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"Chouriço de carne" is a Portuguese ready-to-eat dry fermented sausage which relies on effective spontaneous fermentation to ensure its microbial safety and desired organoleptic properties. This study aimed to assess selected microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of artisanal chouriço produced by 14 different regional producers. Aerobic mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium spp., Listeria spp. and Salmonella spp., in addition to pH, water activity and moisture, were evaluated for each of 70 samples. Principal Component Analysis of all these attributes was performed to build quality maps of the analyzed lots. The results showed great variability between sausages of different producers within the same geographic region, and S. aureus, Clostridium spp., Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp. were identified in sausages of several producers, highlighting the need for stricter microbiological control and standardization of production processes among artisanal producers of chouriço. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening suitable allelopathic crops and crop genotypes that are competitive with weeds can be a sustainable weed control strategy to reduce the massive use of herbicides. In this study, three accessions of common buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. (Gema, Kora, and Eva) and one of Tartary buckwheat Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn. (PI481671) were screened against the germination and growth of the herbicide-resistant weeds Lolium rigidum Gaud. and Portulaca oleracea L. The chemical profile of the four buckwheat accessions was characterised in their shoots, roots, and root exudates in order to know more about their ability to sustainably manage weeds and the relation of this ability with the polyphenol accumulation and exudation from buckwheat plants. Our results show that different buckwheat genotypes may have different capacities to produce and exude several types of specialized metabolites, which lead to a wide range of allelopathic and defence functions in the agroecosystem to sustainably manage the growing weeds in their vicinity. The ability of the different buckwheat accessions to suppress weeds was accession-dependent without differences between species, as the common (Eva, Gema, and Kora) and Tartary (PI481671) accessions did not show any species-dependent pattern in their ability to control the germination and growth of the target weeds. Finally, Gema appeared to be the most promising accession to be evaluated in organic farming due to its capacity to sustainably control target weeds while stimulating the root growth of buckwheat plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimicrobial activity of plants, algae, and derived extracts has been a subject of interest for the scientific community. Algae extracts have demonstrated their potential as a source of natural antimicrobial agents. Because of their antibacterial capacity and low toxicity, algae extracts have been studied as natural preservatives in food and cosmetic formulations. The use of these extracts has the potential to minimize the use of synthetic preservatives, which may be harmful to both human health and the environment. Nonetheless, the use of end-point techniques to calculate the minimal inhibitory concentration instead of creating growth inhibition curves usually leads to an absence of mathematical modeling procedures on the bacterial inhibition behavior of natural extracts. The goal of mathematical modeling is to describe the relationship between the concentration of an inhibitory agent (such as a drug or a toxin) and the growth rate of a population. For this purpose, the data obtained during the growth of six different bacteria in the presence of different concentrations of Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) extracts were recorded over 24 h. Later, the collected data were modeled based on different classical sigmoidal models, e.g., Weibull, logistic, and Gompertz, that were applied to define the critical growth phases and infer the kinetic parameters. The obtained parameters led to the conclusion that the inhibition mechanisms behind the antibacterial effects of the algae extracts are diverse towards different microorganisms. The presence of the extract led to a diminution of the specific growth velocity in some cases such as Staphylococcus epidermidis while in the replication of other bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, the extension of the lag phase was the predominant inhibition mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer diagnosed globally and continues to have a significant impact on the global number of cancer deaths. Despite all efforts of epidemiological and experimental research, therapeutic concepts in cancer are still unsatisfactory. Gene expression datasets are widely used to discover the new biomarkers and molecular therapeutic targets in diseases. In the present study, we analyzed four datasets using R packages with accession number GSE29044, GSE42568, GSE89116, and GSE109169 retrieved from NCBI-GEO and differential expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to screen the key genes. Subsequently, the GO function and KEGG pathways were analyzed to determine the biological function of key genes. Expression profile of key genes was validated in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines using qRT-PCR. Overall expression level and stage wise expression pattern of key genes was determined by GEPIA. The bc-GenExMiner was used to compare expression level of genes among groups of patients with respect to age factor. OncoLnc was used to analyze the effect of expression levels of LAMA2, TIMP4, and TMTC1 on the survival of breast cancer patients. We identified nine key genes, of which COL11A1, MMP11, and COL10A1 were found up-regulated and PCOLCE2, LAMA2, TMTC1, ADAMTS5, TIMP4, and RSPO3 were found down-regulated. Similar expression pattern of seven among nine genes (except ADAMTS5 and RSPO3) was observed in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Further, we found that LAMA2, TMTC1, and TIMP4 were significantly expressed among different age groups of patients. LAMA2 and TIMP4 were found significantly associated and TMTC1 was found less correlated with breast cancer occurrence. We found that the expression level of LAMA2, TIMP4, and TMTC1 was abnormal in all TCGA tumors and significantly associated with poor survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal nutraceuticals are foods derived from plants and/or their derivatives, such as oils, roots, seeds, berries, or flowers, that support wellness and combat acute and chronic ailments induced by unhealthful dietary habits. The current review enlists various traditional as well as unexplored herbs including angelica, burnet, caraway, laurel, parsley, yarrow, and zedoary, which are rich sources of bioactive components, such as aloesin, angelicin, trans-anethole, and cholesteric-7-en-3β-ol. The review further compares some of the extraction and purification techniques, namely, Soxhlet extraction, ultrasound assisted extraction, microwave assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, accelerated solvent extraction, hydro-distillation extraction, ultra-high-pressure extraction, enzyme assisted extraction, pulsed electric field extraction, bio affinity chromatography, cell membrane chromatography, and ligand fishing. Herbal nutraceuticals can be purchased in varied formulations, such as capsules, pills, powders, liquids, and gels. Some of the formulations currently available on the market are discussed here. Further, the significance of herbal nutraceuticals in prevention and cure of diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, dementia, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia; and as immunomodulators and antimicrobial agents has been discussed. Noteworthy, the inappropriate use of these herbal nutraceuticals can lead to hepatotoxicity, pulmonary toxicity, cytotoxicity, carcinogenicity, nephrotoxicity, hematotoxicity, and cardiac toxicity. Hence, this review concludes with a discussion of various regulatory aspects undertaken by the government agencies in order to minimize the adverse effects associated with herbal nutraceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is one of the most distinctive ingredients of the Mediterranean diet. There are many properties related to this golden ingredient, from supreme organoleptic characteristics to benefits for human health. EVOO contains in its composition molecules capable of exerting bioactivities such as cardio protection, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer activity, among others, mainly caused by unsaturated fatty acids and certain minor compounds such as tocopherols or phenolic compounds. EVOO is considered the highest quality vegetable oil, which also implies a high sensory quality. The organoleptic properties related to the flavor of this valued product are also due to the presence of a series of compounds in its composition, mainly some carbonyl compounds found in the volatile fraction, although some minor compounds such as phenolic compounds also contribute. However, these properties are greatly affected by the incidence of certain factors, both intrinsic, such as the olive variety, and extrinsic, such as the growing conditions, so that each EVOO has a particular flavor. Furthermore, these flavors are susceptible to change under the influence of other factors throughout the oil's shelf-life, such as oxidation or temperature. This work offers a description of some of the most remarkable compounds responsible for EVOO's unique flavor and aroma, the factors affecting them, the mechanism that lead to the degradation of EVOO, and how flavors can be altered during the shelf-life of the oil, as well as several strategies suggested for the preservation of this flavor, on which the quality of the product also depends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligomers broadly used in food manufacturing as food additives for different purposes, e.g., to improve sensorial qualities, shelf life, and sequestration of components. In this review, the latest advancements of their applications along with the characteristics of the uses of the different CDs (α, β, γ and their derivatives) were reviewed. Their beneficial effects can be achieved by mixing small amounts of CDs with the target material to be stabilized. Essentially, they have the capacity to form stable inclusion complexes with sensitive lipophilic nutrients and constituents of flavor and taste. Their toxicity has been also studied, showing that CDs are innocuous in oral administration. A review of the current legislation was also carried out, showing a general trend towards a wider acceptance of CDs as food additives. Suitable and cost-effective procedures for the manufacture of CDs have progressed, and nowadays it is possible to obtain realistic prices and used them in foods. Therefore, CDs have a promising future due to consumer demand for healthy and functional products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, which has been estimated to cause 9.9 million deaths in 2020. Conventional treatments for cancer commonly involve mono-chemotherapy or a combination of radiotherapy and mono-chemotherapy. However, the negative side effects of these approaches have been extensively reported and have prompted the search of new therapeutic drugs. In this context, scientific community started to look for innovative sources of anticancer compounds in natural sources, including traditional plants. Currently, numerous studies have evaluated the anticancer properties of natural compounds derived from plants, both in vitro and in vivo. In pre-clinical stages, some promising compounds could be mentioned, such as the sulforaphane or different phenolic compounds. On the other hand, some phytochemicals obtained positive results in clinical stages and were further approved for cancer treatment, such as vinca alkaloids or the paclitaxel. Nevertheless, these compounds are not exempt of limitations, such as low solubility, restricted effect on their own, negative side-effects, etc. This review aims to compile the information about the current phytochemicals used for cancer treatment and also promising candidates, main action mechanisms and also reported limitations. In this sense, some strategies to face the limitations have been considered, such as nano-based formulations to improve solubility or chemical modification to reduce toxicity. In conclusion, although more research is still necessary to develop more efficient and safe phytochemical drugs, more of these compounds might be used in future cancer therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tannins are polyphenolic compounds naturally found in vegetables. Their presence in nature has prompted their historical use in many different ways. The revision of their traditional utilization has allowed their further modification aiming for an industrial application. Sometimes these modifications have implied the addition of harmful substances such as formaldehyde, classified as a carcinogen of category B1. In other cases, these natural tannins have been replaced by synthetic compounds that threaten human and animal health and damage the environment. Therefore, currently, both academy and industry are searching for the substitution of these unsafe complexes by the increasing inclusion of tannins, natural molecules that can be obtained from several and diverse renewable resources, modified using harmless additives. To achieve promising results, cost-efficient and eco-friendly extraction methods have been designed. Once these green alternatives have been isolated, they have been successfully applied to many fields with very assorted aims of utilization such as coagulants, adhesives, floatation agents, tannings, dyes, additives, or biomolecules. Therefore, this review offers a global vision of the full process that involves the tannin's technological application including an overview of the most relevant tannin sources, effective extraction methods, and their utilization in very diverse fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]