Dietary compounds that modify bilirubin levels
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abstract
Bilirubin (BL) is a bile pigment that arises from the catabolism of hemeproteins and it is an important
biochemical marker for diagnosis and monitoring of hepatic and hematologic diseases. The high
concentration of this metabolite in plasma may be associated with disturbances in production, metabolism
and/or excretion. Several in vivo in vitro studies have established the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and
anti-tumoral bilirubin capacity. The main objective was to verify that the effects of certain drugs and
nutritional compounds on the metabolism of bilirubin, as well as studying the effects of radical substances
in the UGT1A1 gene in addition have also studied the effect of various enzymes on serum bilirubin. The
methodology was a detailed search online database, such as Pubmed, NCBI, ScienceDirect and books,
a five-month period. Several studies refer four botanical groups as associated to changes in bilirubin
concentrations Cruciferae (e.g., broccoli), Rutaceae (citrus), Liliaceae (e.g., onions), and Leguminosae
(legumes). In a hyperbilirubinemic condition, the best approach would include the increasing UGT1A1
expression and this can be achieved with foods from the botanical families Cruciferae, Rutaceae, Liliaceae,
and Leguminosae. Regulation of UGTs by phytochemicals has been investigated with a focus on cancer
prevention numerous inhibitors from plant origin. The strategy to rise SBL, inhibiting UGT1A1 activity
appears unreasonable. Several studies show that low serum bilirubin concentrations are associated with
an increased risk of chronic diseases, whereas slightly elevated serum bilirubin levels seems to provide
protection. The enzymes HO-1 and BLV will also have an important role in the development of therapeutic
strategies based on dietary compounds however for these two enzymes there was considerable less
information about their inducers and inhibitors. It is proven that the ingestion of certain foods affects the
metabolism of bilirubin and the expression of UGT1A1 gene. Thus, it is justified the need for further studies
to demonstrate the potential of food to control the maintenance of bilirubin in order to identify possible
functional foods.
Bilirubin (BL) is a bile pigment that arises from the catabolism of hemeproteins and it is an important biochemical marker for diagnosis and monitoring of hepatic and hematologic diseases. The high concentration of this metabolite in plasma may be associated with disturbances in production, metabolism and/or excretion. Several in vivo and in vitro studies established the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti- tumoral properties of bilirubin. Clinical and prospective studies show that slightly elevated serum bilirubin levels are positively correlated with a lower prevalence of oxidative stress-mediated diseases. In this review, detailed information on dietary compounds related to changes in serum bilirubin levels are provided. Most of the reviewed articles described compounds that inhibit or induces the most important enzymes in BL metabolism. Knowing how to modulate bilirubin levels by these compounds would be useful as a therapeutic approach, either to lowering serum bilirubin levels, in cases of hyperbilirubinemia, or to increase bilirubin concentration in order protect against oxidative stress. Several studies refer four botanical groups as associated to changes in bilirubin concentrations Cruciferae (e.g., broccoli), Rutaceae (citrus), Liliaceae (e.g., onions), and Leguminosae (legumes).
