Romulus Ion Scorei

Oral resveratrol and calcium fructoborate supplementation in subjects with stable angina pectoris: Effects on lipid profiles, inflammation markers, and quality of life

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effects of short-term (60-d) oral supplementation with calcium fructoborate, resveratrol, and their combination on the clinical and biological statuses of subjects with stable angina pectoris. METHODS A randomized, double-blinded, active-controlled, parallel clinical trial was conducted in three groups of subjects. Of the total number of subjects included in study (n = 166), 87 completed the 60-d test treatment study period and 29 followed in parallel their usual medical care and treatment. The primary outcomes were inflammation biomarkers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), left ventricular function markers (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide), and lipid markers (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triacylglycerols). Quality of life was assessed by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina class and the number of angina attacks per week. RESULTS There was a significant decrease of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in all groups at the 30-d and 60-d visits. This decrease was greater (39.7% at 60 d) for group 3 (calcium fructoborate), followed by group 2 (resveratrol plus calcium fructoborate, 30.3% at 60 d). The N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide was significantly lowered by resveratrol (group 1, 59.7% at 60 d) and by calcium fructoborate (group 3, 52.6% at 60 d). However, their combination (group 2) was the most effective and induced a decrease of 65.5%. Lipid markers showed slight changes from baseline in all groups. The improvement in the quality of life was best observed for subjects who received the resveratrol and calcium fructoborate mixture (group 2). CONCLUSION The results indicate that the combination of resveratrol and calcium fructoborate has beneficial effects in patients with angina

Is Boron a Prebiotic Element? A Mini-review of the Essentiality of Boron for the Appearance of Life on Earth

Boron is probably a prebiotic element with special importance in the so-called “sugars world”. Boron is not present on Earth in its elemental form. It is found only in compounds, e.g., borax, boric acid, kernite, ulexite, colemanite and other borates. Volcanic spring waters sometimes contain boron-based acids (e.g., boric, metaboric, tetraboric and pyroboric acid). Borates influence the formation of ribofuranose from formaldehyde that feeds the “prebiotic metabolic cycle”. The importance of boron in the living world is strongly related to its implications in the prebiotic origins of genetic material; consequently, we believe that throughout the evolution of life, the primary role of boron has been to provide thermal and chemical stability in hostile environments. The complexation of boric acid and borates with organic cis-diols remains the most probable chemical mechanism for the role of this element in the evolution of the living world. Because borates can stabilize ribose and form borate ester nucleotides, boron may have provided an essential contribution to the “pre-RNA world”.

Boron-Containing Compounds as Preventive and Chemotherapeutic Agents for Cancer

In the last few years boron (B) compounds became increasingly frequent in the chemotherapy of some forms of cancer with high malignancy and of inoperable cancers. As more B-based therapy chemicals are developed it is necessary to review the correlation between B and the incidence of different forms of cancer, the biochemical and molecular mechanisms influenced by B and to explore the relevance of B in the chemoprevention of cancer. This minireview analyzes dietary and therapeutic principles based on the chemistry of B compounds. We summarize studies correlating B-rich diets or B-rich environments with regional risks of specific forms of cancers, and studies about the utilization of natural and synthetic B-containing compounds as anticancer agents. We review mechanisms where B-containing compounds interfere with the physiology and reproduction of cancer cells. Types of cancers most frequently impacted by B-containing compounds include prostate, breast, cervical and lung cancer. Mechanisms involving B activity on cancer cells are based on the inhibition of a variety of enzymatic activities, including serine proteases, NAD-dehydrogenases, mRNA splicing and cell division, but also receptor binding mimicry, and the induction of apoptosis. Boron-enriched diets resulted in significant decrease in the risk for prostate and cervical cancer, and decrease in lung cancer in smoking women. Boron-based compounds show promising effects for the chemotherapy of specific forms of cancer, but due to specific benefits should also be included in cancer chemopreventive strategies.

BORON ENHANCES THE THERMOSTABILITY OF CARBOHYDRATES

We have studied the effect of borate and pH upon the half-lives of ribose and glucose. Under acidic conditions the presence of boric acid increase the thermo-stability of ribose, while under basic conditions glucose is favored.

Comparative Effects of Boric Acid and Calcium Fructoborate on Breast Cancer Cells

Recent studies suggested that boron has a chemo-preventive role in prostate cancer. In the present report, we investigated the effects of calcium fructoborate (CF) and boric acid (BA) on activation of the apoptotic pathway in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Exposure to BA and CF inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with CF but not BA resulted in a decrease in p53 and bcl-2 protein levels. Furthermore, after the treatment with CF, augmentation of pro-caspase-3 protein expression, cytosolic cytochrome c level, and caspase-3 activity were observed, indicating apoptotic cell death induction. This was also demonstrated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2′-deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate nick-end-labeling assay. In conclusion, our data provide arguments to the fact that both BA and CF inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells, while only CF induced apoptosis. Additional studies will be needed to identify the underlying mechanism responsible for the observed cellular responses to these compounds and to determine if BA and CF may be further evaluated as chemotherapeutic agents for human cancer.

In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activity of calcium fructoborate

Although increasing evidence shows the nutritional benefits of calcium fructoborate (CF) on animals and humans, its action mechanism has not been clearly identified. The present study aims to investigate the possible antioxidant function of CF. Based on its efficiency in skin wound healing, the authors tested whether CF possesses antioxidant properties on human keratinocytes cultures, in a complete serum-free medium (KMK-2; Sigma). The cells treated with CF (0–450 nmol/culture medium) were exposed to exogenous 100 μmol of hydrogen peroxide to mimic the oxidative stress. The changes in general cell oxidant production evaluated with dihydrorhodamine-123 showed that the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were markedly reduced by preincubation with CF. The maximum antioxidant activity was notice at 90 nmol CF. To assess the reactivity of CF on ROS, we analyzed its ability to inhibit the superoxide-dependent auto-oxidation of pyrogallol. The CF inhibited the pyrogallol auto-oxidation depending on time and concentration, which suggests its possible role as a superoxide radical scavenger. Taken together, our results indicate that CF has antioxidant activity, which could have clinical significance in protecting cells from oxidant-induced injury. A hypothetic mechanism for the antioxidant activity of CF is proposed.

Calcium Fructoborate: Plant-Based Dietary Boron for Human Nutrition

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the scientific evidence on the form of organic boron, calcium fructoborate (CF), including health dates, dietary needs, pharmacology, experts opinion, research papers, clinical evidence, and dosing. CF is a natural product with effects in oxidative metabolism and cell apoptosis. We review the biological and biochemical action of chemical natural-identical entity of CF. This mini review provides support for future clinical research.

In Vitro Effects of Calcium Fructoborate upon Production of Inflammatory Mediators by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 Macrophages

The present study is supported by our previous findings suggesting that calcium fructoborate (CF) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Thus, we investigated the effects of CF on a model for studying inflammatory disorders in vitro represented by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. This investigation was performed by analyzing the levels of some mediators released during the inflammatory process: cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukins IL-1β and IL-6 as well as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the main enzyme responsible for endotoxin/LPS-induced prostaglandin synthesis by macrophages. We also measured production of nitric oxide (NO) that plays an important role in the cytotoxicity activity of macrophages towards microbial pathogens. After CF treatment of LPS-stimulated macrophages we found an up-regulation of TNF-α protein level in culture medium, no significant changes in the level of COX-2 protein expression and a decrease in NO production as well as in IL-1β and IL-6 release. Collectively, this series of experiments indicate that CF affect macrophage production of inflammatory mediators. However, further research is required in order to establish whether CF treatment can be beneficial in suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and against progression of endotoxin-related diseases.

Boron in Human Nutrition and its Regulations Use

According to the literature, there are increasingly more scientific data regarding the boron importance in the human nutrition. The request for boron supplements has become more significant due to the following two discoveries: boron transport within the animal cell and the cellular signaling of some bacteria by a sugar borate complex. It is necessary to establish the benefits and the toxicity of boron consumption for humans and animals, although a biological function of boron has not been defined yet. In addition, it is important to know the legal regulations for boron use worldwide, its physiological effects and health uses.

Calcium Fructoborate Helps Control Inflammation Associated with Diminished Bone Health

Inflammation has been identified as a possible contributory factor to disruption of the normal bone remodeling process, a process essential to healthy bone mineral density. Several large population-based clinical studies have specifically shown that levels of C-reactive protein, an immune recognition protein that is a sensitive marker of inflammation, are inversely and independently associated with total bone mineral density. The evidence suggests that control of C-reactive protein levels may contribute to bone health by protecting against inflammation’s disruption of the equilibrium between bone resorption and bone deposition. Calcium fructoborate, a patented complex of calcium, fructose, and boron found naturally in fresh and dried fruits, vegetables and herbs, and wine, is a sugar-borate ester. A growing body of peer-reviewed, published clinical research indicates that the calcium fructoborate significantly reduces serum levels of the C-reactive protein in humans, suggesting that this unique plant–mineral complex may contribute to bone health by controlling the inflammation associated with loss of bone mineral density.