Written by Taylor Woosley, Science Writer. Twice daily supplementation with 500 mg of N. officinale extract improved PCO and MDA levels, while also significantly increasing IL-1 levels compared to placebo.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic inflammatory lung diseases in the United States, affecting around 8% of adults, or about 20 million individuals1. The inflammatory process in asthma causes vascular hyperresponsiveness, airway edema, airway remodeling, and bronchoconstriction2. External insults (allergens, pollution, smoke) trigger oxidative stress events that promote pro-inflammatory events, including recruitment of activating inflammatory cells that further increase oxidative stress3.
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a nutritious vegetable that is valued for its nutrient density, with high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals4. Furthermore, the plant possesses numerous pharmacological properties such as anti-hyperlipidemic, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory activity5. Previous research on N. officinale shows that the high content of reducing agents, metal chelators, and lipid peroxidation inhibitors present in the plant make it a powerful scavenger of reactive oxygen species6.
Shakerinasab et al. conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial to analyze the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities of an N. officinale extract in asthmatic subjects. Subject inclusion was assessed based on the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline, with subjects being adults aged 18 to 65 years, with asthma diagnosis based on the GINA, with asthma symptoms not fully controlled based on Asthma Control Test (ACT) score from 5 to 24, who did not experience severe asthma exacerbation in the last 4 weeks before the study. Participants were randomized to receive either the N. officinale extract (NOE) or placebo for 4 weeks. The NOE group consumed a 500 mg capsule twice daily, while the placebo group consumed a capsule containing flour twice daily.
At the first visit, information regarding participants’ baseline demographics, symptoms, co-morbid conditions, and medications were collected. Fasted blood samples were collected to measure oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters, including malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide metabolite (NO), total thiol (T-SH), protein sulfhydryl and carbonyl measurement, the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), antioxidant enzymes, and serum levels of cytokines (IL-1B and TNF-α). Additionally, the ACT test was completed via questionnaire at baseline and end of study, along with completion of a pulmonary function test.
48 subjects (NOE, n=22 and placebo, n=26) with moderate asthma were included in the final analysis. Baseline characteristics of all subjects including demographics, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers were not significant between groups. Independent t-test was utilized to compare the mean of normal variables at baseline between two groups and paired t-test was used to compare the score of baseline and end of intervention variables in each group. Significant findings of the study are as follows:
- The NOE group experienced a significant increase in IL-1 compared to placebo (p < 0.05).
- NO levels in the placebo were significantly decreased at the end of intervention (p = 0.001). However, the NOE group had a higher percent change in NO levels compared to placebo.
- Although PCO and MDA levels at the end of the NOE intervention showed an insignificant decrease, the percent changes of PCO and MDA in the intervention group increased significantly compared to placebo (p < 0.000 and p < 0.010, respectively).
Results of the study suggest that N. officinale extract can improve oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, particularly IL-1. Further randomized controlled trials using larger study samples and longer interventions are necessary to better comprehend the potential benefits of NOE on asthma symptoms.
Source: Shakerinasab, Nasrin, Javad Mottaghipisheh, Mahdieh Eftekhari, Hossein Sadeghi, Fatemeh Bazarganipour, Reza Abbasi, Amir Hossein Doustimotlagh, and Marcello Iriti. “The hydroalcoholic extract of Nasturtium officinale reduces oxidative stress markers and increases total antioxidant capacity in patients with asthma.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology 318 (2024): 116862.
© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Posted April 16, 2024.
Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.
References:
- Wu TD, Brigham EP, McCormack MC. Asthma in the Primary Care Setting. The Medical clinics of North America. May 2019;103(3):435-452. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2018.12.004
- Ammar M, Bahloul N, Amri O, et al. Oxidative stress in patients with asthma and its relation to uncontrolled asthma. J Clin Lab Anal. May 2022;36(5):e24345. doi:10.1002/jcla.24345
- Vincenzo SD, Ferrante G, Ferraro M, et al. Oxidative Stress, Environmental Pollution, and Lifestyle as Determinants of Asthma in Children. Biology (Basel). Jan 13 2023;12(1)doi:10.3390/biology12010133
- Schulze H, Hornbacher J, Wasserfurth P, et al. Immunomodulating Effect of the Consumption of Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) on Exercise-Induced Inflammation in Humans. Foods. Jul 30 2021;10(8)doi:10.3390/foods10081774
- Mostafazadeh M, Sadeghi H, Sadeghi H, Zarezade V, Hadinia A, Panahi Kokhdan E. Further evidence to support acute and chronic anti-inflammatory effects of Nasturtium officinale. Res Pharm Sci. Jun 2022;17(3):305-314. doi:10.4103/1735-5362.343084
- Kyriakou S, Tragkola V, Alghol H, et al. Evaluation of Bioactive Properties of Lipophilic Fractions of Edible and Non-Edible Parts of Nasturtium officinale (Watercress) in a Model of Human Malignant Melanoma Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). Jan 25 2022;15(2)doi:10.3390/ph15020141
