The antioxidant properties of germinated brown rice (GBR) are likely mediated by multiple bioactives. To test this hypothesis, HepG2 cells pretreated with GBR extracts, rich in acylated steryl glycoside (ASG), gamma amino butyric acid GABA), phenolics or oryzanol, were incubated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and their hydroxyl radical (OH•) scavenging capacities and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) generation were evaluated. Results showed that GBR-extracts increased OH• scavenging activities in both cell-free medium and posttreatment culture media, suggesting that the extracts were both direct- And indirect-acting against OH•. The levels of TBARS in the culture medium after treatment were also reduced by all the extracts. In addition, H2O2 produced transcriptional changes in p53, JNK, p38 MAPK, AKT, BAX, and CDK4 that were inclined towards apoptosis, while GBR-extracts showed some transcriptional changes (upregulation of BAX and p53) that suggested an inclination for apoptosis although other changes (upregulation of antioxidant genes, AKT, JNK, and p38 MAPK) suggested that GBR-extracts favored survival of the HepG2 cells. Our findings show that GBR bioactive-rich extracts reduce oxidative stress through improvement in antioxidant capacity, partly mediated through transcriptional regulation of antioxidant and prosurvival genes.

Background:The risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is increased tremendously among menopausal women, andthere is an increasing demand for alternative therapies for managing factors like dyslipidemia that contribute to CVD development.Methods:In this study,Nigella sativawas evaluated for its hypolipidemic effects among menopausal women. In arandomised trial, hyperlipidemic menopausal women were assigned to treatment (n = 19) or placebo groups(n = 18), and givenN. sativaor placebo for two months after their informed consents were sought. At baseline,blood samples were taken and at one month intervals thereafter until one month after the end of the study.Results:The results showed thatN. sativasignificantly improved lipid profiles of menopausal women (decreasedtotal cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride, and increased high density lipoproteincholesterol) more than the placebo treatment over 2 months of intervention. One month after cessation oftreatment, the lipid profiles in theN. sativa-treated group tended to change towards the pretreatment levels.Conclusions:N. sativais thought to have multiple mechanisms of action and is cost-effective. Therefore, it couldbe used by menopausal women to remedy hypercholesterolemia, with likely more benefits than with singlepharmacological agents that may cause side effects. The use ofN. sativaas an alternative therapy forhypercholesterolemia could have profound impact on the management of CVD among menopausal womenespecially in countries where it is readily available.

Thymoquinone (TQ), a bioactive constituent of Nigella sativa Linn (N. sativa) has demonstrated several neuropharmacological attributes. In the present study, the neuroprotective properties of TQ were investigated by studying its anti-apoptotic potential to diminish β-amyloid peptide 1–40 sequence (Aβ1–40)-induced neuronal cell death in primary cultured cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). The effects of TQ against Aβ1–40-induced neurotoxicity, morphological damages, DNA condensation, the generation of reactive oxygen species, and caspase-3, -8, and -9 activation were investigated. Pretreatment of CGNs with TQ (0.1 and 1 μM) and subsequent exposure to 10 μM Aβ1–40 protected the CGNs against the neurotoxic effects of the latter. In addition, the CGNs were better preserved with intact cell bodies, extensive neurite networks, a loss of condensed chromatin and less free radical generation than those exposed to Aβ1–40 alone. TQ pretreatment inhibited Aβ1–40-induced apoptosis of CGNs via both extrinsic and intrinsic caspase pathways. Thus, the findings of this study suggest that TQ may prevent neurotoxicity and Aβ1–40-induced apoptosis. TQ is, therefore, worth studying further for its potential to reduce the risks of developing Alzheimer’s disease.