell differentiation and function.
•. Low levels of short-chain fatty acids are correlated with Western lifestyle disease
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are simple carboxylic acids from 1 to 6 carbon atoms produced through fermentation of undigested polysaccharide and oligosaccharides by saccharolytic bacteria in the gut [133,134]. Among these bacteria, Bacteroides spp., Faecalibacterium spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Clostridium spp., Eubacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., and Ruminococcus spp. have been reported as the best producers [135].
The most abundant SCFA produced by GM are acetic, propionic, and butyric acids with molar ratios in humans of 60:20:20, respectively [136]. These volatile molecules have important roles in health and nutrition [137], besides influencing pH, nutrient uptake, and microbial balance in the gut environment [138].
Organic acids are cellular byproducts produced through metabolic processes that can be measured in the urine to test for cellular imbalances contributing to suboptimal health. Conventionally, organic acids have been used to screen for inherited disorders that can cause serious health repercussions. Organic acid testing utilization has been expanded within the functional medicine world to offer a more comprehensive health screening and is often ordered for patients seeking help with chronic illnesses.
Knowing which panel to order can be challenging with multiple panels on the market. While they share similarities, each functional lab differs slightly in how they measure and report organic acids. Read on to learn why you might choose one organic acid test over another.
Organic acid testing (OAT) helps assess nutritional deficiencies that can affect a patient's metabolic pathways. Organic acids are cellular byproducts produced through biochemical pathways required for survival, like energy production, protein and fatty acid metabolism, and detoxification.
These pathways need sufficient vitamin and mineral levels to run efficiently; organic acid metabolites build up when insufficiencies or deficiencies occur.
Additionally, the commensal microbes in the gastrointestinal tract have similar metabolic processes that produce organic acids, which are then absorbed into the circulation and excreted through urine. Hence, organic acids offer a snapshot of a person's nutritional status, metabolic efficiency, and microbiome balance.
CATHERINE CESA-LUNA,1 JULIA-MARÍA ALATORRE-CRUZ,2 RICARDO CARREÑO-LÓPEZ,1 VERÓNICA QUINTERO-HERNÁNDEZ,3 and ANTONINO BAEZ1,*Author information Article notes Copyright and License information PMC DisclaimerGo to:
The use of bacteriocins holds great promise in different areas such as health, food, nutrition, veterinary, nanotechnology, among others. Many research groups worldwide continue to advance the knowledge to unravel a novel range of therapeutic agents and food preservatives. This review addresses the advances of bacteriocins and their producer organisms as biocontrol agents for applications in the medical industry and agriculture. Furthermore, the bacteriocin mechanism of action and structural characteristics will be reviewed. Finally, the potential role of bacteriocins to modulate the signaling in host-associated microbial communities will be discussed.
Keywords: bacteriocin, bio-preservatives, agriculture, biomedical, microbial communitiesGo to:
Bacteria living in microbial communities use several functions and strategies to survive or coexist with other microorganisms, competing to obtain nutrients and colonize space in their habitat (Hibbing et al. 2010). One of the strategies used by bacteria to guarantee their growth in communities is antagonism, which effectively limits the growth of other microorganisms (Russel et al. 2017). To accomplish antagonism, bacteria must produce inhibitory substances such as antibiotics, organic acids, siderophores, volatile organic compounds, antifungals, and bacteriocins (Riley 2009). In addition to inhibiting the growth of other microorganisms, bacteriocins have different traits that make them attractive for biotechnological applications.
For example, while resistance against nisin exists, in general, the bacteriocin mechanism of action less often induces resistance as it happens with conventional antibiotics (Behrens et al. 2017). Furthermore, some bacteriocins are compounds produced by the natural host-associated microbiome; therefore, they are harmless to the host. Bacteriocins also show selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells compared to normal cells (Kaur and Kaur 2015).
Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides synthesized by the ribosome representing the most abundant and diverse group of bacterial defense systems (Silva et al. 2018).
Bacteriocins were considered to have a narrow antimicrobial spectrum that could only inhibit bacterial strains closely related to produced bacteria; however, several studies have shown that there are bacteriocins able to kill different genera of bacteria and even certain yeasts, parasites, and cancer cells (Kaur and Kaur 2015; Baindara et al. 2018).
Abstract
Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are extracellular macromolecules excreted as tightly bound capsule or loosely attached slime layer in microorganisms. They play most prominent role against desiccation, phagocytosis, cell recognition, phage attack, antibiotics or toxic compounds and osmotic stress. In the last few decades, natural polymers have gained much attention among scientific communities owing to their therapeutic potential. In particular the EPS retrieved from probiotic bacteria with varied carbohydrate compositions possess a plenty of beneficial properties.
Different probiotic microbes have unique behavior in expressing their capability to display significant health promoting characteristics in the form of polysaccharides. In this new era of alternative medicines, these polysaccharides are considered as substitutes for synthetic drugs.
The EPS finds applications in various fields like textiles, cosmetics, bioremediation, food and therapeutics. The present review is focused on sources, chemical composition, biosynthetic pathways of EPS and their biological potential. More attention has been given to the scientific investigations on antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-biofilm, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities.
Keywords: Probiotics, Lactic acid bacteria, Exopolysaccharides, Structure, Biosynthetic pathway, Health potential
Microbial polysaccharides are extracellular polymeric substances either soluble or insoluble that are synthesized by bacteria, yeast, algae, fungi etc. are considered to be value added substances and exploited for different purposes [1,2]. EPS are metabolic by-products of microorganisms [3].
They are high molecular weight compounds composed of carbohydrates (sugar residues), substituted with proteins, DNA, phospholipids and non-carbohydrate substituents such as acetate, glycerol, pyruvate, sulfate, carboxylate, succinate and phosphates [[4], [5], [6]].
According to the definitions of WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), ‘Probiotics are live micro-organisms, which when consumed in adequate amounts confer ahealth benefit on the host’ [7,8]. Among microbial polysaccharides, EPS produced by probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been chosen for various applications because they are generally regarded as safe (GRAS) and utilized for biological activities in-vitro as well as in-vivo conditions [9,10].
The purpose of this review is to summarize the most important human clinical trials of antioxidants as cancer prevention agents conducted to date, provide an overview of currently ongoing studies, and discuss future steps needed to advance research in this field. To date there have been several large (at least 7000 participants) trials testing the efficacy of antioxidant supplements in preventing cancer. The specific agents (diet-derived direct antioxidants and essential components of antioxidant enzymes) tested in those trials included β-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, retinol, zinc, riboflavin, and molybdenum. None of the completed trials produced convincing evidence to justify the use of traditional antioxidant-related vitamins or minerals for cancer prevention. Our search of ongoing trials identified six projects at various stages of completion. Five of those six trials use selenium as the intervention of interest delivered either alone or in combination with other agents.
The lack of success to date can be explained by a variety of factors that need to be considered in the next generation research. These factors include lack of good biological rationale for selecting specific agents of interest; limited number of agents tested to date; use of pharmacological, rather than dietary, doses; and insufficient duration of intervention and follow-up. The latter consideration underscores the need for alternative endpoints that are associated with increased risk of neoplasia (i.e., biomarkers of risk), but are detectable prior to tumor occurrence. Although dietary antioxidants are a large and diverse group of compounds, only a small proportion of candidate agents have been tested. In summary, the strategy of focusing on large high-budget studies using cancer incidence as the endpoint and testing a relatively limited number of antioxidant agents has been largely unsuccessful.
This lack of success in previous trials should not preclude us from seeking novel ways of preventing cancer by modulating oxidative balance. On the contrary, the well demonstrated mechanistic link between excessive oxidative stress and carcinogenesis underscores the need for new studies. It appears that future large-scale projects should be preceded by smaller, shorter, less expensive biomarker-based studies that can serve as a link from mechanistic and observational research to human cancer prevention trials. These relatively inexpensive studies would provide human experimental evidence for the likely efficacy, optimum dose, and long-term safety of the intervention of interest that would then guide the design of safe, more definitive large-scale trials.
Cancer causes an estimated one in four deaths in the United States [1] and one in eight deaths worldwide [2]. The global burden of cancer more than doubled during the past 30 years with 2008 estimates of over 12 million new cases and 25 million persons alive with the diagnosis of cancer [3].
There is compelling, albeit indirect, evidence that a large proportion of cancers could be prevented through modifiable lifestyle-related risk factors such as smoking, obesity, physical activity, and diet [4].
Many of these lifestyle-related factors affect carcinogenesis through oxidative stress that occurs as a result of damage induced by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which produce potentially mutagenic DNA damage [5], [6], [7], [8].
Recently, the theory of oxidative stress was refined to account for an alternative mechanism—a disruption of thiol-redox circuits, which leads to aberrant cell signaling and dysfunctional redox control without involving RONS-induced macromolecular damage [9], [10].
Radia Ayad, Salah Akkal, in Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, 2019
Phenolic compounds, the most abundant secondary metabolites in plants, are found ubiquitously in Algerian plant species. Phenolic compounds possess a common chemical structure comprising an aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl substituents that can be divided into several classes, and the main groups of phenolic compounds include flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, stilbenes, and lignans [28,29].
Phenolic compounds are extensively present in Algerian Centaurea and related genera (Cheirolophus, Rhaponticoides, and Volutaria). Among all the phenolic compounds described in this paper, flavonoids are the most abundant with 65 different structures. Phenolic acids and simple phenols also exist in some species.
Ma. Lorena Luna-Guevara, ... Carlos Enrique Ochoa-Velasco, in Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, 2018
Phenolic compounds are a group of metabolites derived from the secondary pathways of plants. Polyphenols comprise flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, lignans, and coumarins, compounds naturally found in fruits, vegetables, cereals, roots, and leaves among other plant products. In this sense, recent works suggest the potential health benefits of phenolic compounds as antioxidants against oxidative stress diseases.
In the last few decades, the chronic degenerative diseases, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, types of cancers, diabetes mellitus, and obesity among others, have increased. In this regard, several evidences suggest that many of these disorders are related to the consumption of processed foods; fortunately, the tendency is changing to consume raw or unprocessed foods.
Digestive enzymes create chemical reactions that help with a range of things, from breaking down food to building muscle.
An enzyme is a type of protein found within a cell. Enzymes create chemical reactions in the body, and can actually speed up the rate of a chemical reaction to help support life.
Enzymes are produced naturally in the body and help with important tasks, including:
An enzyme’s shape is tied to its function. Heat, disease, or harsh chemical conditions can damage enzymes and change their shape. When this happens, an enzyme doesn’t work anymore. This affects the body processes that the enzyme helped to support.
Enzymes are required for proper digestive system function.
You can also take enzymes in pill form if you’re having certain digestive problems.
While there are many different types of digestive enzymes, there are three main types produced in the pancreas, an organ that does a lot of the working during digestion. These digestive enzymes are categorized based on the reactions they help catalyze:
Amylase is produced mostly in the pancreas, but also in the salvary glands and small intestine. One type of amylase, called ptyalin, is made in the salivary glands and starts to act on starches while food is still in your mouth. It remains active even after you swallow.
Pancreatic amylase is made in the pancreas and delivered to the small intestine. Here it continues to break down starch molecules to sugars, which are ultimately digested into glucose by other enzymes. This is then absorbed into the body’s blood circulation through the wall of the small intestine.
The purpose of this study was to determine what the peer-reviewed literature says about the clinical applications, therapeutic dosages, bioavailability, efficacy, and safety of monolaurin as a dietary supplement.
This was a narrative review using the PubMed database and the terms “monolaurin” and its chemical synonyms. Commercial websites that sell monolaurin were also searched for pertinent references. The reference sections of the newer articles were searched for any other relevant articles. Consensus was reached among the authors as to what articles had clinical relevance.
Twenty-eight articles were found that appeared to address the clinical use of monolaurin.
There are many articles that address the antimicrobial effects of monolaurin in vitro. Only 3 peer-reviewed papers that evidence in vivo antimicrobial effects of monolaurin in humans were located, and these were only for intravaginal and intraoral—that is, topical—use. No peer-reviewed evidence was found for the clinical use of monolaurin as a human dietary supplement other than as a nutrient.
Key Indexing Terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents, Antiviral AgentsGo to:
Monolaurin first became available as a nutritional formulation in the mid-1960s and today is sold worldwide as a nutritional supplement that is touted as a support for immune system function, healthy balance of intestinal flora, and beneficial levels of yeast.1 Its use has been associated with a variety of disorders, including the common cold, influenza, swine flu, herpes simplex, shingles, and chronic fatigue syndrome.2
Monolaurin—very commonly known by 1 of its chemical names, glycerol monolaurate (GML)—is the monoester formed from glycerol and lauric acid.
Lauric acid is a naturally occurring 12-carbon medium-chain saturated fatty acid. The richest dietary source of GML is coconut oil.3 GML is also found in human breast milk4 and palm kernel oil.5 Although the body can convert lauric acid into GML by enzymatic activity, it is not known how much this process actually occurs in vivo.6 . Because GML is a surfactant, it has been used for decades as a dispersant and emulsifier in the cosmetics industry and as a food additive in the food industry, acting as an emulsifier and preservative.7
The antimicrobial activity of fatty acids and their esters is well known, with chain length, unsaturation (cis, trans), and functional groups all being variables that affect this activity.8 This antimicrobial activity appears mainly to be by disruption of lipid bilayers.9 GML is 1 of the more potent of these antimicrobial agents, being up to 200 times more effectual than lauric acid in bactericidal activity against certain microbes in in vitro studies.10 It may have been this potent antimicrobial activity that led some to explore its potential clinical use as a nutritional supplement.
Some supplement companies and health practitioners recommend gradually increasing the oral daily adult dose up to 1 to 5 grams of GML (less in children).11,12 One vendor, quoted by several commercial websites, endorses up to 9 g of GML daily as an adult maintenance dose.1 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted GML the status of generally recognized as safe13 but has published no standard dosing guidelines.6 The stability14 and solubility15 of GML are low in an aqueous environment, and the FDA has stated that topical application of GML is safe up to concentrations of 100 mg/mL.16
There seems to be a fairly large amount of anecdotal reporting that GML as a dietary supplement has a range of positive applications for human health and disease prevention.1,2 The purpose of this study was to determine what evidence there is in the peer-reviewed literature about the clinical applications, therapeutic dosages, bioavailability, efficacy, and safety of GML as a dietary supplement.
The PubMed search yielded 190 articles, none of which were human clinical trials using GML as a nutritional supplement. Many of the citations dealt with food preparation or storage issues.
After reviewing the abstracts of all 190 articles and searching the reference sections of newer citations and commercial websites for further articles and eliminating duplicates, the authors reached consensus on 28 sources that seemed to address either clinical uses of GML or issues that could have clinical implications.4,8,10,14,16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39
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