Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “bitterness”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources

Oleuropein, the bitter principle of olives, enhances nitric oxide production by mouse macrophages.

The Mediterranean diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, has been associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer, partly because of its high proportion of bioactive compounds such as vitamins, flavonoids and polyphenols. The major lipid component of such diet is the drupe-derived olive oil, that can be distinguished from other seed oils for the peculiar composition of its non-triglyceride fraction. In fact, several minor components, including polyphenols, grant the oil its particular taste and aroma. Oleuropein, the most abundant among these components, has been shown to be a potent antioxidant endowed with antiinflammatory properties. We investigated the effects of oleuropein on NO release in cell culture and its activity toward nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. The results show that oleuropein dose-dependently enhance nitrite production in LPS-challenged mouse macrophages. This effect was blocked by the iNOS inhibitor L-NAME, indicating increased iNOS activity. Also, Western blot analysis of cell homogenates show that oleuropein increases iNOS expression in such cells. Taken together, our data suggest that, during endotoxin challenge, oleuropein potentiates the macrophage-mediated response, resulting in higher NO production, currently believed to be beneficial for cellular and organismal protection.

Animals↗

Bitter lessons.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Aged↗

A bitter diterpenoid furanolactone columbin from Calumbae Radix inhibits azoxymethane-induced rat colon carcinogenesis.

The modifying effect of dietary administration of a diterpenoid furanolactone columbin isolated from the crude drug Calumbae Radix (the root of Jateorhiza columba MIERS, Menispermacea) on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced was investigated in male F344 rats. Animals were initiated with AOM (three weekly subcutaneous injections of 15 mg/kg body weight) to induce colonic neoplasms. They were fed the experimental diets mixed with columbin (4, 20, and 100 ppm) for 4 weeks, starting 1 week before the first dosing of AOM and thereafter maintained on the basal diet without columbin. Additional experimental groups included the AOM alone group, the columbin alone group (100 ppm in diet for 4 weeks), and the untreated control group. Dietary feeding of columbin (4, 20, and 100 ppm) during the initiation phase of AOM-induced colon carcinogenesis reduced the incidence and multiplicity of colonic adenocarcinoma and the inhibition by feeding of 20 ppm (incidence: 20%, P=0.0242 and multiplicity: 0.20+/-0.40, P<0.02) and 100 ppm (incidence: 10%, P=0.0029 and multiplicity: 0.10+/-0.30, P<0.002) columbin was significant when compared with the AOM alone group (incidence: 55% and multiplicity: 0.55+/-0.50). Also, columbin administration in diet lowered the number of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions protein per nucleus in non-lesional colonic crypts and the blood polyamine content, which are reflected in cell proliferation activity. These results indicate chemopreventive ability of dietary columbin against chemically induced colon tumorigenesis when fed during the initiation phase, providing a scientific basis for chemopreventive ability of columbin against human colon cancer.

Animals↗

Bitter-sweet symphony: defining the role of dendritic cell gp120 receptors in HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells (DC) are believed to be one of the first cell types infected during HIV transmission. Recently a single C-type lectin receptor (CLR), DC-SIGN, has been reported to be the predominant receptor on monocyte derived DC (MDDC) rather than CD4. The role of other CLRs in HIV binding and HIV binding by CLRs on other types of DC in vivo is largely unknown. OBJECTIVES AND STUDY DESIGN: Review HIV binding to DC populations, both in vitro and in vivo, in light of the immense interest of a recently re-identified CLR called DC-SIGN. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: From recent work, it is clear that immature MDDC have a complex pattern of HIV gp120 binding. In contrast to other cell types gp120 has the potential to bind to several receptors on DC including CD4 and several types of C type lectin receptor, not just exclusively DC-SIGN. Given the diverse types of DC in vivo future work will need to focus on defining the receptors for HIV binding to these different cell types. Mucosal transmission of HIV in vivo targets immature sessile DCs, including Langerhans cells which lack DC-SIGN. The role of CLRs and DC-SIGN in such transmission remains to be defined.

Animals↗

A dynamic method of measuring surface potential change due to binding of bitter substance at monolayer-coated liquid membrane surface.

A dynamic method of determining the membrane surface potential change due to a binding of a hydrophobic ion has been presented. The surface potential was determined from the time course of membrane potential under zero electric current during a transition between two steady states in a membrane filter impregnated with a phospholipid and 1-octanol. One of the alkaloids, quinine hydrochloride, was used as a hydrophobic electrolyte. Surface charge density and equilibrium constant for binding of quinine ions with ionizable groups of the phospholipids at the membrane surface were determined from the surface potential according to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation.

Kinetics↗

Structural analyses of a precursory substance of bitterness: new polyisoprenepolyols isolated from an edible mushroom (Hypsizigusmarmoreus) by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.

New polyisoprenepolyols (hypsiziprenol AA and BA) were isolated from an edible mushroom (Hypsizigus marmoreus). These polyols occur as a mixture of homologous polyisoprene derivatives with 40-70 carbon atoms. Analyses by FAB/MS in the positive and negative ion modes are complementary with each other in that the former provides information on the number of hydroxy groups present while the latter specifies the isoprenoid sequence, and thus become a powerful tool for analyzing the structures of polyisoprenepolyols. No polyisoprenepolyols obtained here were found to have antitumor activity on NCI-H292 and EL-4 cell lines.

Agaricales↗