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Adding Compound Kushen Injection (CKI), a traditional Chinese medicine, to chemotherapy treatment enhanced treatment response and reduced side effects in advanced colorectal cancer patients.
2024 Integrative Cancer Therapies Efficacy and Safety of Compound Kushen Injection for Advanced Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials with Trial Sequential Analysis Wu J, Ma X, Wang X, Zhu G, Wang H, Zhang Y, et al.
Meta-Analysis Colorectal Cancer Ku Shen
This study systematically collected data from a myriad of sources including, but not limited to, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to April 20, 2024. An assessment tool, ROB2, was used to measure the quality of the included trials, while data analysis was done using Stata 16. Publication bias was evaluated with the funnel plot and Egger's test. To calculate the final required sample size in this meta-analysis and verify whether the results presented a stable conclusion, trial sequential analysis was used.
The data collected from these sixteen trials, consisting of 1378 patients showcased that when compared to chemotherapy alone, the combination of CKI and chemotherapy resulted in improved response rates and enhancement of the patient's performance status. Furthermore, this combination therapy was associated with fewer adverse reactions like leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, gastrointestinal reactions, and liver damage. Patients also exhibited high CD4 ratios and comparatively low CD8 T cell ratios. A subgroup analysis further demonstrated that the response rates improved significantly when CKI was combined with specific chemotherapy regimens. Overall, this data strongly suggests that the addition of CKI to chemotherapy provided statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements in treatment response rates, patient wellbeing, reduction in adverse reactions, and enhanced immune function.
Berry fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries could potentially improve gut microbiota and reverse dysbiosis in chronic kidney disease patients.
2023 Nutrition Reviews Blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, and strawberry as modulators of the gut microbiota: target for treatment of gut dysbiosis in chronic kidney disease? From current evidence to future possibilities Coutinho-Wolino KS, Melo MFS, Mota JC, Mafra D, Guimarães JT, Stockler-Pinto MB
Review Article Chronic Kidney Disease Cranberry Gut Microbiota
Methodology: This research explores the therapeutic potential of berry fruits, including blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries, in relation to modulating gut microbiota in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The fruit’s rich polyphenol and nutrient content are assumed to promote the selective growth of beneficial bacteria, thus improving the clinical status of these patients. The study scrutinizes the impact on the abundance of mucus-producing bacteria and short-chain fatty acids specifically.
Discussion of Results: The gathered evidence illustrates that berry fruits, particularly with a daily intake of 5 mg, can promote diversity in the gut microbiota and possibly reverse dysbiosis, a common issue in chronic kidney disease patients. These fruits are found to increase the expression of mRNA involved in gut tight junctions such as occludin, TJP1, and mucin, and they may reduce uremic toxins by controlling the gut microbiota, improving the uremic condition. As such, long-term use of berry fruits could be an effective strategy for CKD patients.
Crocin, a compound derived from saffron, has shown considerable potential in hindering tumor growth and improving immune status, across various malignant tumors.
2023 PeerJ Advances on the anti-tumor mechanisms of the carotenoid Crocin Bao X, Hu J, Zhao Y, Jia R, Zhang H, Xia L
Review Article Anti-Tumour Breast Cancer Cervical Cancer
The methodology for the study involved an in-depth review of modern pharmacological studies that have analyzed the therapeutic effects of crocin, a natural compound that can be extracted from saffron. Various anti-tumor effects were assessed including the induction of tumor cell death (apoptosis), restrictions on tumor cell proliferation, and potential barriers to invasion and metastasis of these cells. The potential for enhancement of sensitivity to chemotherapy and improvement of immune status were also examined.
Following the review, the study revealed that crocin has significant anti-tumor properties. It showed that this natural compound can induce apoptosis in tumor cells, inhibit their expansion and progression, and even prevent their invasiveness and metastasis. Furthermore, crocin demonstrated the potential to enhance the body’s responsiveness to chemotherapy and help boost the immune system. These effects were observed across a range of different malignant tumors, including stomach, liver, cervical, breast, and colorectal cancers.
Moderate consumption of carrots is associated with a lower incidence of colorectal cancer, implying a potential cancer prevention effect in a certain dose-range.
2022 Frontiers in Nutrition Association of Dietary Carrot/Carotene Intakes With Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial Jiang Z, Chen H, Li M, Wang W, Fan C, Long F
Cohort Study Carotene Carrot Colorectal Cancer
The research analysed the dietary intake of carrots/carotene and their relationship to colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in a cohort from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening. The study involved 101,680 participants who joined the cohort between November 1993 and July 2001. The hazard ratios were estimated through multivariable Cox regression analyses. Additionally, subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to check for potential effect modifiers. A generalised additive model was used to examine the non-linear trend of the exposure to cancer-related outcomes.
In total, the study documented 1,100 colorectal cancer cases and 443 cancer-related deaths. It was discovered that dietary carrot intake was linked to a 21% lower risk of colorectal cancer incidence for those in the 4th quintile group compared to the lowest quintile group. Increase in carrot intakes, on a per standard deviation, did not reveal any statistically significant associations with the disease incidence. There were no significant associations found between dietary α-, and β-carotene intake and colorectal cancer incidence, nor were there any associations between carrot/carotene intakes and cancer mortality. They also observed no non-linear dose-response relationships between dietary carrot, α-, and β-carotene intake and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Notably, the study found that smoking status could potentially modify the association of dietary carrot intake with incidence of colorectal cancer, but not mortality.
Goji berries, notably their polysaccharides, exhibit protective effects against inflammatory bowel disease through the preservation of healthy gut microbiota.
2022 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Prebiotic effects of goji berry in protection against inflammatory bowel disease Sun Q, Du M, Kang Y, Zhu MJ
Review Article Goji Berry Gut Microbiota Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The review encompassed an in-depth analysis of current literature specially focusing on the role of goji berry and its important functional constituents in countering Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The core attentiveness of the research is directed towards understanding the interplay between goji berries, particularly their polysaccharides, and gut microbiota. The goji berries’ protective effects were evaluated, focusing on how they curb disruption in gut microbiota, a common facet in IBD.
The review concluded that goji berries, especially their polysaccharides, demonstrated appreciable benefits in averting gut microbiota disturbances seen with IBD, thus protecting against this condition. These natural substances, present in goji berries, function as prebiotics, which maintain a balanced gut microbial ecosystem. The research further revealed that proper functioning of gut microbiota and their metabolites was a crucial element in mediating these beneficial effects against IBD, thus cementing the role of dietary interventions in managing diseases linked with gut health.
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