Insights & Discussion
Cocoa bean husk, a by-product of cocoa processing, exhibits potent antioxidant and anticancer effects on prostate cancer cells due to its high phenolic compound content.
The methodology of the study involved fractionating ethanol crude extract of cocoa bean husk (CBH) and comparing the total polyphenol and flavonoid content, as well as radical scavenging activities, of the various fractions. The phenolic compounds present in the ethanol ethyl acetate (EAF) and butanol (BF) fractions were further analysed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). These fractions were then applied to prostate cancer cell lines PC3 and DU145 to ascertain their impact.
The results indicated that the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest phytochemical content and antioxidant activity, closely followed by the butanol fraction. The presence of abundant phenolic compounds, namely catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B, was observed in both fractions. Moreover, both fractions induced apoptosis and DNA fragmentation in the prostate cancer cells in a concentration-dependant manner, demonstrating their potential anticancer effects.
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Bruceolic oil emulsion, when combined with androgen antagonists, shows the greatest efficacy in treating prostate cancer amongst Chinese patent medicines.
2024 Medicine Efficacy and safety of Chinese patent medicine in the adjuvant treatment of prostate cancer: A Bayesian network meta-analysis Wang S, Zhang F, Liu J, Qin P
Network Pharmacology Prostate Cancer
A Network Meta-analysis was conducted to review the safety and effectiveness of different Chinese patent medicines in treating prostate cancer. Various databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials of Chinese patent medicines until June 1, 2023. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using a tool specifically for randomized controlled trials. Main outcome indicators were how effective the medicine was, its impact on Prostate Specific Antigen, and any adverse reaction. Due to varying treatment durations across the studies, Bayesian mesh meta-regression was implemented to investigate the effects of these different courses on efficacy and safety.
The meta-analysis considered 27 articles involving 1885 patients and nine types of Chinese patent medicine. The findings indicated that certain medicines, namely Bruceolic oil emulsion and Compound Kushen injection, showed significant advantages compared to androgen antagonists regarding efficacy and Prostate Specific Antigen level reduction. However, no significant difference was found among all the Chinese patent medicines in terms of adverse reactions. With these findings, it was deduced that the effectiveness of Chinese patent medicines isn't greatly impacted by the duration of treatment and dosage. Overall, the combination of Bruceolic oil emulsion and androgen antagonist emerged as a promising intervention measure.
Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) possess multiple advantages, including multiple targets, pathways, and low toxicity, for the treatment of prostate cancer.
2023 Chinese Herbal Medicines Chinese herbal medicines for prostate cancer therapy: From experimental research to clinical practice Kong F, Wang C, Zhang J, Wang X, Sun B, Xiao X, et al.
Review Article Chinese Herbal Medicine Prostate Cancer
The research team undertook an in-depth review of experimental research and clinical practices related to the use of CHMs for prostate cancer treatment, with the data being sourced from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. The focus of the review was on recent studies published within the last five years. The research identified five CHM formulas and six single CHM extracts, along with 12 CHM-derived compounds.
The research findings demonstrated that CHMs induced apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle arrest in prostate cancer cells, and concurrently suppressed angiogenesis, proliferation, and cell migration. The CHMs also displayed efficacy in overturning drug resistance and in enhancing anti-tumor immunity. The modes of action were identified as the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase-B/mammalian target of rapamycin, androgen receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor, and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathways which are known to play key roles in the development of prostate cancer. Additionally, the researchers discussed the benefits of CHMs in treating hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer.
The proprietary herbal blend LN18178 significantly boosts testosterone levels, muscle strength and mid-upper arm circumference in young, healthy males.
2022 Journal of Dietary Supplements A Proprietary Herbal Blend Containing Extracts of Punica granatum Fruit Rind and Theobroma cocoa Seeds Increases Serum Testosterone Level in Healthy Young Males: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study Sreeramaneni PGA, Yalamanchi A, Konda MR, Cherukuri SHV, Maroon JC
Randomised Controlled Trial Cocoa Pomegranate Peel
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 120 male volunteers aged between 21 and 35 years, participants were arranged into three groups. Each group received a daily dose of either a placebo or 200 or 400 mg of LN18178 for a duration of 56 days. The primary focus of the study was to measure the potential increase in serum testosterone levels (both free and total). Secondary measures incorporated other hormones like dihydrotestosterone, cortisol, and Luteinizing hormone, as well as physical indicators such as hand grip strength and mid-upper arm circumference. Additionally, thorough checks were run pertaining to each participant's vital signs and clinical chemistry parameters in blood and urine to ensure product safety.
After the intervention, both dosage levels of LN18178 significantly raised free testosterone levels. The higher dose group also showed noteworthy increases in total testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels. Meanwhile, the other hormone changes were found to be statistically insignificant. More importantly, the LN18178-400 group displayed significant enhancements in their hand grip strength and mid-upper arm circumference post-trial. The completion of the trial saw participants' vital signs and hemato-biochemical parameters within the normal range, suggesting that LN18178 is both safe and tolerable.
Cocoa extract supplementation in older adults reduced cardiovascular disease related death rates, but did not significantly lessen total cardiovascular events.
2022 The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial Sesso HD, Manson JAE, Aragaki AK, Rist PM, Johnson LG, Friedenberg G, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Cardiovascular Disease Cocoa
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 21,442 US adults aged 60 or over, all of who were free of major cardiovascular disease and recently diagnosed cancer. The participants were assigned to either a cocoa extract supplement, which included 500 mg flavanols per day, or a placebo. The intervention phase ran from June 2015 to December 2020. The primary outcome was focused on the number of total cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death among others.
The results showed that during a median follow-up of 3.6 years, there were 410 participants taking cocoa extract and 456 under placebo who had confirmed total cardiovascular events. Secondary endpoints showed reduced death due to cardiovascular disease for the cocoa extract supplement users. However, there was no significant impact on the incidence of total cardiovascular events. Conversely, a lower risk of total cardiovascular events was supported when analyses were censored at nonadherence. Overall, no safety concerns were raised during the trial.
The consumption of cocoa or dark chocolate can reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and fasting blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.
2021 Phytotherapy Research The effect of cocoa/dark chocolate consumption on lipid profile, glycemia, and blood pressure in diabetic patients: A meta‐analysis of observational studies Darand M, Hajizadeh Oghaz M, Hadi A, Atefi M, Amani R
Systematic Review Cocoa Dark Chocolate LDL
A systematic search of databases identified eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 433 participants for meta-analysis. The results demonstrated a substantial reduction in LDL-c levels (WMD: −15.49 mg/dl) and FBS concentrations (WMD: −6.88 mg/dl) following cocoa/dark chocolate consumption. The study emphasizes the potential positive effects of cocoa/dark chocolate on the metabolic profile of diabetic individuals.
The meta-analysis included RCTs focusing on cocoa/dark chocolate interventions in diabetic patients, with a significant pooled analysis showing reduced LDL-c and FBS levels. The findings suggest that incorporating cocoa/dark chocolate in the diet of diabetic individuals could be beneficial for managing lipid profile and glycemia. Further research is necessary to solidify these insights and understand the complete impact on metabolic health.
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