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No description available.

Magister Scientiae (Medical Bioscience) - MSc(MBS) / Prostate cancer is one of the heterogeneous groups of neoplastic diseases originating from the reproductive system of the male naming, the prostate gland. In the west, prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting African men in older age (over the age of 55) and usually with a family history of the disease. The initiation and progression of this disease is thought to result from the genetic alterations of gene expression in the prostate epithelial cells. Prostate cancer has a very slow progression. This observation provides the advantage of early detection and the notion for using diet to prevent the cellular and molecular processes of carcinogenesis. Epidemiological research has documented a positive health role for red palm oil on atherosclerosis, arterial thrombosis and several types of cancers. This thesis focuses on investigating the effect of different concentrations of the red palm oil (0.1, 1, 10, 100, 500, 1 000 μg/ml) on malignant (LNCaP) prostate cells and benign (PWR-1E) prostate cells over 24 and 72- hours. The following parameters were investigated: cell morphology and viability (using MTT assay), the expression of androgen receptors and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) via RT-PCR and/or PSA ELISA kit. The results of this study demonstrate that red palm oil has significant cytotoxic effects on malignant (LNCaP) prostate cells but caused only a slight decrease in cell viability of benign (PWR- 1E) prostate cells. Morphologically, we noted a clear increase in detachment and cell death in malignant (LNCaP) cells as the concentrations of red palm oil increased. Moreover, the viability decreased significantly in both 24 and 72-hour treatment of red palm oil. Further to this, red palm oil significantly promoted the reduction of total PSA concentration in malignant (LNCaP) prostate cells whereas in benign (PWR-1E) prostate cells the Red Palm Oil maintained the total serum PSA at its basal physiological level. In conclusion, red palm oil is significantly cytotoxic to malignant (LNCaP) prostate cells whereas weakly cytotoxic effect toward benign (PWR-1E) prostate cells. The potent inhibition to mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity is responsible for the aforementioned effects respectively. The decrease in total serum PSA demonstrate the strong therapeutic effects that red palm oil has on malignant (LNCaP) prostate cells

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No description available.

We hypothesized that supplementing finishing diets with palm oil would elevate Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity in muscle and subcutaneous (s.c.) adipose tissue, promoting adipocyte differentiation and increase monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in beef, particularly oleic acid. Soybean oil supplementation was used as a negative control. Eighteen Angus steers were assigned randomly to three groups of 6 steers and fed a basal diet without additional fat, with 3% palm oil (rich in palmitic acid), or with 3% soybean oil (rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids), top dressed daily. There were no significant differences across treatment in quality grade, REA, 12th rib fat thickness, or yield grade. Palm oil tended to increase marbling score (P = 0.33). Palm oil supplementation decreased the concentration of myristic acid (P = 0.04), and tended to decrease the concentration of t10, c12 CLA (P = 0.07) and 18:3n-3 (P = 0.06) in s.c. adipose tissue while soybean supplementation increased c9, t11 CLA (P = 0.02) and 18:3n-3 (P = 0.03) in muscle. Palm oil supplementation increased both glucose and acetate incorporation into total lipids of s.c. adipose tissue (both P = 0.03). Volume of s.c. adipocytes was greater in cattle supplemented with palm oil than in soybean- supplemented cattle (P = 0.004). Enzyme activity of G-6-PDH tended to be greater in steers consuming palm oil supplement (P = 0.10). We conclude that there was a partial interaction between palm oil supplementation and adipocyte differentiation. Palm oil supplementation increased s.c. adipocyte content without deteriorating meat quality traits and tended to increase marbling.

Thesis--Cornell University. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 419-432).

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Thesis (DTech (Biomedical Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009 / Many environmental, physiological, and genetic factors have been shown to impair sperm function through oxidative damage. Oxidative stress (OS) arises as a consequence of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and/or impaired antioxidant defence mechanisms. The decline in male reproductive health generated considerable public and scientific concerns about the possible role of environmental contaminants. A better understanding of how OS affects sperm function will be beneficial as it might help in the design of new and effective treatment strategies to combat the problem of increasing male subfertility. Studies have suggested that antioxidant nutrients and/or medicines play a protective role in human health. Crude red palm oil (RPO) is known to be the richest natural plant source of antioxidants such as carotenoids, tocopherols and metalloporpheryns. The aims of this study were twofold: (i) To establish an in vivo animal model of OS by exposing rat to organic hydroperoxide such as t-butyl hydroperoxide (tbHP) and cumene hydroperoxide (cHP) through repeated intraperitoneal injections that can be used for studying these effects on testicular tissue, epididymal sperm and sperm function as well as male reproductive parameters in general. (ii) To investigate the effects of a RPO supplemented diet on male reproductive parameters and tissue in animals exposed to OS. In the first part of the study, male Wistar rats aged 10-12 weeks were randomly placed in groups and received standard rat chow (SRC) and water ad lib. Animals were injected intraperitoneally with saline (0.5 ml), t-butyl hydroperoxide (5µM, 10µM, 20µM and 40µM; 0.5 ml) or cumene hydroperoxide cHP (2.5µM, 5µM, 10µM and 20µM; 0.5 ml) over a 60 day period. In the second part, male Wistar rats aged 10-12 weeks were placed randomly in three groups and fed with SRC. Group 1 received no supplement while the food of groups 2 and 3 were supplemented with 2 mL and 4 mL RPO (in 25 gm SRC/day) respectively. Each group was further divided into 3 subgroups and injected intraperitoneally daily with either saline, 10µM cHP or 20µM tbHP respectively. This was done for 5 consecutive days per week over a 60 day period. Sperm concentrations, and motility, lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) activities as well as apoptosis were assessed.

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