Polyphenols are classified as an organic chemical with phenolic units that display an array of biological functions. However, polyphenols have very low bioavailability and stability, which make ...polyphenols a less bioactive compound. Many researchers have indicated that several factors might affect the efficiency and the metabolism (biotransformation) of various polyphenols, which include the gut microbiota, structure, and physical properties as well as its interactions with other dietary nutrients (macromolecules). Hence, this mini-review covers the two-way interaction between polyphenols and gut microbiota (interplay) and how polyphenols are metabolized (biotransformation) to produce various polyphenolic metabolites. Moreover, the protective effects of numerous polyphenols and their metabolites against various gastrointestinal disorders/diseases including gastritis, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) like celiac disease (CED) are discussed. For this review, the authors chose only a few popular polyphenols (green tea polyphenol, curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin), and a discussion of their proposed mechanism underpinning the gastroprotection was elaborated with a special focus on clinical evidence. Overall, this contribution would help the general population and science community to identify a potent polyphenol with strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, prebiotic, and immunomodulatory properties to combat various gut-related diseases or disorders (complementary therapy) along with modified lifestyle pattern and standard gastroprotective drugs. However, the data from clinical trials are much limited and hence many large-scale clinical trials should be performed (with different form/metabolites and dose) to confirm the gastroprotective activity of the above-mentioned polyphenols and their metabolites before recommendation.
Customer loyalty or repeat purchasing is critical for the survival and success of any store. By focusing on online stores, this study investigates the repeat purchase intention of experienced online ...buyers based on means‐end chain theory and prospect theory. In the research model, both utilitarian value and hedonic value are hypothesised to affect repeat purchase intention positively. Perceived risk is hypothesised to affect repeat purchase intention negatively and moderate the effects of utilitarian and hedonic values on repeat purchase intention. Utilitarian value is proposed as a formative second‐order construct formed by product offerings, product information, monetary savings and convenience. Hedonic value is also proposed as a formative second‐order construct formed by the six hedonic benefits that have been identified in prior research. Data collected from 782 Yahoo!Kimo customers provide strong support for the research model. The results indicate that both the utilitarian value and hedonic value are positively associated with buyers' repeat purchase intention. A higher level of perceived risk reduces the effect of utilitarian value and increases the effect of hedonic value on repeat purchase intention. Implications for theory and practice and suggestions for future research are provided.
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•This review focused on the anti-diabetic activity of major functional foods and herbs.•The underlying anti-diabetic mechanism are well elaborated.•Functional food/herbs could improve ...glycemic control and abolish DM-related complications.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) and its related complications are the serious public health concern globally. This is the first review highlight on major functional foods and herbs with anti-diabetic activity particularly focus on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with special reference to clinical trials and their proposed anti-diabetic mechanisms. This contribution summarizes the current prevalence of DM, etiology and pathophysiology, complications related to DM, current conventional treatment regimen for T2DM as well as complimentary therapy for anti-DM activity (functional foods/herbs-nutraceuticals). Based on the literature survey, authors conclude that co-intervention of functional food/herbs (adjuvant therapy) with a conventional hypoglycemic drug with modified lifestyle pattern could significantly improve glycemic control and abolish DM associated complications. Nevertheless, further clinical trials are required to confirm the safety and efficacy of different functional food/herbs with the conventional hypoglycemic drug (holistic) especially the dosage/duration/mode of administration are crucial to avoid adverse effect and to improve glycemic control.
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand customers' repurchase intentions in online shopping. This study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) by introducing e-service quality ...dimensions, trust and enjoyment in the development of a theoretical model to study customers' repurchase intentions within the context of online shopping.Design methodology approach - Data collected from 360 PCHome online shopping customers provides strong support for the proposed research model. PLS (partial least squares, PLS-Graph version 3.0) is used to analyse the measurement and structural models.Findings - The study shows that trust, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and enjoyment are significant positive predictors of customers' repurchase intentions.Research limitations implications - The data are collected from a single online shopping store - the generalisation of the model and findings to other online stores requires additional research. Our findings imply that the five dimensions of e-service quality are possibly among the most important antecedents of customers' trust in online vendors.Practical implications - Online vendors should ensure that they provide adequate utilitarian and hedonic value for customers instead of focusing on just one of these aspects in their web site development.Originality value - Customer loyalty is critical to the online vendor's survival and success. The study provides evidence that online trust is built through order fulfilment, privacy, responsiveness and contact.
Purpose - The aim of this study is to extend DeLone and McLean's IS success model by introducing justice - fair treatments received from the exchanging party - and trust into a theoretical model for ...studying customers' repurchase intentions in the context of online shopping. Design/methodology/approach - The research model was tested with data from 219 of PCHome's online shopping customers using a web survey. PLS (partial least squares) was used to analyze the measurement and structural models. Findings - Data collected from 219 valid respondents provided support for all but one hypotheses (with a p-value of less than 0.05). The unsupported hypothesis regards the relationship between service quality and satisfaction (H4). The study shows that trust, net benefits, and satisfaction are significant positive predictors of customers' repurchase intentions toward online shopping. Information quality, system quality, trust, and net benefits, are significant determinants of customer satisfaction. Besides, online trust is built through distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. Overall, the research model accounted for 79 percent of the variance of repurchase intention. Originality/value - An endeavor to extend the updated IS success model in terms of the peculiar nature of e-commerce is needed. The study complements the updated IS success model with justice trust perspectives, considering them a more comprehensive measure of online shopping satisfaction and repurchase intention in an e-commerce context.
Hypertension (HT) is one of the pivotal risk factors for various detrimental diseases like cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cerebrovascular disease, and renal dysfunction. Currently, many researchers ...are paying immense attention to various diet formula (dietary approach) with a special focus on micro and macronutrients along with modified lifestyle and standard anti-hypertensive drugs. Micronutrients (minerals/vitamins) play a central role in the regulation of blood pressure (BP) as they aid the function of macronutrients and also improve the anti-hypertensive functions of some anti-hypertensive agents. Even though several studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of micronutrients on controlling BP, still some ambiguity exists among the nutritionists/doctors, which combination or individual mineral (dietary approach) contributes to better BP regulation. Therefore, this critical review article was attempted to delineate the underlying role of micronutrients (minerals and vitamins) for the management and prevention or delaying of HT and their related complications with strong affirmation from clinical trials as well as its mechanism of controlling BP. Moreover, the major source and recommended daily allowance (RDA) of various micronutrients are included in this review for guiding common readers (especially HT subjects) and dieticians to choose/recommend a better micronutrient and their combinations (other nutrients and standard anti-hypertensive drugs) for lowering the risk of HT and its related co-morbid conditions like CVDs.
Context: Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss: Fr) Karst. (Polyporaceae) is an oriental medicinal fungus, commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating various condition or diseases such as ...hypertension, hyperglycaemia, hepatitis and cancer.
Objective: The current study examines whether triterpenoids and polysaccharide-enriched G. lucidum (GL) influence antioxidation and hepatoprotective efficacy by suppressing oxidative stress.
Materials and methods: Forty-two healthy subjects (22 male and 20 female) were recruited and segregated into two groups as experimental or placebo and requested to intake GL (n = 21) or placebo (n = 21) capsule (225 mg; after lunch or dinner) for six consecutive months and vice versa with one month washout period in between. The anthropometric analysis and biochemical assays, as well as abdominal ultrasonic examination were performed.
Results: Consumption of GL substantially improved (p < 0.05) the total antioxidant capacity (TEAC; 79.33-84.04), total thiols and glutathione content (6-8.05) in plasma as well as significant (p < 0.05) enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Whereas, the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; 3.37-2.47), 8-hydroxy-deoxy-guanosine (8-OH-dG; 15.99-11.98) and hepatic marker enzymes (glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase; GOT and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase; GPT) were concomitantly reduced (42 and 27%) on treatment with GL. Furthermore, the abdominal ultrasonic examination in GL subjects displayed a notable alteration on hepatic condition by reversing from mild fatty liver condition (initial) to normal condition.
Discussion and Conclusion: The outcome of the present intervention demonstrated the antioxidation, anti-aging and hepatoprotective nature of GL by effectively curbing oxidative stress.
In recent times, many scientists have given great attention to nutraceuticals (complementary medicine) as it widely used for promoting health status. In particular for the prevention and treatment of ...various neurological diseases or disorders without or less adverse effects. The current mini-review was intended to compile all popular (major) nutraceuticals against various neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) including Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD) with special reference to clinical trials. Preliminary reviews indicated that nutraceuticals like curcumin, resveratrol, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), Coenzyme Q10, ω-3 FA (DHA/EPA/ALA), showed better neuroprotective activity against various NDDs in human setting (clinical trial). Hence this contribution will focus only on those popular nutraceuticals with proposed brief mechanisms (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, mitochondrial homeostasis, autophagy regulation, promote neurogenesis) and its recommendation. This mini-review would aid common people to choose better nutraceuticals to combat various NDDs along with standard neuroprotective agents and modified lifestyle pattern.
Sarcopenia is a multifactorial pathophysiologic condition of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength associated with aging. However, biomarkers for predicting the occurrence of sarcopenia are rarely ...discussed in recent studies. The aim of the study was to elucidate the relationship between sarcopenia and several pertinent biomarkers.
Using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) profiles of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the associations between mRNA expression of biomarkers and sarcopenia were explored, including high temperature requirement serine protease A1 (HtrA1), procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (P3NP), apelin, and heat shock proteins 70 (Hsp72). We enrolled 408 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older with sarcopenia and nonsarcopenia based on the algorithm proposed by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). Muscle strength is identified by hand grip strength using an analogue isometric dynamometer. Muscle mass is estimated by skeletal mass index (SMI) using a bioelectrical impedance analysis. Physical performance is measured by gait speed using 6 m walking distance. The associations between these biomarkers and sarcopenia were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and multivariate regression models.
From the GEO profiles, the sarcopenia gene set variation analysis score was correlated significantly with the mRNA expression of APLNR (p < 0.001) and HSPA2 (p < 0.001). In our study, apelin was significantly associated with decreased hand grip strength with β values of - 0.137 (95%CI: - 0.229, - 0.046) in men. P3NP and HtrA1 were significantly associated with increased SMI with β values of 0.081 (95%CI: 0.010, 0.153) and 0.005 (95%CI: 0.001, 0.009) in men, respectively. Apelin and HtrA1 were inversely associated with the presence of sarcopenia with an OR of 0.543 (95%CI: 0.397-0.743) and 0.003 (95%CI: 0.001-0.890) after full adjustment. The cutoff point of HtrA1 was associated with the presence of sarcopenia with an OR of 0.254 (95%CI: 0.083-0.778) in men. The cutoff point of apelin was negatively associated with the presence of sarcopenia with an OR of 0.254 (95%CI: 0.083-0.778).
Our study highlights that P3NP, HtrA, and apelin are useful for diagnosis of sarcopenia in the clinical setting.
In recent times many researchers are expressing immense interest in nutraceuticals and functional foods for combating various diseases or abnormal conditions, especially against hypertension (HT). ...Persistent HT is medically referred to as chronic high blood pressure (BP) and considered to be one of the major risk factors for the deadliest diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cerebrovascular diseases. Hence HT poses a serious socio-economic burden worldwide, particularly to developing countries. The current treatment strategy for HT includes standard anti-hypertensive drugs, which are associated with many adverse effects and lower drug adherence rates. Therefore, an alternative or complementary natural therapy (functional foods or nutraceuticals or dietary supplements) would be the alternate choice along with a modified lifestyle pattern that might help to manage or combat HT and its related complications. During this review, the author would like to shed light on the basic science behind HT including pathophysiology and the impact of dietary salt on HT and the impact of various functional foods or nutraceuticals against HT in humans (meta-analysis and systemic review). This contribution gives a better idea (public health perspective) for choosing the best functional foods/nutraceuticals for the prevention, management or delaying the onset of HT and its associated conditions along with modified lifestyle patterns and standard anti-hypertensive drugs.
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