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Polyphenols have attracted attention for their anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties. Due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of these molecules, they are also proposed as a potential therapeutic tool to prevent complications of cancer and decrease the secondary effects of conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. Nonetheless, polyphenols such as flavonoids and phenolic acids have low bioavailability, as they are highly metabolized. Thus, administration strategies have been developed to enhance the anticancer properties of polyphenols. Most of these strategies involve different encapsulation techniques, such as nanoencapsulation, nanoemulsion, and the use of other polymeric matrixes. These techniques can increase the activity of these compounds after going through the gastrointestinal process and improve their solubility in an aqueous medium. This review comprises recent studies regarding encapsulation techniques to enhance the bioactivity of polyphenols against cancer and their current state in clinical studies. Overall, micro- and nanoencapsulation techniques with different polymers enhanced the anticancer properties of polyphenols by inhibiting tumor growth, modulating the expression of genes related to metastasis and angiogenesis, decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory biomarkers.

Cyclic lipopeptides (LPs) are potentially promising in the agricultural, industrial and pharmaceutical sectors. LPs have a variable hydrophilic cyclic peptide part attached to a variable fatty acid chain. One limitation of these compounds is their low availability due to their limited production by bacteria. The objective of this study was to identify and quantify homologues of LPs biosynthesized by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC–MS/MS) after inducing the synthesis of these secondary metabolites using different inducers, including chemical compounds and inactive cells of Colletotrichum sp. Four homologues were identified in the iturin family (bacillomycin D), and the iturin homologue with the highest synthesis was the molecular ion m/z 1031.54, with 173.1 µg mg−1 crude extract. In addition, seven homologues were detected in the fengycin family (four of fengycin A and three of fengycin B), and the homologue with the highest content was the molecular ion m/z 1463.69 (fengycin A), with 3288 ± 528.5 ng mg−1 crude extract. Finally, five homologues were identified in the surfactin family, where the highest concentration was observed for the molecular ion m/z 1036.68, with 61.5 ± 3.01 µg mg−1 crude extract. The highest concentration of LP homologues (iturin, fengycin and surfactin) synthesized by B. amyloliquefaciens was detected in the presence of inactive cells of Coletotrichum sp., suggesting that the inducing substance is associated with the inducer’s cell envelope and could be a single protein or a structure that includes protein components.

Phosphorus (P) is an important nutritional element needed by plants. Roots obtain P as inorganic phosphate (Pi), mostly in H2PO−4 form. It is vital for plants to have a sufficient supply of Pi since it participates in important processes like photosynthesis, energy transfer, and protein activation, among others. The physicochemical properties and the organic material usually make Pi bioavailability in soil low, causing crops and undomesticated plants to experience variations in accessibility or even a persistent phosphate limitation. In this study, transcriptome data from pepper roots under low-Pi stress was analyzed in order to identify Pi starvation-responsive genes and their relationship with metabolic pathways and functions. Transcriptome data were obtained from pepper roots with Pi deficiency by RNASeq and analyzed with bioinformatic tools. A total of 97 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified; Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment revealed that metabolic pathways, such as porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, were down-regulated, and galactose and fatty acid metabolism were up-regulated. The results indicate that bell pepper follows diverse processes related to low Pi tolerance regulation, such as the remobilization of internal Pi, alternative metabolic pathways to generate energy, and regulators of root development.

Plants of the Phoradendron genus have been traditionally used for their lipid- and glucose-lowering effects. However, the compounds responsible for these effects and the overall chemical profile of these plants have not been thoroughly investigated. We aimed to characterize the metabolome of leaves, stems, and aerial parts of the Phoradendron brachystachyum plant. We used mass spectrometry and colorimetric screening techniques (with various solvents) to identify and characterize the metabolites present. We also evaluated the antioxidant (FRAP, ORAC, TEAC, and DPPH assays) and inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase and α-glucosidase enzymes of hydrophilic extracts. Furthermore, we compared the molecular fingerprints between the identified metabolites and FDA-approved drugs to gain insights into the metabolites that might be responsible for the observed effects on enzymes. Our findings revealed the presence of 59 putative metabolites, primarily flavonoids. However, we also hint at the presence of peptide and carbohydrate derivatives. The leaf extracts demonstrated the most promising metrics across all assays, exhibiting strong antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory effects as well as high levels of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and tannins. Fingerprint analysis suggested potential peptide and carbohydrate metabolites as pancreatic lipase and α-glucosidase inhibitors. Overall, our study provides evidence on specific metabolites in Phoradendron brachystachyum that could be responsible for the therapeutic effects noted in obese and type 2 diabetes subjects.

Ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) and cold limit the growth and development of plants, which generates changes in gene expression. This allows plants to respond to stress through regulatory proteins, such as transcription factors, that activate or repress the expression of stress-response genes. RNA-Seq data and WGCNA analyses were utilized to identify the hub genes. Our study found a total of 25, 24, and 29 transcription factors at different time points T1, T2, and T3, respectively, under combined stress (ultraviolet-B radiation and cold). RVE1 (MYB-related), COL2 (CO-like), and DBB1b (DBB) were identified as candidate hub genes. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment showed that RVE1, DBB1b, and COL2 were mostly involved in energy production, the antioxidant system (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), signaling through abscisic acid and CA2+, response to light stimulus, and cellular homeostasis. These findings provide the basis for further investigation related to UV-B radiation and cold stress response mechanisms in plants.

The effects of hydrostatic (HHP) and dynamic (HPH) high-pressure treatments on the activity of pectin methylesterase (PME) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) as well as the physicochemical quality attributes of ‘Ataulfo’ mango nectar were assessed. HHP reduced PME relative activity by 28% at 100 MPa for 5 min but increased PPO activity almost five-fold. Contrarily, HPH did not affect PME activity, but PPO was effectively reduced to 10% of residual activity at 300 MPa and at three passes. Color parameters (CIEL*a*b*), °hue, and chroma were differently affected by each type of high-pressure processing technology. The viscosity and fluid behavior were not affected by HHP, however, HPH changed the apparent viscosity at low dynamic pressure levels (100 MPa with one and three passes). The viscosity decreased at high shear rates in nectar samples, showing a shear-thinning effect. The results highlight how different effects can be achieved with each high-pressure technology; thus, selecting the most appropriate system for processing and preserving liquid foods like fruit beverages is recommended.

The production of marine foods is on the rise, and shrimp is one of the most widely consumed. As a result, a considerable amount of shrimp waste is generated, becoming a hazardous problem. Shrimp waste is a rich source of added-value components such as proteins, lipids, chitin, minerals, and carotenoids; however, new bioprocesses are needed to obtain these components. This work aimed to characterize the chemical and nutraceutical constituents from the liquor of shrimp waste recovered during a lactic acid fermentation process using the novel substrate sources whey and molasses. Our results showed that the lyophilized liquor is a rich source of proteins (25.40 ± 0.67%), carbohydrates (38.92 ± 0.19%), minerals (calcium and potassium), saturated fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, myristic and lauric acids), unsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid, linoleic, and palmitoleic acids), and astaxanthin (0.50 ± 0.02 µg astaxanthin/g). Moreover, fermentation is a bioprocess that allowed us to obtain antioxidants such as carotenoids with an antioxidant capacity of 154.43 ± 4.73 µM Trolox equivalent/g evaluated by the ABTS method. Our study showed that liquor from shrimp waste fermentation could be a source of nutraceutical constituents with pharmaceutical applications. However, further studies are needed to separate these added-value components from the liquor matrix.

Lactic acid fermentation increases the bioactive properties of shrimp waste. Astaxanthin is the principal carotenoid present in shrimp waste, which can be found esterified in the liquid fraction (liquor) after its lactic acid fermentation. Supercritical CO2 technology has been proposed as a green alternative to obtain astaxanthin from fermented shrimp waste. This study aimed to optimize astaxanthin extraction by supercritical CO2 technology from fermented liquor of shrimp waste and study bioaccessibility using simulated gastrointestinal digestion (GD) of the optimized extract. A Box–Behnken design with three variables (pressure, temperature, and flow rate) was used to optimize the supercritical CO2 extraction. The optimized CO2 extract was obtained at 300 bar, 60 °C, and 6 mL/min, and the estimated characteristics showed a predictive extraction yield of 11.17%, antioxidant capacity of 1.965 mmol of Trolox equivalent (TE)/g, and astaxanthin concentration of 0.6353 µg/g. The experiment with optimal conditions performed to validate the predicted values showed an extraction yield of 12.62%, an antioxidant capacity of 1.784 mmol TE/g, and an astaxanthin concentration of 0.52 µg/g. The astaxanthin concentration decreased, and the antioxidant capacity of the optimized extract increased during gastrointestinal digestion. In conclusion, our optimized supercritical CO2 process is suitable for obtaining astaxanthin from shrimp by-products after lactic acid fermentation.