Wild north European bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is one of the richest botanical sources of anthocyanins, a class of molecules responsible for the color of fruits and characterized by a strong antioxidant activity. From a biological point of view, anthocyanins are endowed with several diverse activities and high quality bilberry extracts have been clinically studied in conditions like chronic venous insufficiency and diabetic retinopathy. Given the complexity of the industrial bilberries supply chain and thereof the high cost of their anthocyanins rich extracts, the dietary supplements market is facing a dramatic presence of adulterated extracts, either due to the use of anthocyanins from cheaper sources not related to bilberry or of chemical dyes. Although the current landscape is quite challenging, methods to detect the adulterations are at hand and need to be routinely implemented along the supply chain up to the finished product on the shelf. This review summarizes the market situation and gives a picture of the most recent analytical techniques available to the industry in order to spot these counterfeits and guarantee to the consumers a better quality and consistence of the products.

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Astaxanthin, a red carotenoid, has been known to possess excellent antioxidant activity and various biological activities, thereby attracting attention as a functional food material. The safety of astaxanthin administered orally has been demonstrated in human clinical studies for about ten years. In this review, we summarized the clinical studies related to safety, as well as studies on genotoxicity, and acute and subchronic toxicity, with a focus on AstaREAL, an astaxanthin product derived from Haematococcus pluvialis which has been reported in numerous human clinical studies to be safe and to have multiple health benefits. Furthermore, based on the latest research, we reviewed the effect of astaxanthin on drug-metabolizing enzymes involved in drug interactions, and concluded that the safety of H. pluvialis-derived astaxanthin, AstaREAL has been widely confirmed.

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Objective: The water-soluble extract of Ganoderma lucidum mycelia (WER), which is used as a health food, reduced hyperglycemia and enhanced glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation to the plasma membrane in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue in KK-A^y mice, a type 2 diabetic animal model with obesity. In order to elucidate the reduction of hyperglycemia by WER, we investigated the translocation of glucose transporter 4, glucose uptake and associating signal transduction in rat skeletal muscle (L6) cells. Method: The glucose uptake was analyzed with radioactive 2-deoxy-D-glucose. The localization of GLUT4 in L6 cells treated with various concentrations of WER was analyzed with immunohistochemical staining and Western blot technique. As a positive control, insulin or troglitazone was used in these experiments. Furthermore, the activation of intracellular signaling pathways by Western blot analysis and the influence of glucose uptake using four kinds of inhibitors (LY294002 as potent PI3K inhibitor, rapamycin as mTOR inhibitor, Gö6983 as broad PKC inhibitor, compound C as AMPK inhibitor) was evaluated. Results: GLUT4 protein content in the plasma membrane was induced in a dose-dependent manner of WER without increasing the gene expression and amount of total protein in the L6 cells and the glucose uptake was augmented with increasing the amount of GLUT4 translocated on the plasma membrane. The phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), Akt and acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) were induced in a concentration dependent manner and inhibited by the above inhibitors except rapamycin. Conclusion: These results indicate that the hypoglycemic effect of some material(s) in WER may be due to the enhancement of glucose uptake through GLUT4 translocation on the plasma membrane by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway through improving insulin resistance.

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Objective: Hypertriglyceridemia or elevated serum triglyceride (TG) is a leading risk factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. This clinical study was designed to test the potential of polyphenol-rich extract from Rosa rugosa petals (PE) for improving hypertriglyceridemia and other types of dyslipidemia. Methods: An open-label clinical study was conducted on 19 male and female adult subjects with elevated serum TG (120–399 mg/dL), who were intervened the study diet containing (in a daily dose) 200 mg of PE once daily for sss4 weeks. The serum levels of TG and cholesterols were measured at baseline and week-4. The efficacy was evaluated by comparing the measurements at these two timepoints. Results: A significant decrease (P < 0.05) in serum TG, as well as in serum total cholesterol and non HDL-cholesterol, and a marginally significant decrease (P = 0.070) in serum LDL-cholesterol were observed, while serum HDL-cholesterol was virtually not changed. The study diet was well tolerated without any untoward side effect. Conclusions: The PE-containing diet appears to have benefits in improving hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia.

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Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation on salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and health-related Quality of Life (QOL) in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Methods: Sixty healthy middle-aged and elderly individuals were assigned randomly to a CoQ10 supplementation group (n = 30) or a placebo supplementation group (n = 30) using a double blind method. Subjects took 150 mg CoQ10 or placebo per day for 8 weeks. Salivary SIgA secretion rate and SF-36 test (physical and mental health-related QOL) were determined before and after the intervention. Results: CoQ10 group showed that a tendency to increase of salivary SIgA secretion rate (p = 0.08), although placebo group did not show significant change. Physical health-related QOL did not significantly change in both groups. Vitality and mental health scores, which were subscale of mental health-related QOL, were significantly increased after the intervention in CoQ10 group (p < 0.05), although placebo group did not show significant change. Conclusion: 8 weeks of CoQ10 supplementation may bolster SIgA-mediated oral immunity and mental health-related QOL in middle-aged and elderly individuals.

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Secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) in saliva constitutes the first-line barrier to the entry of pathogens into the body, implying its critical role in mucosal immunity. To examine the effect of a shark liver oil (SLO)-containing diet on salivary s-IgA concentration in healthy male and female adults, 42 subjects were assigned to either placebo or 6 weeks of a 2,400 mg SLO-containing diet (1,500 mg as SLO) and assessed in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group trial. Salivary s-IgA concentration significantly increased at week 6 in the SLO group (P = 0.033), but not in the placebo group. Moreover, there was a significant difference between groups in the magnitude of change from baseline to week 6. No intervention-related adverse event or abnormal changes of laboratory test parameters were observed throughout the study period. In conclusion, an SLO-containing diet increases salivary s-IgA in healthy adults.

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This study was aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of astaxanthin on 7 types of CYP enzymes (CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4) by using human liver microsomes and to evaluate the inducing effect of astaxanthin on 3 types of CYP (CYP1A2, CYP2B6 and CYP3A4) by using cryopreserved human hepatocytes. Resuts indicated that astaxanthin does not inhibit CYP enzymes within the normal doses and astaxanthin does not induce CYP enzymes within the normal doses.

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