Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
ATeN (Advanced Technologies Network) Center, Viale delle Scienze, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
Nutrients. 2020 Nov 26;12(12):3635. doi: 10.3390/nu12123635.
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) is a unicellular cyanobacterium considered to be a "superfood" for its complete nutritional profile and beneficial properties. We investigated possible beneficial effects of an AFA extract, commercialized as AphaMax, containing concentrated amount of phycocyanins and phytochrome, in 2,4 dinitrobenzensulfonic acid(DNBS)-induced colitis in rats.
Effects of preventive oral treatment of AphaMax (20, 50 or 100 mg/kg/day) in colitic rats were assessed and then macroscopic and microscopic analyses were performed to evaluate the inflammation degree. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and NF-κB, pro-inflammatory citockines, cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible NOS (iNOS) levels of expression were determined, as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and nitrite levels.
AphaMax treatment attenuated the severity of colitis ameliorating clinical signs. AphaMax reduced the histological colonic damage and decreased MPO activity, NF-κB activation, as well as iNOS and COX-2 expression. AphaMax treatment improved the altered immune response associated with colonic inflammation reducing IL-1β, IL-6 expression. Lastly, AphaMax reduced oxidative stress, decreasing ROS and nitrite levels.
Preventive treatment with AphaMax attenuates the severity of the inflammation in DNBS colitis rats involving decrease of the NF-kB activation, reduction of iNOS and COX-2 expression, and inhibition of oxidative stress. Due its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant proprieties AphaMax could be a good candidate as a complementary drug in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment.
束丝藻（Aphanizomenon flos-aquae，AFA）是一种单细胞蓝藻，因其完整的营养成分和有益特性而被认为是一种“超级食品”。我们研究了一种 AFA 提取物（商业化的 AphaMax）对二硝基苯磺酸（DNBS）诱导的大鼠结肠炎的可能有益作用，该提取物含有浓缩的藻蓝蛋白和光敏色素。
评估预防性口服 AphaMax（20、50 或 100mg/kg/天）对结肠炎大鼠的作用，然后进行宏观和微观分析，以评估炎症程度。测定髓过氧化物酶（MPO）活性和 NF-κB、促炎细胞因子、环氧化酶-2（COX-2）和诱导型一氧化氮合酶（iNOS）的表达水平，以及活性氧（ROS）和亚硝酸盐水平。
AphaMax 治疗减轻了结肠炎的严重程度，改善了临床症状。AphaMax 减轻了结肠的组织损伤，降低了 MPO 活性、NF-κB 激活以及 iNOS 和 COX-2 的表达。AphaMax 治疗改善了与结肠炎症相关的免疫反应，降低了 IL-1β和 IL-6 的表达。最后，AphaMax 降低了氧化应激，减少了 ROS 和亚硝酸盐水平。
预防性给予 AphaMax 可减轻 DNBS 结肠炎大鼠的炎症严重程度，涉及 NF-kB 激活的减少、iNOS 和 COX-2 表达的降低以及氧化应激的抑制。由于其抗炎和抗氧化特性，AphaMax 可能是治疗炎症性肠病（IBD）的一种良好候选药物。
