The metabolic syndrome is a common precursor of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes that is characterized by the clustering of insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and increased blood pressure. In humans, mutations in the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) have been reported to cause the full-blown metabolic syndrome, and drugs that activate PPARγ have proven to be effective agents for the prevention and treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Here we report that telmisartan, a structurally unique angiotensin II receptor antagonist used for the treatment of hypertension, can function as a partial agonist of PPARγ; influence the expression of PPARγ target genes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism; and reduce glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels in rats fed a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. None of the other commercially available angiotensin II receptor antagonists appeared to activate PPARγ when tested at concentrations typically achieved in plasma with conventional oral dosing. In contrast to ordinary antihypertensive and antidiabetic agents, molecules that can simultaneously block the angiotensin II receptor and activate PPARγ have the potential to treat both hemodynamic and biochemical features of the metabolic syndrome and could provide unique opportunities for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in high-risk populations.

Type II diabetes is a heterogeneous disease where environment and genetics are important factors for the expression of the disease. The high cost for treating complications of diabetes is a burden for public health systems and governments worldwide. Type II diabetes has been causing debilitation worldwide for many decades, and a single drug that safely treats the disease has yet to be discovered. Sulfonylureas, biguanides, α-glucosidase, meglitinides, DPP-4 inhibitors and thiazolidinediones are among the classes of oral hypoglycemic drugs available to treat Type II diabetes, but concerns exist regarding safety and efficacy of these drugs. In this article we present the pros and cons of the six classes and discuss some of the latest advances towards the development of new drugs for the treatment of Type II diabetes.

Because little is known about the actions of botanical estrogens (BEs), widely consumed by menopausal women, we investigated the mechanistic and cellular activities of some major BEs. We examined the interactions of genistein, daidzein, equol, and liquiritigenin with estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ, with key coregulators (SRC3 and RIP140) and chromatin binding sites, and the regulation of gene expression and proliferation in MCF‐7 breast cancer cells containing ERα and/or ERβ. Unlike the endogenous estrogen, estradiol (E2), BEs preferentially bind to ERβ, but their ERβ‐potency selectivity in gene stimulation (340‐ to 830‐fold vs . E2) is enhanced at several levels (coregulator recruitment, chromatin binding); nevertheless, at high (0.1 or 1 μM) concentrations, BEs also fully activate ERα. Because ERα drives breast cancer cell proliferation and ERβ dampens this, the relative levels of these two ERs in target cells and the BE dose greatly affect gene expression and proliferative response and will be crucial determinants of the potential benefits vs . risks of BEs. Our findings reveal key and novel mechanistic differences in the estrogenic activities of BEs vs . E2, with BEs displaying patterns of activity distinctly different from those seen with E2 and provide valuable information to inform future studies.—Jiang, Y., Gong, P., Madak‐Erdogan, Z., Martin, T., Jeyakumar, M., Carlson, K., Khan, I., Smillie, T. J., Chittiboyina, A. G., Rotte, S. C. K., Helferich, W. G., Katzenellenbogen, J. A., Katzenellenbogen, B. S. Mechanisms enforcing the estrogen receptor β selectivity of botanical estrogens. FASEB J . 27, 4406–4418 (2013). www.fasebj.org

Background: Spices and aromatic herbs have long been used by people to impart sensory appetizing elements, including aroma, flavor, and color, to foods and beverages in an effort to enhance their palatability. Herbs and spices exhibit a plethora of medicinal properties including antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Spices serve as natural preservatives to delay food spoilage and extend shelf life. As spice trading has exponentially increased globally, herbs and spices have become prone to adulteration, which can be deliberate or unintentional. Deliberate adulteration is usually economically motivated, aimed at maximizing profit margins, whereas unintentional adulteration is often attributed to improper harvesting or processing of the plant material or collecting/substituting closely related species. Adulteration of herbs or spices with toxic ingredients such as Sudan dyes or metal salts (e.g., lead chromate) may result in serious public health consequences. Objective: To provide a concise account of ongoing adulteration issues with spices and herbs in order to enhance general awareness of the short- and longer-term implications of such fraud. Method: Last twenty-years of literature on various aspects of spice adulteration including text books and online resources were gathered and compiled. In addition, a number of original reports have been published prior to year 2000 that are directly associated with adulteration of commonly traded herbs and spices were also included. Results: The current review covers the role of spices and herbs in human life, adulteration of the commonly consumed spices and herbs, identification of their adulterants, as well as the most popular analytical techniques and methods used in their detection, including spectroscopic, chromatographic, electronic sensing, and deoxyribonucleic acid–based methodologies. Conclusions: Spices and herbs, being high-priced commodities, have been often subjected to adulteration in many ways which reduces their quality and potentially has harmful health implications. Adulteration is attributed primarily to increased demand or supply shortage of the spices and aromatic herbs. The motivation for spice fraud is largely attributed to economical interest to gain greater profit margins and such adulteration of spices can have serious implications for public health. To combat the adulteration of spices and herbs effectively, a range of analytical techniques across many different technologies have been developed. These techniques are expected to aid in the detection of adulterants and establish quantifiable concentrations for the compounds in question in various matrices, including spices and aromatic herbs.