The aim of this study was to assess the immunomodulatory effect of KC-1317 (a symbiotic mixture containing Saccharomyces boulardii lysate in a cranberry, colostrum-derived lactoferrin, fragaria, and lactose mixture) supplementation in immune-compromised but otherwise healthy elderly subjects. A liquid formulation of KC-1317 was administered in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) fashion to healthy volunteers (65-79 years) previously selected for low natural killer (NK) cell activity, and this parameter was checked at the completion of the study. A significant improvement in NK cell activity of KC-1317 consumers was observed as compared to placebo at the end of 2 months. Although preliminary, these beneficial immune-modulatory effects of KC-1317 in aged individuals might indicate its employment within a wider age-management strategy.

The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of a poly-phytocompound in a model of experimental BPH. Adult 8 weeks male Wistar rats were subjected to complete orchiectomy under anesthesia (i.p. injection of 100 mg/kg body weight of sodium pentobarbital). After castration, experimental BPH was reproduced by subcutaneous injection of testosterone (20 mg/kg) for 4 weeks and, at the same time, rats randomly divided in 3 groups (15 rats each): (A) untreated BPH model; (B) BPH plus TR10/P3795 orally and (C) BPH plus finasteride (10 mg/kg body weight) administered orally as positive control group. A third group (D) of sham-operated rats served as control. Both TR10/P3795-and finasteride-treated groups showed a significant (p<0.05) and comparable reduction of all morphometric parameters (volume, weight and weight/body weight ration) which were grossly abnormal in untreated BPH model (p<0.01 vs. sham-op.). Moreover, both treatment schedule maintained a near-to-normal 3 h urinary output (p<0.01 vs. untreated BPH). Untreated BPH showed a significant increase of epithelial size and thickness and these features were equally decreased by TR10/P3795 and finasteride (p<0.05). Either TR10/P3795 or finasteride brought about a significant decrease of serum level of DHT and PAP (p<0.05 vs. sham). There was no difference among the two treatments. Prostatic tissue concentration of MDA, IL-6, TNFα and TGFβ1 significantly increased in untreated BPH model (p<0.001). All these parameters significantly decreased, although not normalised, in TR10/P3795-treated group (p<0.05 vs. sham and vs. finasteride). Finasteride determined only a not significant trend decrease of IL-6 and TNFα. Given the multifactorial aetiology of BPH, the data from this experimental model show the promising larger spectrum of mechanisms of action of the tested poly-phytocompound.

BALB/c mice were divided into young, middle-aged, and aged groups, and each group was given 3 weeks of oral treatments: (1) 1 mL of VBC1-99 (a mixture of 42 fruits and vegetables extracts) or (2) 1 mL of same amount of antioxidant vitamins as control. Steady-state hepatic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was assessed by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance ((31)P-NMR) spectroscopy as: β-ATP/reference peak, inorganic phosphorus (Pi)/peak and β-ATP/Pi. As compared to untreated control, VBC1-99 significantly enhanced β-ATP/peak and β-ATP/Pi ratios (p<0.01) in all age groups and throughout the observation period (p<0.05) together with a significant decrease of Pi/ref peak ratio (p<0.05). However, this value in middle-aged and aged mice was comparable to antioxidant control mice. These NMR data demonstrate that VBC1-99 has a beneficial effect on hepatic energy metabolism, irrespective of age.

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