EMANTHI-NEWSBLOG

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Research-Beetroots Could Help In The Fight Against Alzheimer's: Compound In The Vegetable Prevents the Accumulation Of Harmful Protein Plaques In The Brain

Beetroots could help in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.

Betanin, which is a compound that gives the vegetable its distinctive red colour, may slow the accumulation of protein plaque tangles, which are associated with the condition, in the brain.

Study author Dr Li-June Ming, from the University of South Florida, said: 'Our data suggest that betanin, a compound in beet extract, shows some promise as an inhibitor of certain chemical reactions in the brain that are involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

'This is just a first step, but we hope that our findings will encourage other scientists to look for structures similar to betanin that could be used to synthesise drugs that could make life a bit easier for those who suffer from this disease.'

Alzheimer's disease affects around 5.5 million people in the US and 850,000 in the UK. Most sufferers live just eight-to-10 years after their diagnosis.

Dementia cases, of which Alzheimer's is the most common form of the disorder, are expected to treble globally by 2050.

Study author Darrell Cole Cerrato said: 'We can't say that betanin stops the misfolding completely, but we can say that it reduces oxidation.'Less oxidation could prevent misfolding to a certain degree, perhaps even to the point that it slows the aggregation of beta-amyloid peptides, which is believed to be the ultimate cause of Alzheimer's.'

According to Professor Ming, brain damage occurs when proteins, known as beta-amyloids, attach themselves to metals, such as iron or copper.These can cause the proteins to misfold and bind together in clumps that can promote inflammation and oxidation, a process similar to rusting, in nearby nerve cells, which eventually kills them.Previous research suggests beetroot juice also improves oxygen flow to the ageing brain and may improve cognitive performance.Brain 'rusting' reduced by up to 90%

The researchers analysed whether betanin blocks the effects of copper on beta-amyloid and, in turn, prevents damage.

They assessed the effects of DTBC, which tracks oxidation.

The scientists measured the reaction of DTBC when exposed to beta-amyloid only, beta-amyloid bound to copper and copper-bound beta-amyloid in a mixture containing betanin.

On its own, beta-amyloid caused little or no oxidation of DTBC.

Yet, as expected, beta-amyloid bound to copper led to substantial DTBC oxidation.

Yet when betanin was added to the copper-bound beta-amyloid mixture, the researchers found oxidation dropped by up to 90 per cent, suggesting less protein misfolding took place.

The findings was presented at the 255th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans.(DAILY MAIL HEALTH)

Obesity Dulls The Sense Of TASTE Causing People To Seek Higher Amounts Of Sugar, Salt And Fat -A Study Reveals

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5523529/Researchers-identify-link-obesity-dulled-sense-taste.html

Around 450 TB Deaths Reported In Sri Lanka Annually

Around 450 persons in Sri Lanka are

dying due to Tuberculosis(TB) annually and 100 of them are from Colombo District according to the Colombo District TB Officer Dr.November. Ratnayake.

Almost one fourth of the total number of TB Patients reported in Sri Lanka annually is from.Colombo District he has stated .

Around 8113 TB Patients have been reported in the island during last year and from.January to March this year around 450 TB patients recovered in the island Dr.Ratnayake has stated during a Media Briefing held in Health Education Bureau in Colombo this morning (20).

However when compare to other countries in the region Sri Lanka is the country which have lowest TB Prevelence rate it has been revealed during the briefing.

Making aware the public on the Disease is the better solution to prevent spreading it in the society Dr.Keerthi Gunasekare has stressed.

The International TB Day falls on 24 the of March .