hepatotoxic activity. Some of these nutraceuticals exhibit a genotype dependent
therapeutic effect, reflecting a nutrigenomic profile (Cacabelos et al. 2008). Some
examples of genes relevant for both nutrigenomics and dementia are methylene
tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), apolipoprotein E (APOE) and APOA1,
leptin, interleukin-1 (IL1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Among these genes, APOE gene (19q13.2) is
the most prevalent risk factor for AD, especially in subjects harboring the APOE-4
allele, whereas carriers of the APOE-2 allele might be protected against dementia
(Cacabelos et al. 2005). Other study shows that orange juice has possesed the
significant ability to increase significantly mRNA expression levels of tumor
necrosis factor receptor (tnfr) gene in the brain neuronal tissues of male rats
(Ebuehi et al. 2013). An interesting study reported that zinc and docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) affect expression levels of histones H3 and H4 in human neuronal
M17 cells (Sidli et al. 2012). Zinc reduced the levels of the anti-apoptotic marker
Bcl-2, while increasing the apoptotic marker caspase-3 levels correlating with cell
viability assays. Conversely, DHA treatment resulted in increased acetylation of
H3 and Bcl-2 levels and decrease in deacetylation, methylation, phosphorylation
of H3 and caspase-3 levels, suggesting that DHA promotes gene expression and
neuroprotection.
Another condition considered a major global health problem is Hepatitis C
virus (HCV) that infects approximately 170 million people worldwide. The
combination of pegylated interferon (IFN) with ribavirin is currently the most
effective therapy for chronic HCV hepatitis, and long-term treatment has been
shown to improve the sustained virological response (SVR) rate. However, the
SVR rate still remains at approximately 55 % and patients with HCV genotype 1
infection combined with steatosis are significantly less likely to achieve a week-12
early virological response (EVR) or a SVR. Nutrigenomics offer hope in the search
for novel therapeutic and nutritional management options. Dietary free fatty acids
(FFA) composition can inhibit both HCV replication and HCV induced- lipogenesis genes. Three nutrients, b-carotene, vitamin D2, and linoleic acid inhibit
HCV RNA replication and their combination has additive and/or synergistic
effects on HCV RNA replication. PUFAs including arachidonic acid (AA), DHA,
and EPA also inhibit HCV RNA replication, while saturated (lauric, myristic, and
palmitic) and monounsaturated (oleic) fatty acids induce HCV RNA replication.
PPAR and SREBP-1c genes, known to induce fatty acid oxidation and synthesis,
respectively, are key targets for PUFA control of hepatic gene expression. n-3
PUFAs are weak agonists of PPARs compared with pharmacological agonists, but
has significant effect on insulin sensitivity in various tissues, particularly skeletal
muscle. These results provide useful information for improvement of the SVR
rates of patients receiving the currently standard IFN therapy. In addition, these
findings may contribute to the development of nutritional supplements of use in the
treatment of people with chronic hepatitis C (Liu et al. 2010). More recently,
Azocar and Diaz et al. (2013) evaluated the safety and efficacy of Chlorella in 18
patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1. The HCV RNA levels showed
10 Natural Foods as Biosystems to Face Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases
311
therapeutic effect, reflecting a nutrigenomic profile (Cacabelos et al. 2008). Some
examples of genes relevant for both nutrigenomics and dementia are methylene
tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), apolipoprotein E (APOE) and APOA1,
leptin, interleukin-1 (IL1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Among these genes, APOE gene (19q13.2) is
the most prevalent risk factor for AD, especially in subjects harboring the APOE-4
allele, whereas carriers of the APOE-2 allele might be protected against dementia
(Cacabelos et al. 2005). Other study shows that orange juice has possesed the
significant ability to increase significantly mRNA expression levels of tumor
necrosis factor receptor (tnfr) gene in the brain neuronal tissues of male rats
(Ebuehi et al. 2013). An interesting study reported that zinc and docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) affect expression levels of histones H3 and H4 in human neuronal
M17 cells (Sidli et al. 2012). Zinc reduced the levels of the anti-apoptotic marker
Bcl-2, while increasing the apoptotic marker caspase-3 levels correlating with cell
viability assays. Conversely, DHA treatment resulted in increased acetylation of
H3 and Bcl-2 levels and decrease in deacetylation, methylation, phosphorylation
of H3 and caspase-3 levels, suggesting that DHA promotes gene expression and
neuroprotection.
Another condition considered a major global health problem is Hepatitis C
virus (HCV) that infects approximately 170 million people worldwide. The
combination of pegylated interferon (IFN) with ribavirin is currently the most
effective therapy for chronic HCV hepatitis, and long-term treatment has been
shown to improve the sustained virological response (SVR) rate. However, the
SVR rate still remains at approximately 55 % and patients with HCV genotype 1
infection combined with steatosis are significantly less likely to achieve a week-12
early virological response (EVR) or a SVR. Nutrigenomics offer hope in the search
for novel therapeutic and nutritional management options. Dietary free fatty acids
(FFA) composition can inhibit both HCV replication and HCV induced- lipogenesis genes. Three nutrients, b-carotene, vitamin D2, and linoleic acid inhibit
HCV RNA replication and their combination has additive and/or synergistic
effects on HCV RNA replication. PUFAs including arachidonic acid (AA), DHA,
and EPA also inhibit HCV RNA replication, while saturated (lauric, myristic, and
palmitic) and monounsaturated (oleic) fatty acids induce HCV RNA replication.
PPAR and SREBP-1c genes, known to induce fatty acid oxidation and synthesis,
respectively, are key targets for PUFA control of hepatic gene expression. n-3
PUFAs are weak agonists of PPARs compared with pharmacological agonists, but
has significant effect on insulin sensitivity in various tissues, particularly skeletal
muscle. These results provide useful information for improvement of the SVR
rates of patients receiving the currently standard IFN therapy. In addition, these
findings may contribute to the development of nutritional supplements of use in the
treatment of people with chronic hepatitis C (Liu et al. 2010). More recently,
Azocar and Diaz et al. (2013) evaluated the safety and efficacy of Chlorella in 18
patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1. The HCV RNA levels showed
10 Natural Foods as Biosystems to Face Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases
311