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Elevated brain angiotensin II activity plays a key role in the development of neurogenic hypertension. While blood pressure (BP) control in neurogenic hypertension has been successfully demonstrated by regulating central angiotensin II activity, current techniques involving cerebrovascular injections of potential therapeutic agents are not suitable for clinical translation. To address this gap, we present the synthesis of dual-functionalized liposomes functionalized with targeting ligand and cell-penetrating peptide. Functionalized liposomes were synthesized using the thin film hydration technique and loaded with plasmid DNA encoding short hairpin RNA targeted toward angiotensin II receptors (PEAS), via the post-insertion method. The synthesized liposomes had a cationic surface charge, an average size of 150 nm, and effectively entrapped more than 89% of loaded PEAS. These liposomes loaded with PEAS demonstrated biocompatibility and efficient delivery to brain-derived cell lines, resulting in a remarkable reduction of more than 70% in receptor expression within 7 days. To assess the therapeutic potential, spontaneously hypertensive rats were administered intravenous injections of functionalized liposomes loaded with PEAS, and the changes in mean arterial pressure were monitored for 45 days. Remarkably, this treatment led to a significant (p

Spent grape pomace is a by-product of Grappa production that is usually considered waste. Therefore, in this study, in order to promote the sustainable use of by-products from the food industry, we aimed to optimize the extraction of antioxidants from spent grape pomace and their use to improve the oxidative stability of grapeseed oil. Ultrasound-assisted extraction maximized the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, with the latter measured according to the ferric reducing antioxidant power. The best extraction conditions identified for spent grape pomace from red and white grapes were an amplitude of 40%, a duration of 22 min and a ratio of 1:37 and an amplitude of 40%, a duration of 25 min and a ratio of 1:45, respectively. Grapeseed oil, which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and susceptible to rancidity, fortified with 10%, 20% and 30% of these extracts was evaluated in terms of its oxidative stability using the Rancimat method and compared with a control oil and an oil fortified with the synthetic antioxidant BHT at the highest legal level (200 ppm). For oil fortified with 30% of the extracts obtained from red and white pomace under the best conditions, increases in the induction time of 39% and 25% compared to the control and 23.01% and 10.62% compared to the BHT-fortified oil, respectively, were reported. This study highlights the potential of using grape pomace extracts as eco-friendly antioxidants to stabilize oil and contribute to the sustainability of the food industry at the same time.

The current study focuses on evaluating the enzyme inhibition (acetylcholinesterase, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, pancreatin lipase), antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of the “Modesto” apricot, “Stanley” plum, and their hybrid the “Stendesto” plum–apricot. The “Stendesto” is the only successful plum–apricot hybrid in Bulgaria. A spectrophotometric approach was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity following four complementary assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC). The “Stendesto” plum–apricot revealed its enhanced antioxidant potential compared to its parental lines. Apart from the free phenolics extraction, two other techniques (alkaline and acid hydrolysis) were applied to reveal the biological potential of the studied fruit. Not only free but also bound phenolic extracts were able to inhibit α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase, while none of the extracts inhibited lipase or α-amylase. None of the apricot extracts had antimicrobial activity, while the other fruit had limited antimicrobial activity. The proposed results undoubtedly reveal that hybrid fruits possess enhanced biological activity compared to their parents. This is a first comprehensive evaluation of hybrid fruits with reference to parental lines. This makes them an interesting research topic that should be better explored.

To comply with a more circular and environmentally friendly European common agricultural policy, while also valorising sunflower by-products, an ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) was tested to optimise ethanol-wash solutes (EWS). Furthermore, the capabilities of DART-HRMS as a rapid and cost-effective tool for determining the biochemical changes after valorisation of these defatted sunflower EWS were investigated. Three batches of EWS were doubly processed into optimised EWS (OEWS) samples, which were analysed via DART-HRMS. Then, the metabolic profiles were submitted to a univariate analysis followed by a partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) allowing the identification of the 15 most informative ions. The assessment of the metabolomic fingerprinting characterising EWS and OEWS resulted in an accurate and well-defined spatial clusterization based on the retrieved pool of informative ions. The outcomes highlighted a significantly higher relative abundance of phenolipid hydroxycinnamoyl-glyceric acid and a lower incidence of free fatty acids and diglycerides due to the ultrasound treatment. These resulting biochemical changes might turn OEWS into a natural antioxidant supplement useful for controlling lipid oxidation and to prolong the shelf-life of foods and feeds. A standardised processing leading to a selective concentration of the desirable bioactive compounds is also advisable.

In this study, the ultrasonic extraction (UAE) of free phenolic compounds and relative biological activities of the Bulgarian peach variety “Filina” was optimized using chemometric techniques (response surface methodology). A Box–Behnken design was used to reveal the variation in the hydro module, temperature, duration, and extractant on the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant potential, and inhibitory activity on each yield. The results revealed that the optimal conditions included a hydro module of 20, a duration of 39.33 min, a temperature of 70 °C, and an extractant of 96.64% to retrieve the highest level of bioactive compounds. The calculated parameters were discovered to be following the projected values.

The “Stendesto” plumcot is the only successful Bulgarian plum–apricot hybrid having the “Modesto” apricot and the “Stanley” plum as parents. The current study reports on the metabolites and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) discovered in the three fruits. Forty-one metabolites in total, as represented by amino acids, organic acids, sugar acids and alcohols, phenolic acids, fatty acids, mono- and di-saccharides, and sterols, were identified in the samples. Additionally, sixty-five VOCs were profiled using the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis and HS-SPME technique. Among these VOCs, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, lactones, terpenoids, and benzene derivatives were the existing chemical classes. Not all metabolites were present in both apricot and plum, but the hybrid had managed to inherit all of the identified metabolites with the exception of γ-aminobutyric acid. This study is a first on the topic of plumcot fruit evaluation referencing its parental lines. Principal component (PCA) and hierarchical cluster (HCA) analyses further aided in revealing the differences and similarities between the “Stendesto” plum–apricot hybrid and its parents.

To establish classifications and to obtain pre- and post-operative information on patient-specific alignments, it is necessary to measure different angular values accurately and precisely, mainly on weight-bearing, full-length anteroposterior X-rays of the lower limbs (LLRs). This study evaluated angular measurements’ validity and absolute reliability on LLRs with a self-developed, computer-aided measurement system (TraumaMeter v.873). Eight independent observers measured the preoperative mechanical hip-knee-ankle (mHKA) angle of 52 lower extremities (26 cases) in a blinded fashion on three occasions separated by two weeks. We obtained an intra-observer mean bias error (MBE) of 0.40°, a standard deviation (SD) of 0.11°, and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.37°–0.43°. We also obtained an inter-observer MBE of 0.49°, an SD of 0.15°, and a 95% C of 0.45°–0.53°. The intra-observer MBE for the measurement pair between the second and the first measurement round (T2T1) was 0.43°, the SD was 0.13°, and the 95% CI was 0.39°–0.47°; the MBE between the third and the second round (T3T2) was 0.37°, with an SD of 0.10° and a 95% CI of 0.34°–0.40°; and the MBE between the third and the first round (T3T1) was 0.40°, with an SD of 0.10° and a 95% CI of 0.37°–0.43°. The interobserver MBE for the first round of measurements was 0.52°, with an SD of 0.16° and a 95% CI of 0.48°–0.56°; the MBE for the second round was 0.50°, with an SD of 0.15° and a 95% CI of 0.46°–0.54°; and the MBE for the third round was 0.46°, with an SD of 0.14° and a 95% CI of 0.42°–0.50°. There were no statistically significant differences in the inter-observer errors for the three tests. In the case of the intra-observer analysis, there were differences between T2T1 and between T3T2, but these differences were minimal, with no overlaps in the lower or upper values, respectively, of the confidence intervals. These results led us to conclude that the TraumaMeter v.873 software extension for measuring lower-limb angles in LLRs is an accurate tool with low intra- and inter-observer variability.

Spent grape pomace is a by-product of Grappa production that is usually considered waste. Therefore, in this study, in order to promote the sustainable use of by-products from the food industry, we aimed to optimize the extraction of antioxidants from spent grape pomace and their use to improve the oxidative stability of grapeseed oil. Ultrasound-assisted extraction maximized the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, with the latter measured according to the ferric reducing antioxidant power. The best extraction conditions identified for spent grape pomace from red and white grapes were an amplitude of 40%, a duration of 22 min and a ratio of 1:37 and an amplitude of 40%, a duration of 25 min and a ratio of 1:45, respectively. Grapeseed oil, which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and susceptible to rancidity, fortified with 10%, 20% and 30% of these extracts was evaluated in terms of its oxidative stability using the Rancimat method and compared with a control oil and an oil fortified with the synthetic antioxidant BHT at the highest legal level (200 ppm). For oil fortified with 30% of the extracts obtained from red and white pomace under the best conditions, increases in the induction time of 39% and 25% compared to the control and 23.01% and 10.62% compared to the BHT-fortified oil, respectively, were reported. This study highlights the potential of using grape pomace extracts as eco-friendly antioxidants to stabilize oil and contribute to the sustainability of the food industry at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study focuses on evaluating the enzyme inhibition (acetylcholinesterase, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, pancreatin lipase), antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of the "Modesto" apricot, "Stanley" plum, and their hybrid the "Stendesto" plum–apricot. The "Stendesto" is the only successful plum–apricot hybrid in Bulgaria. A spectrophotometric approach was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity following four complementary assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC). The "Stendesto" plum–apricot revealed its enhanced antioxidant potential compared to its parental lines. Apart from the free phenolics extraction, two other techniques (alkaline and acid hydrolysis) were applied to reveal the biological potential of the studied fruit. Not only free but also bound phenolic extracts were able to inhibit α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase, while none of the extracts inhibited lipase or α-amylase. None of the apricot extracts had antimicrobial activity, while the other fruit had limited antimicrobial activity. The proposed results undoubtedly reveal that hybrid fruits possess enhanced biological activity compared to their parents. This is a first comprehensive evaluation of hybrid fruits with reference to parental lines. This makes them an interesting research topic that should be better explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To comply with a more circular and environmentally friendly European common agricultural policy, while also valorising sunflower by-products, an ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) was tested to optimise ethanol-wash solutes (EWS). Furthermore, the capabilities of DART-HRMS as a rapid and cost-effective tool for determining the biochemical changes after valorisation of these defatted sunflower EWS were investigated. Three batches of EWS were doubly processed into optimised EWS (OEWS) samples, which were analysed via DART-HRMS. Then, the metabolic profiles were submitted to a univariate analysis followed by a partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) allowing the identification of the 15 most informative ions. The assessment of the metabolomic fingerprinting characterising EWS and OEWS resulted in an accurate and well-defined spatial clusterization based on the retrieved pool of informative ions. The outcomes highlighted a significantly higher relative abundance of phenolipid hydroxycinnamoyl-glyceric acid and a lower incidence of free fatty acids and diglycerides due to the ultrasound treatment. These resulting biochemical changes might turn OEWS into a natural antioxidant supplement useful for controlling lipid oxidation and to prolong the shelf-life of foods and feeds. A standardised processing leading to a selective concentration of the desirable bioactive compounds is also advisable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-glucan is a soluble nonstarchy polysaccharide widely found in yeasts, fungi, bacteria, algae, barley, and oats. The cereal β-D-glucans are considered a functional food ingredient due to their numerous health benefits. Its high molecular weight and high viscosity are responsible for its cholesterol-lowering and hypoglycemic properties, which are based on scientific evidence collected in recent decades, both by the FDA and EFSA, which has allowed the reporting of health claims concerning the lowering of cholesterol and the control of the glycemic response exhibited by β-D-glucans from barley and oats. Considering that the biofunctional properties of β-D-glucans are closely linked to their structural and conformational properties, it is of primary importance to implement extraction and processing methods that guarantee these molecules’ preservation and the maximum functionality of these molecules.

The emerging demand for everyday food substitutes is increasing on a daily basis. More and more individuals struggle with allergies and intolerances, which makes it mandatory to provide alternatives for simple products like dairy milk. Plant-based beverages (PBBs) are currently trending due to the multiple diets that promote their consumption with or without a justification. PBBs can derive from various types of plants, not exclusively nuts. Some of the most well-known sources are almonds, soy, rice, and hazelnuts, among others. In view of the need for sustainable approaches to resource utilization and food production, novel sources for PBBs are being sought, and those include fruit kernels. The plant kingdom offers a palette of resources with proven bioactivity, i.e., containing flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamins, carotenoids, and phenolics, among others. Many of these beneficial substances are water soluble, which means they could be transferred to the plant beverage compositions. The current review aims at comparing the vast number of potential formulations based on their specific nutritional profiles and potential deficiencies, as well as their expected health-promoting properties, based on the raw material(s) used for production. Special attention will be given to the antinutrients, usually abundant in plant-based sources.

Cocoa pod husks (CPH) and cocoa bean shells (CBS) are the main by-products of the cocoa industry and a source of bioactive compounds. These residues are not completely used and thrown in the fields without any treatment, causing environmental problems. Looking for a holistic valorization, the aim of this work was first to deeply characterize CPH and CBS in their chemical composition, amino acid, and fatty acid profiles, as well as their application as antioxidants. CBS had a high level of protein (17.98% DM) and lipids (16.24% DM) compared with CPH (4.79 and 0.35% DM respectively). Glutamic acid and aspartic acid were the predominant amino acids. The total phenolic compounds (TPC) detected in the ethanolic extracts of CPH and CBS were similar to pyrogallol as the main detected polyphenol (72.57 mg/L). CBS ethanolic extract showed a higher antioxidant activity than CPH. Both extracts increased the oxidation stability of soybean oil by 48% (CPH) and 32% (CBS). In addition, alkaline pretreatment of CPH was found suitable for the release of 15.52 ± 0.78 g glucose/L after subsequent saccharification with the commercial enzyme Cellic®. CTec2. Alkaline hydrolyzed and saccharified CPH (Ahs-CPH) was assessed for the first time to obtain polyhydroxy alkanoate (PHAs) and bioethanol. Ahs-CPH allowed the growth of both Cupriavidus necator DSM 545 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fm17, well-known as PHA- and bioethanol-producing microbes, respectively. The obtained results suggest that such agricultural wastes have interesting characteristics with new potential industrial uses that could be a better alternative for the utilization of biomass generated as million tons of waste annually.

The FOOT (FragmentatiOn Of Target) experiment is an international project designed to carry out the fragmentation cross-sectional measurements relevant for charged particle therapy (CPT), a technique based on the use of charged particle beams for the treatment of deep-seated tumors. The FOOT detector consists of an electronic setup for the identification of Z≥3Z\ge 3 fragments and an emulsion spectrometer for Z≤3Z\le 3 fragments. The first data taking was performed in 2019 at the GSI facility (Darmstadt, Germany). In this study, the charge identification of fragments induced by exposing an emulsion detector, embedding a C2H4{{\rm{C}}}_{2}{{\rm{H}}}_{4} target, to an oxygen ion beam of 200 MeV/n is discussed. The charge identification is based on the controlled fading of nuclear emulsions in order to extend their dynamic range in the ionization response.