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The commercialization of products with cannabidiol (CBD) has undergone a significant increase. These products can be presented in different forms such as baked goods, gummies or beverages (such as kombucha, beer or teas, among others) using wide concentrations ranges. The use of CBD in edibles favors its consumption, for medicinal users, during the work week, avoid its possible social stigma and facilitates its transport. These products can be purchased on store shelves and online. There is a large number of specialized studies, in which the possible advantages of CBD consumption are described in the preclinical and clinical trials. It is also necessary to recognize the existence of other works revealing that the excessive consumption of CBD could have some repercussions on health. In this review, it is analyzed the composition and properties of Cannabis sativa L., the health benefits of cannabinoids (focusing on CBD), its consumption, its possible toxicological effects, a brief exposition of the extraction process, and a collection of different products that contain CBD in its composition.

Financiaciado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG Mitochondria malfunction is linked to the development of β-cell failure and a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Pancreatic β-cells are normally configured to detect glucose and other food secretagogues in order to adjust insulin exocytosis and maintain glucose homeostasis. As a result of the increased glucose level, mitochondria metabolites and nucleotides are produced, which operate in concert with cytosolic Ca2+ to stimulate insulin secretion. Furthermore, mitochondria are the primary generators of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis regulation. Mitochondria are concentrated in synapses, and any substantial changes in synaptic mitochondria location, shape, quantity, or function might cause oxidative stress, resulting in faulty synaptic transmission, a symptom of various degenerative disorders at an early stage. However, a greater understanding of the role of mitochondria in the etiology of β-cell dysfunction and neurodegenerative disorder should pave the way for a more effective approach to addressing these health issues. This review looks at the widespread occurrence of mitochondria depletion in humans, and its significance to mitochondria biogenesis in signaling and mitophagy. Proper understanding of the processes might be extremely beneficial in ameliorating the rising worries about mitochondria biogenesis and triggering mitophagy to remove depleted mitochondria, therefore reducing disease pathogenesis

The cost-effective adsorbents of carbonized pistachio shell magnetic nanoparticles (CPSMNPs) were synthesized. SEM, EDX, and BET characterized the prepared CPSMNPs. The CPSMNPs were used as adsorbents to remove Metanil Yellow (MY) dye. The adsorption of MY was investigated with the effect of pH, contact time, initial dye concentration, adsorbent dose, and temperature. The SEM image of CPSMNPs reveals fine particles with an average size of 400–700 nm and a substantial surface area increase (112.58 m2/g). The EDX analysis confirms the carbonization of PS to CPS and the successful impregnation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. CPSMNPs showed excellent adsorption efficiency, i.e., 94% for adsorption of MY of 10 mL of 100 ppm MY at optimum conditions. Kinetics data fit pseudo-second-order kinetics. The Langmuir isotherm better represents the equilibrium data with the spontaneous sorption process. This study investigates that the synthesized nanoparticles have an excellent texture and can be used as a special adsorbent for the adsorption of wastewater pollutants like MY.

Financiaciado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG Gout is an inflammatory disease caused by metabolic disorder or genetic inheritance. People throughout the world are strongly dependent on eth- nomedicine for the treatment of gout and some receive satisfactory curative treatment. The natural remedies as well as established drugs derived from natural sources or synthetically made exert their action by mechanisms that are closely associated with anticancer treatment mechanisms regarding inhibition of xanthine oxidase, feedback inhibition of de novo purine synthesis, depolymerization and disappearance of microtubule, inhibition of NF- ĸ B activation, induction of TRAIL, promotion of apoptosis, and caspase activation and proteasome inhibition. Some anti-gout and anticancer novel compounds interact with same receptors for their action, e.g ., colchicine and colchicine analogues. Dietary flavonoids, i.e ., chrysin, kaempferol, quercetin, fisetin, pelargonidin, apigenin, luteolin, myricetin, isorhamnetin, phloretinetc etc. have comparable IC 50 values with established anti-gout drug and effective against both cancer and gout. Moreover, a noticeable number of newer anticancer compounds have already been isolated from plants that have been using by local traditional healers and herbal practitioners to treat gout. Therefore, the anti-gout plants might have greater potentiality to become selective candidates for screening of newer anticancer leads.

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG Nanobiotechnology has recently gained prominence as a fundamental branch of modern science and a novel epoch in the field of material researches. Due to a wide range of applications it attracts attention of many scientists from all over the world. Bionanomaterials are prepared using a variety of physical, chemical, and biological techniques and methods. Many different metal and metal oxide nanoparticles are reported to be produced by biological systems, including bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, yeasts, viruses, and plants. Among all of them, biocompatible zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), obtained through biosynthesis with the aid of plant-derived materials, appears to be a highly successful way to create a fast, clean, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly platform for the production and application of these bionanomaterials. This review focuses on the plant extractderived ZnO NPs synthesis, with a special emphasis on the recent advances and applications of these nanomaterials.

This study aims to assess the water quality of the Mahananda River in Bangladesh and its suitability for drinking and agricultural uses. For water quality determination, 15 samples were collected from different sites of the Mahananda River to calculate Water Quality Index (WQI) and Entropy Water Quality Index (EWQI). Result shows that among different Hydrochemical parameters, carbonate and bicarbonate concentrations crossed the maximum limit in all the samples, while fluoride concentration exceeding in Sample-15 with the highest value found in Baroghoria area. From WQI result, water quality for the Baroghoria area was found unsuitable for drinking with WQI − 309.22, whereas another two samples of Mollikpur and Namo Neemgachi fall under ‘poor’ category with WQI of 184.49 and 198.99, respectively. EWQI reveals medium to excellent water quality. Result from different irrigation indices (Na%, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), magnesium hazard (MH), total hardness, Kelly ratio (KR), and permeability index (PI) values) showed their suitability for irrigation. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained a total of 89.71% of variances in the dataset. Significant positive association within EC–Na, EC–sulfate, Ca–TH, nitrate–sulfate, etc., were reported indicating prominence in terms of both geogenic as well as anthropogenic processes such as silicate weathering and the release of untreated sewerage, respectively, which governs the water quality evolution in the study area. Cluster analysis (CA) classifies all water samples in five different clusters based on five different characteristics. Mahananda River water is found safe for both drinking and agricultural purposes, except for few samples near the dense human settlement areas. Result from this study is useful for decision makers to design management plans for the river water quality, environmental pollution and human well-being.

This study focuses on the determination of the chemical profile of 24 non-aged Brazilian artisanal sugarcane spirits (cachaça) samples through chromatographic quantification and chemometric treatment via principal component analysis (PCA) and Kohonen’s neural network. In total, forty-seven (47) chemical compounds were identified in the samples of non-aged artisanal cachaça, in addition to determining alcohol content, volatile acidity, and copper. For the PCA of the chemical compounds’ profile, it could be observed that the samples were grouped into seven groups. On the other hand, the variables’ bearings were grouped together, making it difficult to separate the components in relation to the sample groups and reducing the chances of obtaining all the necessary information. However, by using a Kohonen’s neural network, samples were grouped into eight groups. This tool proved to be more accurate in the groups’ formation. Among the chemical classes of the compounds observed, esters stood out, followed by alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, phenol, and copper. The abundance of esters in these samples may suggest that these compounds would be part of the regional standard for cachaças produced in the region of Salinas, Minas Gerais.

Agricultural crops are susceptible to abiotic and biotic factors. Among biotic factors, plant pathogens attacks are prominent and significantly reduce the crop productivity and production. Long ter...

The application of natural colorants is increasing in the food industry because they are considered safer and healthier than some synthetic pigments. Natural colorants can improve the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs, provide additional benefits such as enhance their nutritional value and/or extend shelf-life. Plants, fungi, bacteria or algae naturally produce different natural colorants, including carotenoids. These compounds are classified into two main groups: pure hydrocarbon carotenes (α- and β-carotenes, lycopene) and oxygenated derivatives of xanthophylls (lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, cryptoxanthin, etc.). Carotenoids have been related with beneficial properties like antioxidant, antidiabetic, antitumor or antimicrobial, so they are a natural and healthy alternative to the use of synthetic colorants. Thus, it is critical to optimize their extraction, by utilizing novel and green techniques, and their stability through encapsulation processes. This chapter aims to review natural sources of carotenoids, strategies to efficiently extract and produce them and their potential application as food colorants.

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG 3D food printing is an emerging technology developed to facilitate the life of consumers and food enterprises. This technology allows to obtain any type of new foods according to our wishes. It is possible to develop a food with the exact nutritive value necessary for our body, with the most benefiting nutrients we want, or without any ingredients that we have an allergy, and even predict or personalize the taste, the color, the shape, and the size of a food. Therefore, 3D food printing is considered a promising strategy for developing healthy foods. On the other hand, many foods enterprises release high amounts of waste from their processing activities. These wastes contain many bioactive ingredients such as polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, fibers, unsaturated fatty acids, among others, which have physiological and health benefits. Similarly, several bioactive compounds have been identified in algae. They can be extracted by conventional methods with solvents such as water, ethanol, methanol, chloroform, acetone, and many others, but with some limits like environmental contamination, human toxicity, and low extraction rate. For these reasons, it will be interesting to use emerging extraction technologies to recover bioactive compounds and use them in a 3D food printer to make functional foods that can bring a targeted health benefit to consumers.

Background Cancer is a primary public health problem worldwide today. Tetrandrine (Tet) and fangchinoline (Fan) are extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Stephania tetrandra S., which are two types of bis-benzyl isoquinoline alkaloids with anti-tumor activity. However, Tet and Fan are not suitable for clinical application due to their high effective doses. Results Through chemical modification, 19 novel Tet and Fan derivatives were firstly proposed and synthesized in this work, and they were assessed for the cytotoxicity against six tumor cell lines (H520, H460, HepG-2, HeLa, A549, and MCF-7) and human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2b) by the CCK-8 assay. Compared to the parent Fan, ten derivatives demonstrated better cytotoxic effects, and 4b exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity against A549 cells growth (IC50 = 0.78 µM) and low toxicity against BEAS-2b cells (IC50 = 17.22 µM). Encouragingly, the IC50 value of compound 4b was 0.78 µM, demonstrating 3.53-fold, 10.22-fold and 12.13-fold more anticancer activity than HCPT, Tet and Fan, respectively. Subsequently, the anti-tumor mechanism of compound 4b was studied by hoechst 33258, flow cytometry, cell scratch, western blotting, and JC-1 staining. The results indicated compound 4b remarkably inhibited the cell migration by decreasing MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression and inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells by arresting the G2/M cell cycle. Meanwhile, compound 4b could also induce A549 cell apoptosis by promoting endogenous pathways of mitochondrial regulation. Subsequently, we simulated the drug stability of compound 4b in vivo, compound 4b showed a hydrolysis half-life of over 8 h in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. In addition, in vivo experiments in nude mice presented that the growth of tumor tissues was markedly inhibited by the consumption of compound 4b in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibition rate of the high-dose group (40 mg/kg) was greater than 50%. Regarding the anti-tumor mechanism of compound 4b, it was found that compound 4b could inhibit the mTOR/PI3K/AKT pathway in vivo. Furthermore, the binding mode of BCl-2 and Bax with compound 4b was investigated by performing a molecular docking study. Conclusions In summary, our present study unveiled the antitumor activities of 19 novel derivatives against the normal lung epithelial BESA-2b cells and six cancer cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, the following experiments illuminated that compound 4b could exert antitumor effects and induce apoptosis by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in vivo through triggering the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathways. This newly Fan derivative could exert antitumor effects in vivo and in vitro, which implied that compound 4b would be a prospective new anti-lung cancer drug for future development.

The current consumers' demand for food naturalness is urging the search for new functional foods of natural origin with enhanced health-promoting properties. In this sense, algae constitute an underexplored biological source of nutraceuticals that can be used to fortify food products. Both marine macroalgae (or seaweeds) and microalgae exhibit a myriad of chemical constituents with associated features as a result of their primary and secondary metabolism. Thus, primary metabolites, especially polysaccharides and phycobiliproteins, present interesting properties to improve the rheological and nutritional properties of food matrices, whereas secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols and xanthophylls, may provide interesting bioactivities, including antioxidant or cytotoxic effects. Due to the interest in algae as a source of nutraceuticals by the food and related industries, novel strategies should be undertaken to add value to their derived functional components. As a result, metabolomics is considered a high throughput technology to get insight into the full metabolic profile of biological samples, and it opens a wide perspective in the study of algae metabolism, whose knowledge is still little explored. This review focuses on algae metabolism and its applications in the food industry, paying attention to the promising metabolomic approaches to be developed aiming at the functional characterization of these organisms.

Superbugs are microorganisms that cause disease and have increased resistance to the treatments typically used against infections. Recently, antibiotic resistance development has been more rapid than the pace at which antibiotics are manufactured, leading to refractory infections. Scientists are concerned that a particularly virulent and lethal 'superbug' will one day join the ranks of existing bacteria that cause incurable diseases, resulting in a global health disaster on the scale of the Black Death.This study highlights the current developments in the management of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and recommends strategies for further regulating antibiotic-resistant microorganisms associated with the healthcare system. This review also addresses the origins, prevalence, and pathogenicity of superbugs, and the design of antibacterial against these growing multidrug-resistant organisms from a medical perspective.It is recommended that antimicrobial resistance should be addressed by limiting human-to-human transmission of resistant strains, lowering the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, and developing novel antimicrobials. Using the risk-factor domains framework from this study would assure that not only clinical but also community and hospital-specific factors are covered, lowering the chance of confounders. Extensive subjective research is necessary to fully understand the underlying factors and uncover previously unexplored areas.

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG The sea is a vast ecosystem that has remained primarily unexploited and untapped, resulting in numerous organisms. Consequently, marine organisms have piqued the interest of scientists as an abundant source of natural resources with unique structural features and fascinating biological activities. Marine macrolide is a top-class natural product with a heavily oxygenated polyene backbone containing macrocyclic lactone. In the last few decades, significant efforts have been made to isolate and characterize macrolides’ chemical and biological properties. Numerous macrolides are extracted from different marine organisms such as marine microorganisms, sponges, zooplankton, molluscs, cnidarians, red algae, tunicates, and bryozoans. Notably, the prominent macrolide sources are fungi, dinoflagellates, and sponges. Marine macrolides have several bioactive characteristics such as antimicrobial (antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, antiviral), anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, and neuroprotective activities. In brief, marine organisms are plentiful in naturally occurring macrolides, which can become the source of efficient and effective therapeutics for many diseases. This current review summarizes these exciting and promising novel marine macrolides in biological activities and possible therapeutic applications.

Ochradenus baccatus Delile (Resedaceae) is a desert plant with edible fruits native to the Middle East. Few investigators have reported antibacterial, antiparasitic and anti-cancer activities of the plant. Herein we evaluated the cytotoxic activity of O. baccatus using four cell lines and a zebrafish embryo model. Additionally, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy was performed to characterize the extract’s main constituents. The highest cytotoxicity was observed against human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa), with CC50 of 39.1 μg/mL and a selectivity index (SI) of 7.23 (p < 0.01). Metabolic analysis of the extract resulted in the annotation of 57 metabolites, including fatty acids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, nitrile glycosides, in addition to organic acids. The extract showed an abundance of hydroxylated fatty acids (16 peaks). Further, 3 nitrile glycosides have been identified for the first time in Ochradenus sp., in addition to 2 glucosinolates. These identified phytochemicals may partially explain the cytotoxic activity of the extract. We propose O. baccatus as a possible safe food source for further utilization to partially contribute to the increasing food demand specially in Saharan countries. Medical University of Lublin | Ref. DS28 Universidade de Vigo/CISUG

Small berries have become an attractive topic of research due to their high content in phenolic compounds and reported antioxidant activity. However, there are currently few reports on the deep characterization of their polyphenol composition. Five kinds of berries (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, mulberry and black chokeberry) were studied to compare the antioxidant activities and polyphenol compositions of both berry juice and pomace (by-products in processing). Results showed that pomaces were more potent antioxidants than juices, especially those that originated from red raspberry. The polyphenol contents in pomaces ranged from 137 to 222 mg/g, this was higher than juices that ranged from 2.75 to 8.88 mg/g, with mulberry accounting for the highest content. The main compounds in pomaces were phenolic compounds with different relative contents found by UPLC-MS/MS. A total of 568 compounds were identified, including 238 flavonoids and 131 phenolic acids. PCA, HCA and OPLS-DA analyses were performed to find similarities on the polyphenol and metabolomic profile of the sampled berries. This analysis unveiled that all studied berries presented a significantly different polyphenol profile, on which raspberry and blackberry were the most similar. Results suggested that berry pomaces can be valuable sources of phenolic compounds of which the major components are anthocyanins and phenolic acids, with potential applications as antioxidant food additives, or raw materials for pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics. Provincial Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shandong | Ref. 2021SFGC0904; 2021TZXD001; 2021TZXD004 Natural Science Foundation of Shandong, China | Ref. ZR2020QD103; ZR2020MH401; ZR2021QH351 Agriculture Scientific and Technological Innovation Program of Shandong Academy of Agriculture Sciences | Ref. CXGC2022B07; CXGC2022A04) Innovation Ability Improvement Project for Technology-Based Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of Shandong, China | Ref. 2022TSGC2002 Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431F 2020/12 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. RYC-2017-22891 Universidade de Vigo/CISUG.

This paper presented the results on the study of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) polymorphisms in Chinese black Tibetan sheep. Via DNA direct sequencing, four variations within 3' untranslated region (UTR) of IRS1, including g.9382T > G, g.9569T > G, g.9572C > T and g.9695A > C were detected in the black Tibetan sheep population. Based on the χ2 test, those four loci deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p G locus, genotype of GG possessed advantage on body weight (p T locus, individuals with genotype of TT homozygous mutation decreased significantly on body weight, withers height, body length and chest circumference (p C locus, the body weight and chest circumference were also higher in AA carriers than in CC carriers (p < 0.05). Our results provided evidence that polymorphisms in IRS1 were associated with growth efficiency traits by quantitative genetic analysis, and may be used for marker-assisted selection in Chinese indigenous sheep.

Though the knowledge on delta 5-unsaturated-polymethylene-interrupted fatty acids (Δ5-UPIFAs) is being updated, the issue of their integration still exists within the field. Thus, this review systematically summarizes the sources, biosynthesis and metabolism, analytical methods, preparation, and health-promoting roles of Δ5-UPIFAs. In plants, the content of Δ5-UPIFAs is higher, which is an ideal source. In animals, although the content of Δ5-UPIFAs is not high, there are many species, which is the possible source of some special Δ5-UPIFAs. At present, although the extraction of Δ5-UPIFAs is mainly from plants, the fermentation by organisms, especially for genetically modified microorganisms engineering maybe be a substitue of pepration of Δ5-UPIFAs. Δ5-UPIFAs have been proved to possess multi-beneficial effects, such as lipid lowering, anti-inflammation and so on, so it has a certain potential application value. However, related knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms regarding Δ5-UPIFAs limited, and how Δ5-UPIFAs work is not clear. Further clinical and human studies about Δ5-UPIFAs are also needed. Studies on tapping new resources, developing structured lipide rich in Δ5-UPIFA and enhancing delivery were quite deficient. This review emphasizes the further directions on Δ5-UPIFAs with scientific suggestions to pay more attention to the applications of Δ5-UPIFAs in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

The pectin from different sources varies in view of major domains (homogalacturonan HG, rhamnogalacturonan, RG-I or RG-II) and extent of esterification determining major functional properties such ...

The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by a novel RNA virus emerged at the end of 2019. Most of the patient's symptoms are mild to moderate, and influenza, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi-organ failure are common. The disease is mild to moderate in most patients and is reported in many cases such as pneumonia, ARDS and multi-organ dysfunction. This study's objective is to evaluate 25 natural compounds from Citrus limon (CL) used by comprehensive molecular docking, density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics analysis against SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). Among all the experimental compounds, diosmetin has shown the best docking values against the Mpro of SARS-CoV-2 compared to the standard antiviral drug. In DFT calculations, the order associated with biochemical reactivity is as follows: eriodictoyl > quercetin > spinacetin > diosmetin > luteolin > apigenin, whereas the regions of oxygen and hydrogen atoms from the selected isolated compounds are appropriate for electrophilic and nucleophilic attacks, respectively. Also, HOMO-LUMO and global descriptors values indicated a promising result of these compounds. Moreover, a molecular dynamics simulation study revealed the stable conformation and binding pattern in a stimulating environment of natural compounds CL. Considering molecular docking, simulation, and DFT analysis of the selected compounds, notably eriodictoyl, quercetin, and diosmetin showed good potential against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Our in silico study revealed promising antiviral activity, which may be considered a potential key factor or a therapeutic target for COVID-19.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Tartary buckwheat belongs to the family Polygonaceae, which is a traditionally edible and medicinal plant. Due to its various bioactive compounds, the consumption of Tartary buckwheat is correlated to a wide range of health benefits, and increasing attention has been paid to its potential as a functional food. This review summarizes the main bioactive compounds and important bioactivities and health benefits of Tartary buckwheat, emphasizing its protective effects on metabolic diseases and relevant molecular mechanisms. Tartary buckwheat contains a wide range of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoid glycosides, bioactive polysaccharides, and bioactive proteins and peptides, as well as D-chiro-inositol and its derivatives. Consumption of Tartary buckwheat and Tartary buckwheat-enriched products is linked to multiple health benefits, e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antihypertensive, and hepatoprotective activities. Especially, clinical studies indicate that Tartary buckwheat exhibits remarkable antidiabetic activities. Various tartary buckwheat -based foods presenting major health benefits as fat and blood glucose-lowering agents have been commercialized. Additionally, to address the safety concerns, i.e., allergic reactions, heavy metal and mycotoxin contaminations, the quality control standards for Tartary buckwheat and its products should be drafted and completed in the future.

This study aimed to confirm the effects of Tibet kefir milk (TKM) on gut microbiota and metabolism. An obesity model was established by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) to human-microbiota-associated rats. Next-generation sequencing and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were applied for gut microbiota and untargeted metabolomics, respectively. After 8 weeks of feeding, the enterotype in the HFD group was switched from ET1 (Prevotella/Akkermansia-dominant) to ET2 (Bacteroides/Akkermansia-dominant). Branched-chain amino-acids- and aromatic amino-acids-metabolism increased, and taurine-conjugated bile acids decreased in the HFD group. Compared with the HFD group, taurocholic acid increased in the TKM1 group, while l-threonine decreased, and equol, taurochenodeoxycholate, and taurodeoxycholic acid increased in the TKM2 group. The metabolite alteration suggested restorative bile acid metabolism, modified metabolic pattern of amino acids, and elevation of anti-obesity factors in the TKM-intervened animals. It can be deduced that changes by TKM intervention in the host gut metabolites are the major contributors to reducing fat deposition.

Abstract: Recently, people worldwide have experienced several outbreaks caused by viruses that have attracted much interest globally, such as HIV, Zika, Ebola, and the one being faced, SARSCoV-2 viruses. Unfortunately, the availability of drugs giving satisfying outcomes in curing those diseases is limited. Therefore, it is necessary to dig deeper to provide compounds that can tackle the causative viruses. Meanwhile, the efforts to explore marine natural products have been gaining great interest as the products have consistently shown several promising biological activities, including antiviral activity. This review summarizes some products extracted from marine organisms, such as seaweeds, seagrasses, sponges, and marine bacteria, reported in recent years to have potential antiviral activities tested through several methods. The mechanisms by which those compounds exert their antiviral effects are also described here, with several main mechanisms closely associated with the ability of the products to block the entry of the viruses into the host cells, inhibiting replication or transcription of the viral genetic material, and disturbing the assembly of viral components. In addition, the structure-activity relationship of the compounds is also highlighted by focusing on six groups of marine compounds, namely sulfated polysaccharides, phlorotannins, terpenoids, lectins, alkaloids, and flavonoids. In conclusion, due to their uniqueness compared to substances extracted from terrestrial sources, marine organisms provide abundant products having promising activities as antiviral agents that can be explored to tackle virus-caused outbreaks.

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG This review offers a vision of the chemical behaviour of natural ingredients, synthetic drugs and other related compounds complexed using cyclodextrins. The review takes care of different sections related to i) the inclusion complexes formation with cyclodextrins, ii) the determination of the inclusion formation constant, iii) the most used methods to prepare host inclusion in the non-polar cavity of cyclodextrins and iv) the analytical techniques to evidence host inclusion. The review provides different literature that shows the application of cyclodextrins to improve physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of food compounds including solubility, stability and their elimination/masking. Moreover, the review also offers examples of commercial food/supplement products of cyclodextrins to indicate that cyclodextrins can be used to generate biotechnological substances with innovative properties and improve the development of food products. Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C2018/42- GRC

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent neoplasm among women. Genetic and environmental factors lead to BC development and on this basis, several preventive - screening and therapeutic interventions have been developed. Hormones, both in the form of endogenous hormonal signaling or hormonal contraceptives, play an important role in BC pathogenesis and progression. On top of these, breast microbiota includes both species with an immunomodulatory activity enhancing the host's response against cancer cells and species producing proinflammatory cytokines associated with BC development. Identification of novel multitargeted therapeutic agents with poly-pharmacological potential is a dire need to combat advanced and metastatic BC. A growing body of research has emphasized the potential of natural compounds derived from medicinal plants and microbial species as complementary BC treatment regimens, including dietary supplements and probiotics. In particular, extracts from plants such as

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG Colon cancer affects both men and women and is the world’s second most significant cause of cancer-related mortality. Colon cancer death rates have risen worldwide due to the current food habit and lifestyle, which include a lot of meat, alcohol, and not enough physical exercise. As a result, novel, less harmful pharmacological treatments for colon cancer are needed now more than ever before. Colorectal cancer (CRC) affects a significant portion of the world’s population. Chemotherapy’s limits, as demonstrated by side effects and resistance in CRC patients, are now being sought after despite recent breakthroughs that have improved patient care and survival. Numerous chemical compounds present in medicinal herbs have shown anti-tumor and anti-apoptotic properties against various cancers, including CRC, in animal experiments. These chemicals, which come from several phytochemical families, activate several signaling pathways. This article discusses research on the anti-CRC benefits of many plants conducted in vitro, as well as the phytochemical components of plants that may play a role in the study. Researchers are also looking into the impact of these compounds on various pathways involved in cancer signaling. According to this review, anti-CRC compounds may be generated from medicinal plants. That’s why we’re looking at how natural items can help treat cancer while lowering the risk of developing it.

Biofilm has been a point of concern in hospitals and various industries. They not only cause various chronic infections but are also responsible for the degradation of various medical appliances. Since the last decade, various alternate strategies are being adopted to combat the biofilm formed on various biotic and abiotic surfaces. The use of enzymes as a potent anti-fouling agent is proved to be of utmost importance as the enzymes can inhibit biofilm formation in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way. The physical and chemical immobilization of the enzyme not only leads to the improvement of thermostability and reusability of the enzyme, but also gains better efficiency of biofilm removal. Immobilization of amylase, cellobiohydrolase, pectinase, subtilisin A and β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (DspB) are proved to be most effective in inhibition of biofilm formation and removal of matured biofilm than their free forms. Hence, these immobilized enzymes provide greater eradication of biofilm formed on various surfaces and are coming up to be the potent antibiofilm agent. Universidade de Vigo/CISUG

Brown macroalgae are a potential source of natural pigments. Among them

Recent studies have explored the field of extracellular vesicles (EVs), driving an increasing interest in their application to human health. EVs have unique physicochemical traits to participate in intercellular communication, thus fostering the idea of using EVs to yield synergistic, preventive, and therapeutic effects. Many reports have shown that EVs contain natural bioactive compounds, such as lipids, proteins, RNA, and other active components that regulate biological processes, thereby contributing to human health. Therefore, in this review, we comprehensively elucidate various facets of the relationship between EVs and bioactive compounds that modulate EVs contents, including RNAs and proteins, discussing different forms of biological regulation. The use of EVs for cargo-loading bioactive compounds to exert biological functions and methods to load bioactive compounds into EVs are also discussed. This review highlighted the effect of EV-delivered bioactive compounds on several therapeutic mechanisms and applications, providing new insight into nutrition and pharmacology.

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG Cancer accounted for almost ten million deaths worldwide in 2020. Metastasis, characterized by cancer cell invasion to other parts of the body, is the main cause of cancer morbidity and mortality. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of tumor formation and discovery of potential drug targets are of great importance. Gene editing techniques can be used to find novel drug targets and study molecular mechanisms. In this review, we describe how popular gene-editing methods such as CRISPR/Cas9, TALEN and ZFNs work, and, by comparing them, we demonstrate that CRISPR/Cas9 has superior efficiency and precision. We further provide an overview of the recent applications of CRISPR/Cas9 to cancer research, focusing on the most common cancers such as breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer. We describe how these applications will shape future research and treatment of cancer, and propose new ways to overcome current challenges King Khalid University in Abha, Saudi Arabia | Ref. RGP: 52/2/1443

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG Cadmium (Cd) is one of the potent occupational and environmental toxicants, which induces oxidative stress to the multiple organs of the body, including liver. The present investigation was planned to evaluate the protective role of vitexin against Cd-prompted hepatotoxicity in rats. 24 male rats were divided into 4 groups viz. control, Cd-induced group (5 mg/kg), Cd + vitexin-treated group (2 mg/kg + 30 mg/kg), and vitexin-treated group (30 mg/kg). After 30 days of treatment, it was indicated that Cd escalated the level of liver function enzymes namely alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as well as total bilirubin. Whereas the levels of albumin and total proteins were decreased in the rats. Additionally, it reduced the enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GSR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), in addition to glutathione (GSH) content, whereas levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were escalated. Furthermore, level of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as well as the activity of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were increased. Besides, the level of Bax, caspase-9 and caspase-3 were elevated, while the Bcl-2 level was reduced following the Cd intoxication. Histopathological observation revealed significant hepatic tissue damage in Cd-administered rats. However, treatment of rats with vitexin significantly (p < 0.05) improved the Cd-induced disruptions in biochemical parameters as well as histological damages. Therefore, it is concluded that vitexin could be used as a therapeutic agent to counter the Cd-generated hepatic toxicity in rats owing to its anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory potential.

Background The demand of maize crop is increasing day by day, hence to reduce the production and demand gap, there is a need to extract the high yielding parental lines to improve per se yield of the hybrids, which could help to enhance the productivity in maize crops. Methods and results The present investigation was carried out to select the best medium maturing inbred lines, among a set of 118 inbred lines. Based on the Duncan multiple range test, out of 118 lines, 16 inbred lines were selected on the basis of its high yield per se and flowering time. The molecular diversity was carried out using SSR markers linked to heterotic QTL and up on diversity analysis it classified selected genotypes in to three distinct groups. Among the selected inbred lines, a wider genetic variability and molecular diversity were observed. A total of 39 test crosses were generated after classifying 16 inbred lines in to three testers and thirteen lines (based on per se grain yield and molecular diversity) and crossing them in line × tester manner. Conclusion Combining ability analysis of these parental lines showed that female parents, PML 109, PML 110, PML 111, PML 114 and PML 116 showed additive effect for KRN and grain yield, whereas male parents, PML 46, and PML 93 showed epistatic effect for KRN and PML 102 showed epistatic effect for grain yield. The generated information in the present investigation may be exploited for heterosis breeding in filed corn. Key messages To tackle the balanced dietary requirement of Indian population; we focused to enhance the productivity of maize hybrids using genetically broad based, elite, diverse inbred lines. Combination of selection criterion, not only augment the productivity but also improves the quality of hybrid/s.

The past two decades have witnessed a global surge in the application of probiotics as functional ingredients in food, animal feed, and pharmaceutical products. Among food industries, the dairy industry is the largest sector where probiotics are employed in a number of dairy products including sour/fermented milk, yogurt, cheese, butter/cream, ice cream, and infant formula. These probiotics are either used as starter culture alone or in combination with traditional starters, or incorporated into dairy products following fermentation, where their presence imparts many functional characteristics to the product (for instance, improved aroma, taste, and textural characteristics), in addition to conferring many health-promoting properties. However, there are still many challenges related to the stability and functionality of probiotics in dairy products. This review highlights the advances, opportunities, and challenges of application of probiotics in dairy industries. Benefits imparted by probiotics to dairy products including their role in physicochemical characteristics and nutritional properties (clinical and functional perspective) are also discussed. We transcend the traditional concept of the application of probiotics in dairy products and discuss paraprobiotics and postbiotics as a newly emerged concept in the field of probiotics in a particular relation to the dairy industry. Some potential applications of paraprobiotics and postbiotics in dairy products as functional ingredients for the development of functional dairy products with health-promoting properties are briefly elucidated.

Peanuts are globally cultivated and more than 66.66% of the total production is utilised for oil production, while one-third is either consumed as nut or used in production of peanut butter and other snacks. The peanut processing industries reject large portions of peanut biomass in the form of peanut meal, skins and hulls, which are rich in proteins, phenolics and fibres. Efficient use of peanut skins that are rich in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity for bio-fortification of foods and dietary supplements is in demand. In the present study, four varieties of peanuts (K-6, K-9, TMV-2 and TAG-24) which are widely cultivated in India were chosen and deduced the proximate analysis. Besides, extraction of total phenolic content (TPC) resulting in seed coat of examined peanut varieties revealed the higher phenolics content in K-9 (60.6 ± 3.0 mg/g) > K-6 (59.4 ± 1.30 mg/g) > TMV-2 (58.4 ± 1.35 mg/g) in the solvent system containing acetone:water:acetic acid at 70:29.8:0.2 ratio, respectively. In addition to K-9, K-6 showed significant antioxidant activity with lower electrical conductivity (an indicator of seed coat intactness) in comparison to the other peanut varieties. Moreover, FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of phenols, amides, esters, amino acids, carboxylic acids, alcohols and flavonoids in the seed coat of different peanut varieties. HPLC analysis further confirmed the presence of wall-bound phenolics, viz., protocatechuic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid and t-ferulic acid in the skins of various peanut varieties. Owing to the presence of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, the peanut skins can be used for bio-fortification of food, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, cosmetic industries and other value-added food materials.

Background Reduced postprandial blood glucose levels are beneficial for chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, cooking native starches make them easily digestible, leading to a high peak of postprandial blood glucose level. Starch modification is widely used in reducing starch digestibility. Dietary phenolics, such as polyphenols and phenolic acids, have been reported to possess antidiabetic and anti-obesity activities. The interactions between starch and phenolics have been gradually revealed. Thus, using phenolics to modify starch and improve the quality of native starches has become increasingly popular. Scope and approach In this review, the different methods used in starch modification with phenolics were investigated. Changes in the properties of starch structure and digestibility were also discussed. The glycaemic control effect and its mechanisms were proposed. Possible future research focusing on the improvement of the modification methods and the understanding of the health benefits of modified starch was suggested. Key findings and conclusions Physical, chemical and enzymatic modification methods have been used in starch modification with phenolics. Physical modification methods, including pre-gelatinisation and non-thermal food processing technologies are the most commonly used methods. Phenolics usually form starch-phenolic complexes in the modified starch. Chemical and enzymatic modification methods are used to synthesise phenolic starch esters. Modified starches were reported to have decreased digestibility and altered starch aggregation structure. Moreover, they possess a slight glycaemic control effect and more in-vivo studies are needed. The potential mechanisms of this effect include inhibition of starch digestion and glucose transport, promotion of insulin secretion and sensitivity, activation of AMPK and appetite control.

Background Natural products acquire vast and intriguing structural diversity and have been recognized as a tremendously diverse source of new lead compounds. Numerous bioactive secondary metabolites are present in the form of glycosylated molecules in which the sugar parts are normally associated with the interaction along with molecular recognition of the cellular target. Scope and approach The presence of sugar entities are crucial as well as in some cases necessary, for therapeutic effects. Establishing novel and potent glycosylated secondary metabolites has formed a main goal in the natural product field from fungi and bacteria. These compounds possess a diverse range of sugar units. Key findings and conclusions Fungi is considered one of the important sources for approved drugs with a diverse range of mode of action. The sugar part in numerous pharmacologically active natural products enhances bioavailability, biological potential, reduce toxicity, and improve stability. The vast majority of glyocosides showed antimicrobial effects, cytotoxic, antiviral and antiinflammatory effects. Notably, numerous fungal glycosides presented in this review illustrate significant antimicrobial effects towards various microorganisms especially against plant pathogens. The antimicrobial effects of these fungal glycosides indicate that these metabolites could be employed as natural preservatives in food in order to abolish or control the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms.

Background: Nervonic acid (C24:1Δ15, 24:1 ω-9, cis-tetracos-15-enoic acid; NA), a long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid, plays an essential role in prevention of metabolic diseases, and immune regulation, and has anti-inflammatory properties. As a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease, ulcerative colitis (UC) can affect the large intestine. The influences of NA on UC are largely unknown. Purpose: The present study aimed to decipher the anti-UC effect of NA in the mouse colitis model. Specifically, we wanted to explore whether NA can regulate the levels of inflammatory factors in RAW264.7 cells and mouse colitis model. Methods: To address the above issues, the RAW264.7 cell inflammation model was established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), then the inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and Interleukin-10 (IL-10) were detected by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The therapeutic effects of NA for UC were evaluated using C57BL/6 mice gavaged dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Myeloperoxidase (MPO) kit assay, ELISA, immunofluorescence assay, and LC-MS/MS were used to assess histological changes, MPO levels, inflammatory factors release, expression and distribution of intestinal tight junction (TJ) protein ZO-1, and metabolic pathways, respectively. The levels of proteins involved in the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway in the UC were investigated by western blotting and RT-qPCR. Results: In vitro experiments verified that NA could reduce inflammatory response and inhibit the activation of key signal pathways associated with inflammation in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Further, results from the mouse colitis model suggested that NA could restore intestinal barrier function and suppress NF-κB signal pathways to ameliorate DSS-induced colitis. In addition, untargeted metabolomics analysis of NA protection against UC found that NA protected mice from colitis by regulating citrate cycle, amino acid metabolism, pyrimidine and purine metabolism. Conclusion: These results suggested that NA could ameliorate the secretion of inflammatory factors, suppress the NF-κB signaling pathway, and protect the integrity of colon tissue, thereby having a novel role in prevention or treatment therapy for UC. This work for the first time indicated that NA might be a potential functional food ingredient for preventing and treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). National Key Research and Development, China | Ref. 2021YFE0109200 Universidade de Vigo/CISUG The Provincial Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shandong | Ref. 2022TZXD0029 The Provincial Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shandong | Ref. 2022TZXD0032 The Provincial Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shandong | Ref. 2021SFGC0904 The Provincial Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shandong | Ref. 2021TZX D004 The Natural Science Foundation of Shandong | Ref. ZR2020MH401 The Natural Science Foundation of Shandong | Ref. ZR2021QH351 National Wheat Industry Technology System of China | Ref. CARS-03–22

Fresh in-hull pistachio is one of the highly consumed but perishable forms of pistachio and can still be contaminated by aflatoxin-producing fungi. In this study, the packaging film prepared from an electrospun nanofibers was evaluated in order to increase the shelf life of raw pistachios. For this purpose, PVC and zinc nanoparticles combined with pistachio green hull essential oil (PGHEO) were used as the matrix and reinforcing phase of the composite, respectively. According to the results, monoterpenes such as α-pinene and limonene constitute more than 90% of PGHEO. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the essential oil ranged from 62.5 to 500 μg/mL which were more effective against Aspergillus flavus, a mycotoxigenic fungus affecting pistachio safety and quality, than other studied fungi. According to FE-SEM images, fibers were formed on film surfaces with diameters ranging from 89 nm to 295 nm. EDX spectra revealed some characteristic peaks for zinc indicating the existence of ZnO nanoparticles on the top surface of the composite. The prepared nanocomposite indicated the antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus with the growth inhibition percentage approximately 16.20, 9.60 and 2.88%, respectively. Finally, raw pistachios could be stored for 60 days in packaging made of nanocomposite, so that the amounts of aflatoxin B1 and B2 were lower than the allowed maximum level (< 12 ppb). It seems that the packaging used in this study can be a suitable solution to increase the shelf life of raw pistachios and reduce the waste caused by its spoilage Universidade de Vigo/CISUG

Study background: Traditional fermented foods are the source of probiotic bacteria which can be envisaged as formulation ingredients in various food and beverages. Scope and approach: The present research aimed to explore one of the Indian traditional recipes, “Tarvaani,” for nutritional and probiotic potential as a part of its healthy perspectives. Main findings and conclusion: The traditional recipe was found to contain the lactic acid bacteria and isolated. The isolated product showed prominent curdling activity after 48 h, and bacterial growth was seen in all the pH (pH 3–7) tested. The antibiotic susceptibility test found that streptomycin, vancomycin, and kanamycin were resistant to the bacterial culture, and imipenem, gentamycin, rifampicin, and tetracycline were found to be resistant susceptible to the bacterial culture according to zone diameter interpretative criteria given in ICMR SOP 2015. A clear halo zone around the tested colony was obtained in the amylase test, which indicated that starch was degraded and α-amylase was produced. The culture also showed prominent antimicrobial action and inhibited the growth of the pathogenic strains tested by a well-diffusion assay. Moreover, the isolates only showed no haemolysis activity after incubation at 30 ◦C for 24 h under anaerobic conditions. Overall, the present research findings showcase the nutritional and probiotic potential of Lactobacillus sp. of “Tarvaani” as a viable option as a formulation ingredient in traditional-based functional foods Universidade de Vigo/CISUG

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG Our study was aimed to evaluate antifungal, antiaflatoxin, and antioxidant potential of Mentha pulegium, Myrtus communis, and Mentha piperita essential oils (EOs). The EOs showed efficacy as a couscous preservative. A total of 387 fungal species were isolated from Couscous samples, with Aspergillus flavus BN (20) which is identified as the highest aflatoxin producer. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of M. pulegium and M. communis EOs against the toxigenic strain of A. flavus BN (20) determined to be 4.00 μL/mL, whereas the MIC of M. piperita was 3.50 μL/mL. The EOs inhibited the aflatoxin B1 production at lower concentrations. The EOs showed fungitoxicity against wide-ranging of fungi and high antioxidant activity. The IC50 value of the oils ranged between 3.27 and 4.31 μL/mL. EOs may be able to contribute preservation of food commodities against quantitative and qualitative losses. During fumigation assays in Algerian traditional food system (Couscous), the three EOs showed protection of Couscous from A. flavus contamination indicating their efficacy as sustainable fumigant in food systems