COVID-19: Tannic acid targets key stages in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 infection

Natural polyphenol seems to inhibit the activity of three important molecular pathways involved in the SARS-CoV-2 infection Université de Montréal and McGill University, March 9, 2022

Professor Charles Ramassamy and his postdoctoral researcher Mohamed Haddad at  Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), in collaboration with scientists from Université de Montréal, McGill University, and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), believe that tannic acid plays a role in inhibiting three important molecular pathways involved in the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Their work was published recently in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS). Using a multidisciplinary approach, the teams showed that tannic acid inhibits the viral protein (RBD) of the British variant of SARS-CoV-2 from binding to its biological target, the ACE2 receptor. This receptor, which is found on the surface of many cells in the body, allows the virus to latch on and infect them. “Tannic acid binds to the RBD protein and prevents it from binding to the ACE2 receptor,” said Professor Ramassamy. He explained that in blocking the viral protein, tannic acid does not alter the physiological functions of ACE2 receptors, which have physiological functions in the body’s respiratory, cardiovascular, and renal systems, among others.

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Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy benefits people with depression through promoting self-kindness

University of Exeter, March 9, 2022

New research shows that Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) can help promote self-kindness in people with a history of depression, thereby putting their bodies in a state of safety and relaxation. The research, led by the University of Exeter with collaboration from the universities of Oxford and Magdeburg, indicates that MBCT may help break the cycle of highly critical thoughts and feelings of worthlessness, which often lead people with depression to relapse. Participants treated with MBCT showed a pattern of being kind to themselves, along with body responses of reduced threat response, a state of safety and relaxation that is important for regeneration and healing. Previous research has shown that individuals with recurrent depression benefit particularly from MBCT when they learn to become more compassionate towards themselves. This increased self-compassion has been defined as the ability to be kind to ourselves in stressful times.

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Herbal compound prevents colon cancer in mice

University of South Carolina School of Medicine, March 9, 2022

The active compound in Chinese herbs called emodin (naturally found in rhubarb and Japanese knotweed) can prevent colon cancer in mice, according to researchers at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Physiologists conducting this study say this is likely due to emodin's ability to reduce the number of pro-tumor macrophages (a type of immune cell that can promote tumorigenesis). The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology and has been chosen as an APSselect article for March.

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Resistance exercise may be superior to aerobic exercise for getting better ZZZs

Iowa State University, March 3, 2022 

Resistance exercise may be superior to aerobic exercise as a way to get better sleep, and sleep is important for cardiovascular health, according to new preliminary research . “It is increasingly recognized that getting enough sleep, particularly high-quality sleep, is important for health including cardiovascular health. Unfortunately, more than a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis,” said study author Angelique Brellenthin, Ph.D.,  “Aerobic activity is often recommended to improve sleep, yet very little is known about the effects of resistance exercise versus aerobic exercise on sleep. For this study, researchers enrolled 386 adults who met the criteria for overweight or obesity, which was a body mass index from 25-40 kg/m². Participants were inactive and had elevated blood pressure, measuring from 120-139 mm Hg systolic (top number) and 80-89 mm Hg diastolic (bottom number). Participants were randomly assigned to a no-exercise group (for comparison) or one of three exercise groups (aerobic only, resistance only, or combined aerobic and resistance) for 12 months. Everyone in the exercise groups participated in supervised 60-minute sessions, three times a week, with the combination exercise group doing 30 minutes of aerobic and 30 minutes of resistance exercise.

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Vitamin A, D and E deficiency linked to repeat colds and flu in Chinese children: Case control study

Harbin Children's Hospital (China), March 8, 2022

Low levels of vitamin A, D and E have been associated with Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infections (RRTI) among children living in Northern China, a new case control study reports. Writing in the journal PLOS One, researchers stated previous studies showed that the incidence of RRTIs among children in northern China ranged from 17.8% to 18.7% . They point out that numerous studies have focused on identifying the association between inadequate concentrations of vitamins A, D, and E and the incidence of RRTIs in Chinese children, but that the results have been contentious. They found that serum levels of vitamins A and E were significantly lower in the RRTI group than the control group. “The conditional logistic regression model and the receiver-operating characteristic curve showed that the insufficiency or deficiency of vitamins A, D, and E was positively correlated with RRTI occurrence (p < 0.05),” they added. “The incidence of insufficiency or deficiency for vitamins A, E, and D was 24.33%, 8.17%, and 19.33% in the control group but increased to 63.00%, 33.83%, and 56.50% in the RRTI group, respectively.” The researchers believe the study demonstrated that lower serum levels of vitamins A, D, and E are associated with RRTIs.