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Creatine (á-N-methylguanidino acetic acid) is a naturally occurring nitrogenous organic acid synthesized in the kidneys, liver, pancreas and brain (in less quantity), or obtained from a regular diet or as ergogenic nutritional supplement. Creatine is a popular and widely used form of protein supplementation due to its efficacy in improving performance in healthy athletic populations via increased muscle mass and enhanced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy regeneration. Chapter One reviews the available findings at animal and cellular studies as well as clinical trials investigating the neuroprotective effect of creatine and the possible mechanisms underlying its effect, which may represent important advances in the management of central nervous system diseases. Chapter Two considers the potential efficacy of creatine as an anabolic and ergonomic therapy for RA patients. In Chapter Three, a low-dimensional antimony-doped tin oxide aggregated nanoparticles (ATO NPs) were synthesized using hydrothermal method in alkaline phase. In Chapter Four, data obtained from –omics technologies and dynamical modeling are executed and analyzed, given the exponential growth of these methodologies in biological scientific research. The relevance of both creatine kinase system and creatine metabolism itself, as part of the molecular system bioenergetics in several components of cell (i.e., cytoskeleton, mitochondria, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, etc.), deserve to be examined from a systemic view that covers ascending and descending causality.

Creatine is an organic acid that contributes to the energy supply to the skeletal muscle. The basic substrates for creatine biosynthesis in the human body are semi-essential amino acids L-arginine, glycine and methionine. In this book, the authors discuss the biosynthesis, therapeutic uses and physiological effects of creatine supplementation. Topics include the role of creatine in the pathophysiology of depression and the possible mechanisms underlying its antidepressant effect, creatine treatment and positive effects on muscle performance, muscle mass gain, and the persistence and improvement of the quality of life in patients with chronic diseases; muscle ergogenic effects of creatine supplementation in resistance exercise training; experimental evidence that creatine supplementation during pregnancy is protective for the neonate; and creatine metabolism and role in sports physiology.

Summary: The current book presents the articles included in the Special Issue "Women in Sports and Exercise: From Health to Sports Performance". Readers will find in this book evidence about the relationships between physical qualities in sports and how women's performance can be optimized using dedicated training intervention. Moreover, information about the impact of the menstrual cycle on athletic performance will be revealed. Attention to physical activity patterns in women will be also disclosed.

Summary: Ensuring microbiological safety in the food (of animal origin) chain is a challenging task due to the complex interactions among animals, humans and the environment. However, technological and analytical advances in recent years have provided a broader insight into microbiological hazards in the food chain and risk assessment. The objective of the proposed Special Issue "Study of Microbiological Safety in the Food Chain" was therefore to obtain scientific papers addressing microbiological hazards in the food chain, such as bacterial antimicrobial resistance, bacterial or fungal spoilage of foods, the antimicrobial potential of the indigenous microbiota, the aminogenic or amine-reducing capacity of the microbiota, and papers that apply novel methods to study the food microbiome to discover potential, previously unknown microbial hazards. This Special Issue of the journal Processes entitled "Study of Microbiological Safety in the Food Chain" consists of nine research papers and one review paper. Four papers focus on the microbiological aspects of milk and dairy products, three on meat and meat products, two on eggs, and one on various market foods. The microorganisms of interest were species of lactobacilli, enterococci and molds, Yersinia enterocolitica, Bacillus cereus and the general microbiota in certain foods.

Summary: Exercise necessitates increased energy production to match the elevated demand of physical activity, the magnitude of which varies significantly by activity, sport, and/or athletic position. While long term nutritional habitus is known to impact exercise performance, short term or acute nutritional strategies may also prove beneficial, or detrimental, to athletic performance. Modifications to macro- or micro-nutrient intakes likely influence athletic capacity through the altered metabolic capacity, although cardiovascular, respiratory, or neurocognitive effects are not to be discounted as possibly being influenced by altering the nutritional approach. Similarly, dietary supplementation with factors such as probiotics or antioxidants, either acutely or chronically, is also a likely avenue in which to optimize athletic performance. Supplementation, or the timing of supplementation, diurnally or with activity, may help to bridge gaps between dietary intakes and needs, perhaps as a result of either an inadequate intake and/or high level of athletic demand via high intensity, frequency, volume, or a combination thereof. Altering nutritional strategy for athletic performance is a de facto approach employed by athletes, often occurring seemingly independent of knowledge or evidence for or against a particular strategy. Rigorous studies of nutritional manipulation, supplementation, or those exploring the temporal optimization of nutrition or supplementation are desperately needed in an ever-changing sports nutrition landscape with an increasingly larger audience.

Summary: Creatine plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, primarily by binding with phosphate to form phosphocreatine (PCr) as well as shuttling high-energy phosphate compounds in and out of the mitochondria for metabolism. Increasing the dietary availability of creatine increases the tissue and cellular availability of PCr, and thereby enhances the ability to maintain high-energy states during intense exercise. For this reason, creatine monohydrate has been extensively studied as an ergogenic aid for exercise, training, and sport. Limitations in the ability to synthesize creatine and transport and/or store dietary creatine can impair metabolism and is a contributor to several disease states. Additionally, creatine provides an important source of energy during metabolically stressed states, particularly when oxygen availability is limited. Thus, researchers have assessed the role of creatine supplementation on health throughout the lifespan, as well as whether creatine availability may improve disease management and/or therapeutic outcomes. This book provides a comprehensive overview of scientific and medical evidence related to creatine's role in metabolism, health throughout the lifespan, and our current understanding of how creatine can promote brain, heart, vascular and immune health; reduce the severity of musculoskeletal and brain injury; and may provide therapeutic benefits in glucose management and diabetes, cancer therapy, inflammatory bowel disease, and post-viral fatigue.

Although creatine was discovered already in the 1830s, it is only in recent years that its crucial role for human health and general well-being has been increasingly realized and appreciated. A number of beneficial health effects have been ascribed to oral creatine supplementation, such as neuroprotective, ergogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, or antitumor effects. Creatine may even improve memory and intelligence. In the present book, emphasis is placed on the intricate interplay between creatine and creatine kinase function on one hand, and proper brain function, neurodegenerative disease and/or neuroprotection on the other hand. The book also elaborates on the recently identified inborn errors of creatine biosynthesis and transport, the so-called cerebral creatine deficiency syndromes. The clinical hallmarks of these disorders are mental retardation, epilepsy, autistic-like behaviour, and speech and language delay. In addition, the muscle growth- and strength-promoting effects, the pharmacokinetics and the safety of oral creatine supplementation are discussed. Finally, the present book outlines the emerging'systems biology'approaches for understanding the pleiotropic effects of creatine and creatine kinase, and hypothesizes on the most promising and influential future avenues of research towards creatine-based nutritional strategies for the prevention of neurological disease, and for improving the quality of life in general.

Creatine (Cr) transporter deficiency (CCDS1) is a very rare and severe condition due to impaired energetic metabolism. In this work we showed for the first time the following facts: this diseases is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which a set of maladaptive compensatory mechanisms leads to a progressive damage of brain functions; cell energy metabolism and mitochondria seem strongly involved in the pathogenesis and they could represent useful potential targets for therapeutic interventions; inflammation seems to play an important part in this progressive damage, and this observation can pave the way to treatment strategies; neural circuits disruption involving inhibitory systems could give a huge contribute to many of the clinical aspects observed in patients, as epilepsy and cognitive impairment, since the excitatory/inhibitory balance is fundamental for the normal function of neural circuits. Factors outside the CNS are important in the pathogenesis of at least some aspects of the disorder, since the conditional KO model show difference in the timing of onset of some cognitive defects and in the presence of stereotypies.