Previous studies have shown that inflammatory factors increases in pregnancy and is associated with several complications of pregnancy. The aim of this study was to assess effects of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on inflammatory factors in pregnant women. In a randomized clinical trial, seventy primigravid (the first pregnancy) and singleton pregnant women aged 18-30 years were assigned to two groups. Subjects consumed daily 200 g probiotic yoghurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium animalis BB12 (10(7) CFU g(-1) for each) or 200 g conventional yoghurt for 9 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline (28 weeks of gestation) and after intervention (37 weeks of gestation). Inflammatory factors, hs-CRP and TNF-alpha, were measured by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Independent t-test was used to compare the two groups after intervention and paired-sample t-test compared variables before and after treatment. The results showed that the probiotic yogurt brought about a decrease in the serum hs-CRP level, from 10.44 +/- 1.56 to 7.44 +/- 1.03 microg mL(-1) (p = 0.041). There was no significant change in the conventional yogurt group in the serum hs-CRP level (12.55 +/- 1.57 to 14.51 +/- 1.62 microg mL(-1), p = 0.202). The probiotic yogurt had no effect on TNF-alpha (from 73.75 +/- 6.59 to 77.91 +/- 5.61 pg mL(-1), p = 0.633). Serum TNF-alpha did not change in the conventional yogurt group (p = 0.134). In conclusion probiotic yogurt significantly decreased hs-CRP in pregnant women but had no effect on TNF-alpha.

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The antihyperglycemic and antioxidant effects of water extract of local Viscum album in alloxanizedrats were investigated. This study performed during 2009 in Babol University of medical sciences (Mazandaran Province, Iran). V. album leaves growing on oaks collected and extracted with hot water. The 90 animals that were used in this investigation were male Wistar rats. 60 rats were gavaged with 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day of V. album extract. One hour after final feeding, freshly prepared alloxan injected subcutaneously. Then blood glucose level was measured according to glucose oxidase method. The antioxidant activity of serum was determined by FRAP assay and serum insulin level was measured with ELISA. The administration of V. album extract (500 and 1000 mg/kg/day) significantly reduced the increase in serum glucose concentration in alloxan-hyperglycemic rats. Both the extracts from V. album enhance the serum insulin level as compared to control rats. Serum antioxidant activity in low dose of extract was significantly higher at 48 and 72 h after alloxan injection. Serum antioxidant activity in the high dose was significantly higher at 24, 48 and 72 h. This study demonstrated that V. album extract reduced the blood glucose and increases the antioxidant power of alloxanized-rats. Much more work is clearly needed before phytotherapy for diabetes can be advanced to the clinic.

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