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The aim of the present study is to describe and measure the cognitive emotion regulation strategies of inpatient adolescents with clinical depression, aged 13–18, and to analyse these coping strategies in relation to different comorbidities of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Methods: There were 112 adolescents with MDD who were admitted to hospital and 78 healthy adolescents included in the study. The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) was used to assess nine specific cognitive coping strategies. A cognitive coping style model for depression in adolescents was described by analysing the differences between the two groups. The CERQ scores in MDD participants, grouped by comorbidity, were also assessed. Results: Adolescents with MDD had significantly higher scores for Self-Blame and Catastrophising strategies, and significantly lower scores for Positive Refocusing, Refocusing on Planning, and Positive Reappraisal. Adolescents with MDD and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) traits had significantly higher scores for Rumination, Catastrophising, and Blaming Others than adolescents with MDD and anxiety or with no comorbidity. Conclusions: Clinical depression in adolescents is associated with a cognitive profile that consists of an increased use of maladaptive coping styles and low employment of adaptive strategies. Early identification can contribute to the development of specific, individualised prevention and intervention programmes, while further longitudinal studies are necessary to adequately measure the outcome of these interventions.

The unprecedented increase in microbial resistance rates to all current drugs raises an acute need for the design of more effective antimicrobial strategies. Moreover, the importance of oxidative stress due to chronic inflammation in infections with resistant bacteria represents a key factor for the development of new antibacterial agents with potential antioxidant effects. Thus, the purpose of this study was to bioevaluate new O-aryl-carbamoyl-oxymino-fluorene derivatives for their potential use against infectious diseases. With this aim, their antimicrobial effect was evaluated using quantitative assays (minimum inhibitory/bactericidal/biofilms inhibitory concentrations) (MIC/MBC/MBIC), the obtained values being 0.156–10/0.312–10/0.009–1.25 mg/mL), while some of the involved mechanisms (i.e., membrane depolarization) were investigated by flow cytometry. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by studying the scavenger capacity of DPPH and ABTS•+ radicals and the toxicity was tested in vitro on three cell lines and in vivo on the crustacean Artemia franciscana Kellog. The four compounds derived from 9H-fluoren-9-one oxime proved to exhibit promising antimicrobial features and particularly, a significant antibiofilm activity. The presence of chlorine induced an electron-withdrawing effect, favoring the anti-Staphylococcus aureus and that of the methyl group exhibited a +I effect of enhancing the anti-Candida albicans activity. The IC50 values calculated in the two toxicity assays revealed similar values and the potential of these compounds to inhibit the proliferation of tumoral cells. Taken together, all these data demonstrate the potential of the tested compounds to be further used for the development of novel antimicrobial and anticancer agents.

The aim of the current paper is the development of phytosynthesized silver nanoparticles mediated by Raphanus sativus L. extracts obtained through two extraction methods (temperature and microwave) and to test their potential application for controlling apple crops pathogens. The phytosynthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. All the materials were evaluated in terms of antioxidant and in vitro antimicrobial activity (against bacteria, molds, and yeast: Escherichia coli ATCC 8738, Staphylococcus aureus ATTC 25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Venturia inaequalis, Podosphaera leucotricha, Fusarium oxysporum ATCC 48112, Penicillium hirsutum ATCC 52323, and Aspergillus niger ATCC 15475). Considering the results obtained in the in vitro assays, formulations based on nanoparticles phytosynthesized using Raphanus sativus L. waste extracts (RS1N) were evaluated as potential antifungal agents for horticultural crops protection, against Venturia inaequalis and Podosphaera leucotricha through in vivo assays. For the DPPH assay, the inhibition (%) varied between 37.06% (for RS1N at 0.8 mg/mL concentration) and 83.72% (for RS1N at 7.2 mg/mL concentration) compared to 19.97% (for RS2N at 0.8 mg/mL) and only 28.91% (for RS2N at 7.2 mg/mL). Similar results were obtained for RS3N (85.42% inhibition at 7.2 mg/mL) compared with RS4N (21.76% inhibition at 7.2 mg/mL). Regarding the ABTS assay, the highest scavenger activity values were recorded for samples RS1N (91.43% at 1.6 mg/mL) and RS3N (96.62% at 1.6 mg/mL).

Spices are widely used for culinary purposes as well as for therapeutic effects. [...]

The aim of the manuscript is to discuss the influence of plant polyphenols in overcoming multidrug resistance in four types of solid cancers (breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancer). Effective treatment requires the use of multiple toxic chemotherapeutic drugs with different properties and targets. However, a major cause of cancer treatment failure and metastasis is the development of multidrug resistance. Potential mechanisms of multidrug resistance include increase of drug efflux, drug inactivation, detoxification mechanisms, modification of drug target, inhibition of cell death, involvement of cancer stem cells, dysregulation of miRNAs activity, epigenetic variations, imbalance of DNA damage/repair processes, tumor heterogeneity, tumor microenvironment, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and modulation of reactive oxygen species. Taking into consideration that synthetic multidrug resistance agents have failed to demonstrate significant survival benefits in patients with different types of cancer, recent research have focused on beneficial effects of natural compounds. Several phenolic compounds (flavones, phenolcarboxylic acids, ellagitannins, stilbens, lignans, curcumin, etc.) act as chemopreventive agents due to their antioxidant capacity, inhibition of proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and metastasis, modulation of immune and inflammatory responses or inactivation of pro-carcinogens. Moreover, preclinical and clinical studies revealed that these compounds prevent multidrug resistance in cancer by modulating different pathways. Additional research is needed regarding the role of phenolic compounds in the prevention of multidrug resistance in different types of cancer.

Fruit juices are widely consumed due to their high content of vitamins (mainly vitamin C) and phenolic compounds, which act as natural antioxidants [1]. [...]

Prostate cancer is the one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among men over the age of 50. Several lines of evidence support the observation that polyphenols have preventive and therapeutic effects in prostate cancer. Moreover, prostate cancer is ideal for chemoprevention due to its long latency. We propose here an equilibrated lifestyle with a diet rich in polyphenols as prophylactic attempts to slow down the progression of localized prostate cancer or prevent the occurrence of the disease. In this review, we will first summarize the molecular mechanisms of polyphenols in prostate cancer with a focus on the antioxidant and pro-oxidant effects, androgen receptors (AR), key molecules involved in AR signaling and their transactivation pathways, cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastasis, genetic aspects, and epigenetic mechanisms. The relevance of the molecular mechanisms is discussed in light of current bioavailability data regarding the activity of polyphenols in prostate cancer. We also highlight strategies for improving the bioavailability of polyphenols. We hope that this review will lead to further research regarding the bioavailability and the role of polyphenols in prostate cancer prevention and treatment.

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death, and the third most diagnosed type of cancer, worldwide. It is most common amongst men and women over 50 years old. Risk factors include smoking, alcohol, diet, physical inactivity, genetics, alterations in gut microbiota, and associated pathologies (diabetes, obesity, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases). This review will discuss, in detail, the chemopreventive properties of some dietary compounds (phenolic compounds, carotenoids, iridoids, nitrogen compounds, organosulfur compounds, phytosterols, essential oil compounds, polyunsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber) against colorectal cancer. We present recent data, focusing on in vitro, laboratory animals and clinical trials with the previously mentioned compounds. The chemopreventive properties of the dietary compounds involve multiple molecular and biochemical mechanisms of action, such as inhibition of cell growth, inhibition of tumor initiation, inhibition of adhesion, migration and angiogenesis, apoptosis, interaction with gut microbiota, regulation of cellular signal transduction pathways and xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, etc. Moreover, this review will also focus on the natural dietary compounds’ bioavailability, their synergistic protective effect, as well as the association with conventional therapy. Dietary natural compounds play a major role in colorectal chemoprevention and continuous research in this field is needed.

Introduction: Raspberry leaves (Rubi idaei folium) are a source of flavonoids, gallic tannins, phenolcarboxylic acids, sterols, vitamin C and oligoelements (selenium, vanadium). The leaves are not mentioned by the scientific literature for their possible use in metabolic diseases (diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hyperuricaemia), but among their compounds, polyphenols, sterols and vitamin C might be responsible for these properties. The aim of the study was to determine the optimum time for harvesting the leaves, in order to obtain pharmacological active extracts, with the highest content of flavonoids, phenolcarboxylic acids and tannins. Material and methods: Qualitative (specific chemical reactions and thin layer chromatography, TLC) and quantitative (spectrophotometric methods and high liquid chromatography, HPLC) analyses upon leaves, harvested at different stages of development (before and after blossom, at fruits' ripening and at the end of vegetative state) were applied. Results: Flavonoids, tannins and phenolcarboxylic acids were present in all vegetative states; rutin, hyperoside and chlorogenic acid were identified using TLC. The greatest amount of total polyphenols (16.0317 g% tannic acid), tannins (11.4376 g% tannic acid), flavonoids (2.6347 g% hyperoside) and phenolcarboxylic acids (2.4011 g% chlorogenic acid) were found in young leaves. Using HPLC, gallic, chlorogenic, caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids, tannin, rutin, quercetin and catechin were identified in young leaves; rutin (0.0540 g%) and p-coumaric acid (0.03174 g%) were also quantified. Conclusions: The highest content of flavonoids, phenolcarboxylic acids and tannins were found in leaves, harvested before blossom. The tannins content were higher, compared with scientific literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]