Curcumin is one of the main polyphenolic compounds in the turmeric rhizome. It possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-arthritis, anti-asthmatic, anti-microbial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. This review aims to provide an overview of the potential health benefits of curcumin to treat female reproductive disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovarian failure and endometriosis. Comprehensive information on curcumin was retrieved from electronic databases, which were MEDLINE via EBSCOhost, Scopus and Google Scholar. The available evidence showed that curcumin reduced the high level of androgen in PCOS. Studies in rodents suggest that curcumin resulted in the disappearance of cysts and the appearance of healthy follicles and corpora lutea. Furthermore, animal studies showed curcumin improved the overall function of the ovary in ovarian diseases and reversed the disturbance in oxidative stress parameters. Meanwhile, in vitro and in vivo studies reported the positive effects of curcumin in alleviating endometriosis through anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic mechanisms. Thus, curcumin possesses various effects on PCOS, ovarian diseases and endometriosis. Some studies found considerable therapeutic effects, whereas others found no effect. However, none of the investigations found curcumin to be harmful. Curcumin clinical trials in endometriosis and ovarian illness are still scarce; thus, future studies need to be conducted to confirm the safety and efficacy of curcumin before it could be offered as a complementary therapy agent.

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide after water, and green tea accounts for 20% of the total tea consumption. The health benefits of green tea are attributed to its natural antioxidants, namely, catechins, which are phenolic compounds with diverse beneficial effects on human health. The beneficial effects of green tea and its major bioactive component, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), on health include high antioxidative, osteoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-diabetic effects. However, the review of green tea’s benefits on female reproductive disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and dysmenorrhea, remains scarce. Thus, this review summarises current knowledge on the beneficial effects of green tea catechins on selected female reproductive disorders. Green tea or its derivative, EGCG, improves endometriosis mainly through anti-angiogenic, anti-fibrotic, anti-proliferative and proapoptotic mechanisms. Moreover, green tea enhances ovulation and reduces cyst formation in PCOS while improving generalised hyperalgesia, and reduces plasma corticosterone levels and uterine contractility in dysmenorrhea. However, information on clinical trials is inadequate for translating excellent findings on green tea benefits in animal endometriosis models. Thus, future clinical intervention studies are needed to provide clear evidence of the green tea benefits with regard to these diseases.

Camel urine has traditionally been used to treat multiple human diseases and possesses the most beneficial effects amongst the urine of other animals. However, scientific review evaluating the anticancer, antiplatelet, gastroprotective and hepatoprotective effects of camel urine is still scarce. Thus, this scoping review aimed to provide scientific evidence on the therapeutic potentials of camel urine. Three databases were searched to identify relevant articles (Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus) up to September 2020. Original articles published in English that investigated the effects of camel urine in various diseases were included. The literature search identified six potential articles that met all the inclusion criteria. Three articles showed that camel urine possesses cytotoxic activities against different types of cancer cells. Two studies revealed camel urine’s protective effects against liver toxicity and gastric ulcers, whilst another study showed the role of camel urine as an antiplatelet agent. All studies demonstrated significant positive effects with different effective dosages. Thus, camel urine shows promising therapeutic potential in treating human diseases, especially cancer. However, the standardised dosage and potential side effects should be determined before camel urine could be offered as an alternative treatment.

Numerous studies have evaluated the effects of exercise training on obese children and adolescents. However, the impact of aerobic and/or resistance exercise alone, without any other interventions, on vascular markers and C-reactive protein (CRP) in obese children and adolescents is still not clear. We performed a literature search in Ovid Medline, PubMed, and SCOPUS databases to identify articles on the effects of exercise on vascular markers and CRP among obese children and adolescents, published between January 2009 and May 2019. Only full-text articles in English that reported on the effect of aerobic and/or resistance exercise on the vascular markers pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), augmentation index (AIx) or CRP in obese children and adolescents (5–19 years old) were included. The literature search identified 36 relevant articles; 9 articles that fulfilled all the inclusion criteria were selected by two independent reviewers. Aerobic exercise or a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise training significantly improved CIMT and PWV in obese children and adolescents in all studies in which they were measured (2 studies for PWV and 4 studies for CIMT). However, the effects of exercise on FMD and CRP levels were inconclusive, as only half of the studies demonstrated significant improvements (1/2 studies for FMD and 4/8 studies for CRP). The results of our review support the ability of exercise to improve vascular markers such as PWV and CIMT in obese children and adolescents. This finding is important as obesity is a modifiable risk factor of CVD, and exercise may help in reducing the future occurrence of CVD in this population.

Background and objectives: Obesity is associated with poor vascular function and may lead to future cardiovascular disease (CVD). Obesity is also related to increased inflammation and a low testosterone level. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between inflammation, testosterone level, and vascular function among subjects with an increased body mass index (BMI) and to determine whether both low testosterone and high inflammation have synergistic effects towards vascular dysfunction. Materials and Methods: A total of 303 men aged 40–80 years were recruited from Klang Valley, Malaysia. Their height, weight, blood pressure (BP), lipid, blood glucose level, total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. The carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV_CF) and augmentation index (AI) were also recorded as markers of vascular function. Results: The mean age of all the subjects was 54.46 ± 9.77 years. Subjects were divided into a low/normal body mass index (BMI) group (BMI < 25 kg/m²; NG, n = 154) and high BMI group (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²; OG, n = 149). The mean BMI for NG was 22.20 ± 1.94 kg/m² while for OG was 28.87 ± 3.24 kg/m² (p < 0.01). The level of TT (OG = 21.13 ± 6.44 versus NG = 16.18 ± 6.16 nmol/L, p < 0.01) and FT (OG = 0.34 ± 0.12 versus NG = 0.39 ± 0.11 nmol/L, p < 0.01) were reduced while the level of CRP [OG = 1.05 (2.80) versus NG = 0.50 (1.50) mmol/L, p = 0.01] was increased in OG compared to NG. PWV_CF (OG = 8.55 ± 1.34 versus NG = 8.52 ± 1.42 m/s, p = 0.02) and AI (OG = 16.91% ± 6.00% versus 15.88% ± 5.58%, p < 0.01) were significantly increased in OG after adjustment for other CVD risk factors. The subjects that had both a low FT and an increased CRP had higher AI when compared to those with a high CRP and high FT (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The increased BMI was associated with vascular dysfunction, mediated by a low testosterone level and increased inflammation. Furthermore, having both conditions concurrently lead to higher vascular dysfunction. Weight loss, testosterone supplementation, and the anti-inflammatory agent may be beneficial for men to prevent vascular dysfunction.

The risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) escalates in women during menopause, which is associated with increased vascular endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness, and vascular remodeling. Meanwhile, curcumin has been demonstrated to enhance vascular function and structure in various studies. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed the recent literature regarding the potential role of curcumin in modulating vascular function and structure during menopause. The Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were searched to identify relevant articles. Clinical and preclinical studies involving menopausal women and postmenopausal animal models with outcomes related to vascular function or structure were included. After thorough screening, seven articles were selected for data extraction, comprising three animal studies and four clinical trials. The findings from this review suggested that curcumin has beneficial effects on vascular function and structure during menopause by addressing endothelial function, arterial compliance, hemodynamic parameters, and the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Therefore, curcumin has the potential to be utilized as a supplement to enhance vascular health in menopausal women. However, larger-scale clinical trials employing gold-standard techniques to evaluate vascular health in menopausal women are necessary to validate the preliminary results obtained from small-scale randomized clinical trials involving curcumin supplementation (INPLASY, INPLASY202430043).