Search

Cannabis sativa L., specifically hemp, is a traditional herbaceous plant with industrial and medicinal uses. While much research has focused on cannabinoids and terpenes, the potential of hemp roots is less explored due to bioproduction challenges. Still, this material is rich in bioactive compounds and demonstrates promising anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Biotechnological methods, such as hairy root cultures, enable the efficient production of specialized metabolites while avoiding the issues of outdoors cultures. Despite these benefits, the chemical diversity understanding of hemp hairy roots remains limited. In this study, we conducted an extensive NMR and LC/MS chemical profiling of hemp hairy roots to determine their chemical composition, revealing the presence of cannabisins for the first time. We then investigated the accumulation of cannabisins and triterpenes in both hemp hairy roots and hemp aeroponic roots. Our findings reveal that hairy roots produce 12 times more cannabisins and 6 times more triterpenes than aeroponic roots, respectively, in addition to yielding 3 times more biomass in bioreactors. Preliminary bioassays also suggest antioxidant and antifungal properties. This research underscores the potential of hemp hairy roots as a valuable source of specialized metabolites and calls for further exploration into their bioactive compounds and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Vaccinium is represented by shrubs growing in a temperate climate that have been used for ages as traditional remedies in the treatment of digestive problems, in diabetes, renal stones or as antiseptics due to the presence of polyphenols (anthocyanins, flavonoids and tannins) in their fruits and leaves. Recent studies confirm their marked potential in the treatment of skin disorders and as skin care cosmetics. The aim of this review is to present the role of Vaccinium spp. as cosmetic products, highlight their potential and prove the biological properties exerted by the extracts from different species that can be useful for the preparation of innovative cosmetics. In the manuscript both skin care and therapeutic applications of the representatives of this gender will be discussed that include the antioxidant, skin lightening, UV-protective, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and chemopreventive properties to shed new light on these underestimated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide parasitosis that is generally benign. The infestation may pose a risk to immunocompromized patients and to fetuses when pregnant women have recently seroconverted. Current treatments have numerous side effects and chemoresistance is emerging, hence the need to find new anti-Toxoplasma gondii substances. This study focuses on the antiparasitic potential of lupane-type pentacyclic triterpenes isolated from the bark of black alder (Alnus glutinosa), as well as the hypothesis of their macromolecular target by an original method of reverse docking. Among the isolated triterpenes, betulone was the most active compound with an IC50 of 2.7 ± 1.2 μM, a CC50 greater than 80 μM, and a selectivity index of over 29.6. An additional study of the anti-T. gondii potential of commercially available compounds (betulonic acid methyl ester and betulonic acid) showed the important role of the C3 ketone function and the C28 oxidation level on the lupane-type triterpene in the antiparasitic activity since their IC50 and CC50 were similar to that of betulone. Finally, the most active compounds were subjected to the AMIDE reverse docking workflow. A dataset of 87 T. gondii proteins from the Protein Data Bank was created. It identified calcium-dependent protein kinase CDPK3 as the most likely target of betulin derivatives.

Introduction: Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have emerged as interesting extractants to develop botanical ingredients. They are nontoxic and biodegradable, nonflammable, easy to prepare, and able to solubilize a wide range of molecules. However, NADES extracts remain difficult to analyze because the metabolites of interest stay highly diluted in the nonvolatile viscous NADES matrix. Objective: This study presents a robust analytical workflow for the chemical profiling of NADES extracts. It is applied to Hypericum perforatum aerial parts extracted with the neutral mixture fructose/glycerol/water (3/1/1, w/w/w), and compared to the chemical profiling of a classical dry methanol extract. Methods: Exploiting polarity differences between metabolites, the H. perforatum NADES extract was partitioned in a liquid–liquid solvent system to trap the hydrophilic NADES constituents in the lower phase. The upper phase, containing a diversity of secondary metabolites from H. perforatum, was fractionated by centrifugal partition chromatography. All fractions were chemically investigated using a 13C NMR dereplication method which involves hierarchical clustering analysis of the whole NMR dataset, a natural metabolite database for metabolite identification, and 2D NMR analyses for validation. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) analyses were also performed to complete the identification process. Results: A range of 21 metabolites were unambiguously identified, including glycosylated flavonols, lactones, catechins, phenolic acids, lipids, and simple sugars, and 15 additional minor extract constituents were annotated by LC‐MS based on exact mass measurements. Conclusion: The proposed identification process is rapid and nondestructive and provides good prospects to deeply characterize botanical extracts obtained in nonvolatile and viscous NADES systems. Botanical ingredients developed in NADES remain difficult to analyze because the metabolites of interest are diluted in the nonvolatile viscous NADES matrix. A robust analytical workflow was developed on Hypericum perforatum aerial parts extracted with the neutral mixture fructose/glycerol/water (3/1/1, w/w/w). The extract was partitioned in a biphasic system to trap hydrophilic NADES constituents in the lower phase. The upper phase was chemically profiled by NMR dereplication. 21 metabolites were unambiguously identified and 15 minor compounds were annotated by LC‐MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filipendula ulmaria, commonly known as meadowsweet, is a wild herbaceous flowering plant that is widely distributed in Europe. A range of salicylic acid derivatives and flavonol glycosides have been previously associated with the antirheumatic and diuretic properties of F. ulmaria. In the present work, a hydroalcoholic extract from F. ulmaria aerial parts was extensively profiled using an efficient NMR-based dereplication strategy. The approach involves the fractionation of the crude extract by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC), 13C NMR analysis of the fractions, 2D-cluster mapping of the entire NMR dataset, and, finally, structure elucidation using a natural metabolite database, validated by 2D NMR data interpretation and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The chemodiversity of the aerial parts was extensive, with 28 compounds unambiguously identified, spanning various biosynthetic classes. The F. ulmaria extract and CPC fractions were screened for their potential to enhance skin epidermal barrier function and skin renewal properties using in vitro assays performed on Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes. Fractions containing quercetin, kaempferol glycosides, ursolic acid, pomolic acid, naringenin, β-sitosterol, and Tellimagrandins I and II were found to upregulate genes related to skin barrier function, epidermal renewal, and stress responses. This research is significant as it could provide a natural solution for improving hydration and skin renewal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has focussed on the perspectives of families caring for someone with severe or profound intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour. The main aim of this research was to gain understanding of the experiences and perspectives of families, especially mothers, of young people with these complex needs, including attitudes to long-term residential care. Ethnographic methods were used, consisting of intensive interviews over 2 years, mainly with mothers, and participant observation. The analysis used grounded theory. The mothers' main focus was on their son or daughter with intellectual disabilities. Most were socially isolated, even from close kin. Their negative attitudes to institutions and fears for the safety and well-being of their sons and daughters led to determination not to put them into long-term care. Mothers struggled to care for the young people at home, in spite of difficulties, family tensions and social isolation. Lack of effective services, especially around transition to adulthood, increased parents' protectiveness.

Previous research into deinstitutionalization has largely ignored the perspective of people with intellectual disabilities, especially those with severe intellectual disabilities. This research aimed first to understand how women with severe intellectual disabilities experienced transition from a locked ward of an old long-stay hospital into other homes, and second, to determine the extent to which their lives changed in their new homes. Ethnographic methods were used, including participant observation, interviews and document analysis, in order to get to know the eleven participants and the nature of their daily lives. The study found that the experience of the move was largely negative for all the women: they were not involved in the process of their move, little information was transferred to their new homes and they were insufficiently supported. The study also found that for the majority of the women little changed in their lives in their new homes, although this depended on where they moved to. Those who moved to a campus home continued to lead lives restricted by rigid routines, strict rules, few daily activities, and few opportunities for relationships beyond the staff team. Those who moved to homes in the community had more opportunities to make choices, learn new skills and explore new activities. The study found that, in general, the women continued not to be acknowledged as unique individuals, who have pasts, close relationships, clear preferences, abilities and rich emotional lives. The study highlights the needs of women with severe intellectual disabilities in their move out of long-stay hospitals, and in the planning of their futures.

The subject of sexual abuse is a major focus of professional and public concern. Sexual abuse of (and by) people with learning disabilities evokes even greater disquieting emotions, and makes severe demands on the social services, and the criminal justice system. The aims of the project were: 1) to determine whether group psychotherapy produced effective outcomes for adolescent boys with learning disabilities who exhibit sexually abusive behaviour, 2) to explore the perspectives of parents and other care-givers, and 3) to document the nature and extent of service support to families. This paper focuses solely on the mothers' perspectives. This was a three-year project with six boys (under 16) receiving group psychotherapy, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Clinical measures were used to track changes throughout the course of psychotherapy. Semi-structured interviews (taped and transcribed) were held (separately) with the boys, their parents, paid care-givers and the therapists. The mothers tried hard to make sense of, and come to terms with, what was happening to their sons and to themselves, they struggled to reconcile their own confused and often conflicting emotions, and to maintain their own sense of identity. They felt almost totally unsupported by the services, both in the past and present, and could see little hope for the future. There is an urgent need for development of effective and sympathetic services for the parents of boys with learning disabilities who have been abused, and who are now showing abusive behaviour.

An increasing number of soy isoflavone supplements are commercialized and many investigations are conducted to define their real impact on human health. The presence of other compounds (soyasaponins, phytosterols, polyunsaturated fatty acids…) is rarely considered when discussing the bioactivity of an isoflavone-enriched product. Moreover, the process used can modify the phytochemical content and composition of the final product. This report evaluated the variability in content and composition of isoflavones as well as soyasaponins, proteins, fatty acids and α-galactooligosaccharides of 25 soy based dietary supplements. For isoflavones and soyasaponins, analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ultraviolet detector (HPLC/UV), the ‘intra product’variability was investigated by analyzing two different lots of five of these 25 dietary supplements. Proteins were determined through the quantification of total nitrogen by an elementar analyzer, fatty acids by gaz chromatography, and α-galactooligosaccharides were analyzed using a refractive index detector. These components showed a high variability: the total isoflavone contents, expressed as aglycone equivalents, varied from 4.4 mg/g (16.7 lmol/g) to 95.3 mg/g (365.6 lmol/g), and the isoflavones/ soyasaponins ratio varied from 0.9 (more saponins than isoflavones) to 12.9. In the same way, the protein contents ranged from 0.4 to 42.9%, and the lipid contents from 1.6 to 20%. A high variability was also observed in the profiles of these metabolites. All these differences allowed us to distinguish two main classes of dietary supplements; the whole seed based products, with genistein occurring as the major isoflavone, and the soy germ based products, with a low genistein but high glycitein content. Soy germ and whole seed based products displayed also very contrasted profiles for the other components. An additional variability, more related to the process used, was detected when the conjugation profiles were taken into account, as both heat and pH can selectively affect isoflavone and soyasaponin conjugation. Analyzing different lots revealed the importance of raw material and process cumulated variabilities: total isoflavones displayed large decreases (30%) or increases (17%), and soyasaponin contents varied from 80% decrease to 30% increase. The characterization of the complex phytochemical mixture of a natural dietary supplement needs to be clarified since some active compounds may be responsible for additive, synergistic or antagonist effects only attributed to isoflavones. At least, given its influence on the end product composition, the information about the raw material origin (germ or whole seed) is of great interest.