BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Alcoholic fibrosis and its end stage cirrhosis represent a major health problem worldwide. Liver fibrosis occurs when the rate of matrix synthesis exceeds matrix degradation. The degree of matrix remodeling depends on the ratio of active matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). The objective of the present work was to study ...

UNLABELLED Selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors have attracted much attention in relation to the design of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs). The relationship between experimentally derived data on the antioxidant capacity, cytotoxicity and COX-2 inhibition for a range of 2-methoxyphenols and their calculated descriptors was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Quantitativ...

Plants of the genus Taraxacum Wigg., have long been used as medicinal herbs. A phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Taraxacum bessarabicum (Hornem.) Hand.-Mazz. subsp. bessarabicum (Hornem.) Hand.-Mazz. (Asteraceae) yielded two coumarins [esculetin (1), cichoriin (2)], three flavonoids [ luteolin (3), luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucoside (4), gossypetin (5)] and six phenolic acids and their...

Specificity of ferulic acid (feruloyl) esterases G. Williamson’, C. B. Faulds and P. A. Kroon Biochemistry Department, Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, U.K. 205 moyl esters (manifest as a K,,, of between lop6 Feruloyl esterases are a subclass of the carboxylic ester hydrolases (EC 3.1.1.1) which hydrolyse ester linkages between hydroxycinnamates and su...

Plant peroxidases are capable of binding phenolic substrates, and it has been possible to crystallize complexes between horseradish peroxidase C (HRP C) and benzhydroxamic acid. The X-ray structures of the binary HRP C:ferulic acid complex and the ternary HRP C:CN(-):ferulic acid complex to 2.0 and 1.45 A resolution, respectively, have also been solved recently. Ferulic acid is a naturally occu...

Cinnamic and ferulic acid were incorporated into highly hydrolysed partially acetylated poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) for the purpose of obtaining active films. The microstructure, crystallinity, tensile barrier properties thermal behaviour analysed in order to ascertain changes provoked by phenolic acids film properties, depending on kind PVA. Phenolic more compatible with Ferulic led greater PVA...

Human subjects drank coffee containing 412 mumol of chlorogenic acids, and plasma and urine were collected 0 to 24 h after ingestion and were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Within 1 h, some of the components in the coffee reached nanomole peak plasma concentrations (C(max)), whereas chlorogenic acid metabolites, including caffeic acid-3-O-sulfate and ferul...

A simple process to cleave C=C bonds with H 2 O converts cinnamic acids benzaldehydes, benzoic or quinones, selectivity depending on the solvent. comparison of green metrics was performed for conversion ferulic acid vanillin.

High salt intake causes and aggravates arterial hypertension and vascular dysfunction. We investigated the effect of Salicornia europaea extracts (SE) on vascular function and blood pressure. SE constituents were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography, and SE's effect on vascular function was evaluated in isolated porcine coronary arteries. SE's vascular protective effect was als...

Cereal fibres such as wheat bran are considered to offer human health benefits via their impact on the intestinal microbiota. We show here by 16S rRNA gene-based community analysis that providing amylase-pretreated wheat bran as the sole added energy source to human intestinal microbial communities in anaerobic fermentors leads to the selective and progressive enrichment of a small number of ba...