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Beebread is processed pollen stored in the cells of the honeycomb, with the addition of various enzymes and honey, which undergoes lactic acid fermentation. Ethanolic extracts (EBBs) were obtained from three different samples of beebread from Poland. Assays were carried out for the determination of chemical composition (GC/MS), for the total phenolic content, and for the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. The effects of beebread extracts (10, 20, 30, 50, 100 μg/mL) on the viability of the glioblastoma cell line (U87MG) were studied after 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. Our results indicated a time-dependent inhibitory effect on the viability of U87MG cells treated EBB. The main inhibitory effect of EBB was observed after 72 h; EBB treatment decreased cell viability to 49 - 66%.

The choices of food products and their nutritional value have a significant impact on nutritional status and body composition parameters. Popular and low-cost indicators of nutritional status, such as BMI, may not reflect the actual condition of the body. The aim of the study was to assess the consumption of energy as well as selected nutrients, such as protein, fats, carbohydrates, unsaturated fatty acids, lactose, starch, and dietary fiber, and to evaluate body mass index (BMI) and the parameters of the body composition among young women. Next, correlations were made between these nutrients and the parameters, such as percent body fat (PBF), visceral fat area (VFA), and fitness score (FS). The study group included 478 young women. To assess their consumption, the participants completed 72 h dietary interviews. In addition, the participants had a body composition analysis performed by bioelectric impedance technology by the InBody 720 Body Composition Analyzer (InBody, South Korea). The average energy value of the diets was about 1480 kcal. Most diets contained adequate portions of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. The diets were deficient in terms of unsaturated fatty acids and fiber. We showed that up to 37% of women with normal BMI had excess body fat. Moreover, the % energy from plant protein consumption negatively correlated with PBF and BMI (r = −0.10, p = 0.029, r = −0.10, p = 0.037, respectively) and dietary fiber with PBF, BMI, VFA, and FS (r = −0.17, p = 0.0003, r = −0.12, p = 0.01, r = −0.18, p = 0.0001, r = 0.09, p = 0.041, respectively). Education on the proper consumption of basic nutrients, including plant-based protein and dietary fiber, seems to be essential in preventing overweight and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mushrooms have been used for centuries not only as food but also in traditional medicine as a source of components with pro-health activity. One of them is Coprinus comatus (O.F.Müll.) Pers. also called shaggy mane, chicken drumstick mushroom, or lawyer's wig. In Asian countries, C. comatus (CC) is approved as edible mushroom and often cultivated for consumption, whereas in many other countries, although it is widespread, it is unrecognized and not used. In this review, for the first time, we discussed about the composition related to functional properties as well as the potential risks associated with consumption of CC by reviewing scientific literature. The information has been collected in order to get to know this species thoroughly. Various studies show many of the physiological activities, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antiandrogenic, hepatoprotective, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, antiinflammatory, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antibacterial, antifungal, antinematode, and antiviral. Besides positive physiological properties, CC has also negative features, for example, skin reactions in patients with dermatitis and atopic predisposition, risk of confusion with poisonous mushrooms, quick autolysis after collection, and contamination of toxic elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Cereal crops, including common wheat Triticum aestivum L., are crucial to human nutrition and account for 1/3 of global crop production. There is an ongoing search for ways to increase yields, including the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. However, their excessive use has negative consequences in terms of biodiversity and environmental pollution. An alternative method proposed for crop cultivation may be the use of biofertilizers. Initially, bacteria and, more recently, yeast have been of interest. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae impact on germination and growth of Triticum aestivum L., and whether they can be used as biofertilizer. Material and methods. Spring wheat grains (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori et Paol) of the Tybalt variety were used in the study. The test was carried out in 6 variants, using three different concentrations of both live and dead yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Meyen ex E. C. Hansen. Tap water was used as the control variant of the experiment. The parameters analyzed were energy (assessed after the first day) and germination (after day 6), shoot length and longest root (measured after days 6 and 19). The water and dry matter contents of the seedlings were determined using the dryer method on the last day of the experiment. The results were statistically analyzed using Statistica. Results. Based on the results of the experiment, it was shown that the germination energy for the tested spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori et Paol) grains was 60% in the control. For the variants in which live yeast suspensions were used, germination energy values ranged from 54.4% (W1) to 75.6% (W3), and for suspensions with dead yeast from 57.8% (W4) to 75.6% (W6). The suspensions with the highest yeast concentration of 16 g/L showed the most beneficial effect, regardless of whether they were live or denatured. It was noted that as the concentration of the yeast suspension used increased, there was an increase in germination energy. A high germination rate (above 90%) was observed in all analyzed variants of the experiment, indicating the good quality of the grains used. During the 6th day of the experiment, statistically significant differences were shown in the length of the shoot and the longest root of the seedlings relative to the control for variants W2-W6. For the suspensions with the highest concentrations - 16 g/L, the greatest difference in shoot length was observed relative to the control, for live (W3; p = 0.0002) and dead (W6; p = 0.00002) yeast. In the case of the root, the greatest mean length was observed in the W6 variant (9.68 ± 6.1 cm) and this was significantly (p = 0.009) greater compared to the control (8.50 ± 0.52 cm). At the same time, a significant effect of the concentration of dead yeast suspensions used on the increase in root length was observed (W4 vs W6; p = 0.003). During the measurement on day 19, the average length of shoots in the control was 35.75 ± 6.5 cm. The shoots from the W5 variant reached the greatest length with 41.52 ± 2.7 cm and this value was significantly (p = 0.007) higher compared to the control. The measurement on day 19 simultaneously showed the greatest root length in the W2 and W5 variants, which was about 16% greater compared to the control. The water content of the seedlings determined on the last day of the experiment was 80.7% in the control, between 82.6% (W1) and 86.3% (W3) in the variants with live yeast, and up to 86.1% (W5) in the variants with dead yeast. The highest dry matter content was recorded for the control (19.3%) and the lowest (13.7%) in seedlings treated with the highest concentration of live yeast. Conclusions. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae improved the germination and growth parameters of wheat Triticum aestivum L., confirming its potential for use as an organic fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]