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Bioflavonoid-rich botanical extracts show antioxidant and gene regulatory activity
Kishorchandra Gohil1, Lester Packer
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA. kgohil@ucdavis.edu
Abstract:
Reactive oxygen and nitrogen metabolites are obligatory and essential products of metabolism. Unregulated increase in their production is associated with a number of chronic illnesses. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and wines are implicated in the prevention of chronic diseases. Molecular mechanisms by which fruits and vegetables confer their disease-preventive actions are poorly defined. However, recent developments in the fields of genomics and bioinformatics provide powerful tools to investigate the mechanisms by which botanicals affect cellular functions. This monograph illustrates the potential of large-scale messenger RNA analysis to unravel the role of transcription in mediating the effects of botanical extracts with antioxidant properties. The application of microarrays and oligonucleotide arrays shows multiple effects of antioxidant extracts on the expression of a broad spectrum of genes.
Insights
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may prevent chronic diseases by modulating gene expression. Antioxidant botanical extracts impact cellular functions by altering the expression of numerous genes, as shown by large-scale messenger RNA analysis.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Genomics
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Reactive oxygen and nitrogen metabolites are essential metabolic products.
- Unregulated increases in these metabolites are linked to chronic illnesses.
- Diets high in fruits, vegetables, and wine are associated with chronic disease prevention, but mechanisms are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which botanical extracts with antioxidant properties influence cellular functions.
- To explore the role of transcription in mediating the effects of these botanical extracts.
Main Methods:
- Utilized large-scale messenger RNA analysis.
- Applied microarrays and oligonucleotide arrays to study gene expression.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that antioxidant botanical extracts have multiple effects on the expression of a wide range of genes.
- Highlighted the potential of transcriptomic analysis in understanding botanical extract mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Botanical extracts with antioxidant properties can significantly alter cellular gene expression.
- Genomic and bioinformatics tools, particularly transcriptomics, are powerful for elucidating the disease-preventive actions of plant-based foods.