Search

This randomized controlled trial investigated the impact of a brief session of group-based running on feelings of energy and fatigue, comparing exercise in a local nature reserve versus an outdoor built environment, and a sedentary control condition. Sixty-six physically active university students participated, with 56 providing full data for each time point. Consistent with previous research, participants in both exercise groups reported significantly increased energy and decreased fatigue compared to those in the sedentary control group. However, the type of outdoor environment did not significantly influence the magnitude of improvements. Contrary to expectations, there was no significant difference in energy enhancement or fatigue mitigation between participants who jogged in a local nature reserve versus those who jogged on a cinder track in an urbanized area. The study discusses potential reasons for this, including seasonal variations in forest volatile organic compounds (FVOCs) concentrations, which may impact the psychological effects associated with forest environments. Further research is needed to better understand the complex relationship between exercise, environment, and feelings of energy/feelings of fatigue. • Research suggests green exercise to be more revitalizing than exercise in other settings. • We compared group-based jogging in a natural reserve versus an outdoor built environment. • Our main hypothesis was not supported as similar improvements were seen in the exercise groups. • Reduced metabolic activity of vegetation is proposed as a potential explanation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and a great threat to people around the world. Cancer treatment modalities include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, radiochemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy. The best approach is to use a combination of several types. Among the treatment methods mentioned above, chemotherapy is frequently used, but its activity is hampered by the development of drug resistance and many side effects. In this regard, the use of medicinal plants has been discussed, and in recent decades, the use of isolated phytochemicals came into the focus of interest. By critically evaluating the available evidence and emphasizing the unique perspective offered by this review, we provide insights into the potential of daidzein as a promising therapeutic agent, as well as outline future research directions to optimize its efficacy in clinical settings. To summarized the therapeutic potential of daidzein, an isoflavone phytoestrogen in the management of several human diseases with the focuses on the current status and future prospects as a therapeutic agent. Several search engines, including PubMed, GoogleScholar, and ScienceDirect, were used, with the search terms "daidzein", "daidzein therapeutic potential", or individual effects. The study included all peer-reviewed articles. However, the most recent publications were given priority. Daidzein showed protective effects against malignant diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer but also non-malignant diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Daidzein activates multiple signaling pathways leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis as well as antioxidant and anti-metastatic effects in malignant cells. Moreover, the anticancer effects against different cancer cells were more prominent and discussed in detail. In short, daidzein represents a promising compound for drug development. The comprehensive potential anticancer activities of daidzein through various molecular mechanisms and its therapeutic/clinical status required further detail studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies on biological activities of phytostilbenes have brought to the fore the remarkable properties of these compounds and their derivatives, making them a top storyline in natural product research fields. However, getting stilbenes in sufficient amounts for routine biological activity studies and make them available for pharmaceutical and/or nutraceutical industry applications, is hampered by the difficulty to source them through synthetic chemistry-based pathways or extraction from the native plants. Hence, microbial cell cultures have rapidly became potent workhorse factories for stilbene production. In this review, we present the combined efforts made during the past 15 years to engineer stilbene metabolic pathways in microbial cells, mainly the Saccharomyces cerevisiae baker yeast, the Escherichia coli and the Corynebacterium glutamicum bacteria. Rationalized approaches to the heterologous expression of the partial or the entire stilbene biosynthetic routes are presented to allow the identification and/or bypassing of the major bottlenecks in the endogenous microbial cell metabolism as well as potential regulations of the genes involved in these metabolic pathways. The contributions of bioinformatics to synthetic biology are developed to highlight their tremendous help in predicting which target genes are likely to be up-regulated or deleted for controlling the dynamics of precursor flows in the tailored microbial cells. Further insight is given to the metabolic engineering of microbial cells with "decorating" enzymes, such as methyl and glycosyltransferases or hydroxylases, which can act sequentially on the stilbene core structure. Altogether, the cellular optimization of stilbene biosynthetic pathways integrating more and more complex constructs up to twelve genetic modifications has led to stilbene titers ranging from hundreds of milligrams to the gram-scale yields from various carbon sources. Through this review, the microbial production of stilbenes is analyzed, stressing both the engineering dynamic regulation of biosynthetic pathways and the endogenous control of stilbene precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many roles have been ascribed to stilbenes, namely as antimicrobial, deterrent or repellent compounds in plants, protecting them from attacks by fungi, bacteria, nematodes or herbivores, acting both as constitutive and active defense (phytoalexin) compounds. More recently, stilbenes (especially resveratrol and its derivatives) were acclaimed for their wondrous effects and wide range of purported healing and preventive powers as cardioprotective, antitumor, neuroprotective and antioxidant agents. Although there is a huge number of works concerning the role of resveratrol in human health, reports on the antifungal activity of this compound are still scarce. This study was thus conducted in order to investigate the toxicity of resveratrol at an ultra- structural level to dormant conidia of Botrytis cinerea, the causal microorganism for gray mold. In grapevine particularly, this disease can affect all the green organs but is particularly damaging for ripening berries. Observations using transmission electron microscopy showed the occurrence of damages on conidia treated with sub-lethal doses, that is, 60μg/mL (2.6×10−4 M) of resveratrol, a concentration usually reached in grapevine leaves and grape berries challenged by this pathogen. These results provide further data about the overall mode of action of this phytoalexin and its role in the B. cinerea/grapevine interaction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Trans-resveratrol is a phenolic plant compound that has been recognized for its benefits on human health. Currently, increasing demand for trans-resveratrol for nutraceutical, cosmetic, and putatively pharmaceutic uses makes its production from sustainable sourcing a necessity. In this context, the use of biotechnology through recombinant microorganisms and plant cell suspensions is particularly promising because it represents a reliable alternative method of trans-resveratrol production under controlled conditions. Tailoring yeast or bacteria with genes that encode enzymes of the trans-resveratrol pathway and further elicitation of plant-cell metabolism might represent powerful strategies for increased trans-resveratrol bioproduction. This review aims at describing and comparing these different available methods, with a focus on their respective advantages, limits and perspectives as a basis for scale-up in large culture volumes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Most drugs or the natural substances reputed to display some biological activity are hydrophobic molecules that demonstrate low bioavailability regardless of their mode of absorption. Resveratrol and its derivatives belong to the chemical group of stilbenes; while stilbenes are known to possess very interesting properties, these are limited by their poor aqueous solubility as well as low bioavailability in animals and humans. Among the substances capable of forming nanomolecular inclusion complexes which can be used for drug delivery, cyclodextrins show spectacular physicochemical and biomedical implications in stilbene chemistry for their possible application in nanomedicine. By virtue of their properties, cyclodextrins have also demonstrated their possible use in green chemistry for the synthesis of stilbene glucosylated derivatives with potential applications in dermatology and cosmetics. Compared to chemical synthesis and genetically modified microorganisms, plant cell or tissue systems provide excellent models for obtaining stilbenes in few g/L quantities, making feasible the production of these compounds at a large scale. However, the biosynthesis of stilbenes is only possible in the presence of the so-called elicitor compounds, the most commonly used of which are cyclodextrins. We also report here on the induction of resveratrol production by cyclodextrins or combinatory elicitation with methyljasmonate in plant cell systems as well as the mechanisms by which they are able to trigger a stilbene response. The present article therefore discusses the role of cyclodextrins in stilbene chemistry both at the physico-chemical level as well as the biomedical and biotechnological levels, emphasizing the notion of "easy alliance" between these compounds and stilbenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resveratrol and the biosynthetically related stilbenes are plant secondary metabolites with diverse pharmacological effects. The versatile functions of these compounds in plant defense mechanisms as phytoalexins on one hand, and in human health as potential pharmaceutical agents on the other, have attracted lots of interest in recent years to understand their biosynthetic pathways and their biological properties. Because of difficulties in obtaining resveratrol and its glucosylated derivatives as well as oligomeric forms in sufficient amounts for evaluation of their activity by plant sourcing or total synthesis, biotechnology may provide a competitive approach for the large-scale and low cost production of biologically active stilbenes. Additionally, one major limitation in the use of resveratrol and related aglycone derivatives as therapeutic agents is associated with their inherent poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability. This article examines approaches for the synthesis of potential pharmacologically resveratrol derivatives in vivo by exploiting whole microorganisms, enzymatic and biocatalytic approaches allowing their full utilization for medicine, food and cosmetic applications. These methods also have the advantage of enabling the one-step production of stilbene compounds, compared to the time-consuming and environmentally unfriendly procedures used for their total synthesis or their extraction from plants. Increasing the desired products yield and biological activity through glucosylation (β-D-glucosides versus α-D-glucosides) and oligomerization methodologies of resveratrol including green chemistry methods in organic solvent-free media are discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, consumers increasingly prefer food with original, natural, and delicious flavors, which is closely linked to the content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in food. In recent years, the function of plant VOCs as natural food additives (flavoring and aromatizing agents, antibacterial agents) and their health benefits have attracted increased attention from the food industry. However, plant VOCs are quickly deteriorated because of their reactive molecular characteristics, which is the most critical bottleneck in their functions. Exploring the consequence, mechanism, sensor detection, and control technology of VOC deterioration can help to promote further advances in the protection of the food aroma and the application of plant VOCs in the food industry. Focusing on the highlighted roles of VOCs in the food industry and deterioration-prone characteristics, concluding the consequence, mechanism, sensor detection, and control technology of VOC deterioration. The VOC deterioration in fresh food mainly results from composition variation induced by intracellular metabolism during storage, and metabolic loss induced by environmental factors. The leading causes inducing the VOC deterioration in processed food include physical loss by heating and chemical variations arising from the Maillard reaction, lipid oxidation, and other reactions. The biosensors assembled by proteins, peptides, or DNA showed excellent VOC sensitivity and selectivity performance. One technology cannot ideally protect every volatile component. Establishing the loss model and law of characteristic aroma components in specific technical treatment helps the component preservation of VOCs. • Plant-based VOCs play essential roles in the food industry with increasing popularity among customers, like being used as natural, important determinants of food aroma, antibacterial preservatives in processed food, and providing novel health benefits to humans. • Due to high volatility and chemical reactivity, the widespread deterioration of plant VOCs in fresh food mainly resulted from metabolic composition variation and metabolic loss, while that in processed food was evoked by chemical variation and physical loss. • Developing novel biosensors to accurately detect VOC deterioration in complicated food matrices is a significant future trend. • The control of VOC deterioration in fresh fruit was intertwined with the preservation technologies, while that in processed plant food was based on the circumvention of the adverse effects of processing on the molecular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Grape juice protein hydrolysis can be proposed as one of the potential alternative methods to prevent haze wine formation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae PlR1 is a wild yeast strain of grapes able to secrete an acidic proteolytic activity during growth on a synthetic medium with proline. The aim of the present work was to confirm, by SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-E), the hydrolysis of some grape juice proteins after incubation with a S. cerevisiae PlR1 culture supernatant, and then to identify these hydrolyzed proteins by nano-LC–MS/MS analysis. Results obtained showed that hydrolyzed proteins correspond to pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, in particular, thaumatin-like (TL) proteins and chitinases. Some of these PR proteins are likely to be implicated in the wine haze formation. These proteins will be isolated and characterized in order to explain why they are sensitive to enzymatic hydrolysis. Otherwise, the protease will be purified, sequenced and cloned in yeast in order to improve the wine stability with regard to proteic haze. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains used in champagne winemaking were tested for their ability to metabolise acetic acid during alcoholic fermentation. Fermentation tests were performed in conditions close to oenological ones using a Chardonnay grape juice supplemented with acetic acid. The amount of acetic acid metabolised by wine yeast increased with increasing initial acetic acid concentration and this elimination occurred during the second part of the exponential growth phase. When the initial acetic acid concentration exceeds 1g/l, and whatever the yeast strain used, the concentration of acetic acid in the resulting wine cannot be reduced to an acceptable level according to the current legislation. Acetic acid removal modified yeast metabolism, since more acetaldehyde, less glycerol and less succinic acid were produced. Considering the reduction of the NADPH/NADP+ ratio following acetic acid consumption, we propose, as a new hypothesis, that acetic acid could modify yeast metabolism by reducing the activity of the NADP+ dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase Ald6p. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Anthocyanins, the color compounds of plants, are known for their wide applications in food, nutraceuticals and cosmetic industry. The biosynthetic pathway of anthocyanins is well established with the identification of potential key regulatory genes, which makes it possible to modulate its production by biotechnological means. Various biotechnological systems, including use of in vitro plant cell or tissue cultures as well as microorganisms have been used for the production of anthocyanins under controlled conditions, however, a wide range of factors affects their production. In addition, metabolic engineering technologies have also used the heterologous production of anthocyanins in recombinant plants and microorganisms. However, these approaches have mostly been tested at the lab- and pilot-scales, while very few up-scaling studies have been undertaken. Various challenges and ways of investigation are proposed here to improve anthocyanin production by using the in vitro plant cell or tissue culture and metabolic engineering of plants and microbial culture systems. All these methods are capable of modulating the production of anthocyanins , which can be further utilized for pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food applications. • Chemistry and biosynthetic pathways of anthocyanins. • Regulation of anthocyanin biosynthetic pathways by transcription factors and phytohormones. • Non-engineered plant cell and tissue cultures as useful systems for anthocyanin production. • Engineering of anthocyanin production in plants targeting transcription factors. • Engineering of anthocyanin production by microbial cells including prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoma is a cancer affecting the lymphatic system that fights infections and diseases. In addition to surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, novel approaches have recently been investigated, such as phytostilbenes in treating lymphoma. Phytostilbenes are natural compounds present in various plants and have been shown to have different therapeutic effects, including anticancer properties. Resveratrol is a main phytostilbene with various derivates followed by pterostilbene and piceatannol. Studies have revealed that phytostilbenes can suppress the growth and proliferation of lymphoma cells by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting specific enzyme activity in cancer cell survival. The compounds also have antiinflammatory effects contributing to reducing lymphoma-associated inflammation. Additionally, phytostilbenes have been shown to increase the immune system's ability to fight cancer cells by activating immune cells (T-cells and natural killer cells). This review investigates the potential therapeutic effects of phytostilbenes, including resveratrol, pterostilbene, piceatannol, and pinosylvin, against lymphoma. [Display omitted] •.Lymphoma is a cancer affecting the lymphatic system. • Phytostilbenes have shown diverse effects including anticancer. • Phytostilbenes can suppress the growth and proliferation of lymphoma cells via different mechanisms, described. • Phytostilbenes strengthened the immune system's ability to tbht cancer cells, described. • This review suggested the significant role of phytostilbenes as a potential ttherapeutic modality against lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A cell suspension culture was developed from calli of grape rootstock 41B in order to study the bioproduction of resveratrol. While 41B grape cultures produced no resveratrol, methyljasmonate (MeJA) elicitor treatment activated its production in a dose dependent manner. The concentration of 0.2mM MeJA was optimal for efficient production and high accumulation of resveratrol (150mg/L) in flask experiments. Microscopic analysis of cells monitored for viability showed that MeJA elicitor triggered expression of resveratrol fluorescence within the cells. These results led to scale-up of the culture in a 2L stirred bioreactor where a resveratrol production of 209mg/L being secreted into the liquid medium, corresponding to 90% of the total production. Liquid/liquid extraction of the culture medium and a solid/liquid extraction of the cells showed that other stilbenes were also produced. For the first time, trans-ɛ-viniferin, trans-δ-viniferin, and a trans-3-methylviniferin as well as trans-piceatannol were identified in a 2L bioreactor cell cultures of grapevine. Furthermore, a one step FPLC method was developed for the purification of resveratrol and ɛ-viniferin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Proteins are implicated in the foam stabilization of Champagne wines. They may have a grape, yeast, bacteria or fungal origin. Botrytis cinerea is a widespread fungal pathogen, which is the causal agent for gray mold. The first part of this work showed the deleterious effect of the presence of this fungus on the foaming properties of a champenois base wine. Foamability and foam stability were reduced, respectively, by 47.7% and 33.3% in the botrytized wine, as compared to the healthy wine. In a second part, SDS–PAGE and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), coupled with immunodetection, were used to study (thoroughly) the protein patterns of both wines. With 2-DE and silver-staining detection, the disappearance of numerous spots, located in an acidic pH range, was observed. Indeed, the number of spots detected was about two times more abundant in the healthy wine than in the botrytized one, suggesting that a proteolysis occurred. On the other hand, the presence of new proteins, likely fungal proteins, proteins secreted by the plant as a response to B. cinerea infection, or even protein fragments resulting from partial proteolysis, was detected in the botrytized wine. All these modifications of the wine protein content were undoubtedly due to the presence of B. cinerea and this might be a reason for the loss of foaming properties of Champagne base wines, though no relationship between these two phenomena can be established from the results obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The production of stilbene phytoalexins was analyzed in Vitis sp. protoplasts during isolation and culture, by HPLC. The results showed that trans-resveratrol could be detected as early as the fourth hour of digestion and accumulated during the digestion process, while the healthy donor material was devoid. Resveratrol production was due to de novo activation of the Vst1 gene encoding for the stilbene synthase (EC 2.3.1.95) responsible for resveratrol formation. When in culture, leaf protoplasts, whatever the genotype, continued to produce large amounts of resveratrol within the first week of culture, whereas, during the second week, a decrease in resveratrol content was observed, in parallel to a decrease in protoplast viability. Other phytoalexins derived from the resveratrol were produced during the culture, mainly an inducible resveratrol dehydrodimer analogous to ϵ-viniferin and, to a lesser extent, pterostilbene. In order to determine the inducer of phytoalexin production, effects of culture conditions were evaluated on resveratrol production and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Carotenoids in food substances are believed to have health benefits by lowering the risk of diseases. Lutein, a carotenoid compound, is one of the essential nutrients available in green leafy vegetables (kale, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and peas), along with other foods, such as eggs. As nutrition plays a pivotal role in maintaining human health, lutein, as a nutritional substance, confers promising benefits against numerous health issues, including neurological disorders, eye diseases, skin irritation, etc. This review describes the in-depth health beneficial effects of lutein. As yet, a minimal amount of literature has been undertaken to consider all its promising bioactivities. The step-by-step biosynthesis of lutein has also been taken into account in this review. Besides, this review demonstrates the drug interactions of lutein with β-carotene, as well as safety concerns and dosage. The potential benefits of lutein have been assessed against neurological disorders, eye diseases, cardiac complications, microbial infections, skin irritation, bone decay, etc. Additionally, recent studies ascertained the significance of lutein nanoformulations in the amelioration of eye disorders, which are also considered in this review. Moreover, a possible approach for the use of lutein in bioactive functional foods will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer concern on the use of naturally-occurring antimicrobials from plants, microorganisms and animal sources continues to grow daily, mostly triggered by the increasing awareness about the risks associated with the use of synthetically manufactured additives and preservatives in the food industry. Natural compounds present in herbs- and spices-derived extracts, essential oils and other secondary metabolites from plants, bacteria and enzymes are currently gaining ground and are still largely underused. Their use as replacements for synthetic additives can open new frontiers in safety and quality preservation in food, as they are relatively safer and do not pose health risks to consumers. This review provides updated information on the use of preservative solutions from natural sources on foods, especially perishable ones, also discussing the use of new packaging technologies. Although the use of additive sources of natural origin has received increasing interest, some adverse effects on organoleptic properties may also result from its use. Thus, despite the latest advances, more studies are still needed on the optimization of the quantities to be used to effectively inhibit spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms without affecting the organoleptic properties of foods; otherwise, these natural food additives can be encapsulated for inclusion in foods as preservatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants, fungi, and microorganisms are equipped with biosynthesis machinery for producing thousands of secondary metabolites. These compounds have important functions in nature as a defence against predators or competitors as well as other ecological significances. The full utilization of these compounds for food, medicine, and other purposes requires a thorough understanding of their structures and the distinct biochemical pathways of their production in cellular systems. In this review, flavonoids as classical examples of secondary metabolites are employed to highlight recent advances in understanding how valuable compounds can be regulated at various levels. With extensive diversity in their chemistry and pharmacology, understanding the metabolic engineering of flavonoids now allows us to fine-tune the eliciting of their production, accumulation, and extraction from living systems. More specifically, recent advances in the shikimic acid and acetate biosynthetic pathways of flavonoids production from metabolic engineering point of view, from genes expression to multiple principles of regulation, are addressed. Specific examples of plants and microorganisms as the sources of flavonoids-based compounds with particular emphasis on therapeutic applications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]