Free radicals: Relationship to Human Diseases and Potential Therapeutic applications

Effectiveness of anthocyanin-containing foods and nutraceuticals in mitigating oxidative stress, inflammation, and cardiovascular health-related biomarkers: a systematic review of animal and human interventions

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of chronic health disorders prevalent worldwide that claim millions of lives yearly. Inflammation and oxidative stress are intricately associated with myocardial tissue damage, endothelial dysfunction, and increased odds of heart failure. Thus, dietary strategies aimed at decreasing the odds of CVDs are paramount. In this regard, the consumption of anthocyanins, natural pigments found in edible flowers, fruits, and vegetables, has attracted attention due to their potential to promote cardiovascular health. The main mechanisms of action linked with their protective effects on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, serum lipid profile modulation, and other cardiovascular health parameters are explained and exemplified. However, little is known about the dose-dependency nature of the effects, which anthocyanin has better efficiency, and whether anthocyanin-containing foods display better in vivo efficacy than nutraceuticals (i.e., concentrated extracts containing higher levels of anthocyanins than foods). Thus, this systematic review focused on determining the effects of anthocyanin-containing foods and nutraceuticals on biomarkers associated with CVDs using animal studies and human interventions supported by in vitro mechanistic insights. Overall, the results showed that the regular consumption of anthocyanin-containing foods and nutraceuticals improved vascular function, lipid profile, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The daily dosage, the participants' health status, and the duration of the intervention also significantly influenced the results.

Physicochemical, Rheological and Sensory Evaluation of Herbal Bread Containing Turmeric, Ginger, and Black Cumin Powder

The diversity in the global food market is expanding as thousands of new products enter the business every year, among which nutraceutical and functional foods hold important positions. The present research work aimed at the nutritional evaluation of three medicinal herbs, i.e., turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and black cumin (Nigella sativa). A bread formulation was enriched with the individual/combined supplementation (1-3%) of these herbs. Later, the bread was analyzed for nutritional, rheological, textural, and sensorial characteristics. The results revealed that the herbs improved the nutritional composition of bread, especially ash and fiber, as the maximum ash and fiber contents were noticed in T15 (2.0% dried powder of each plant) with values of 1.64 ± 0.04% and 4.63 ± 0.16%, respectively. The results regarding the rheological behavior showed minor variations in the rheological traits and a slight increase in dough development time up to 4.50 ± 0.20 min in T10 from 2.80 ± 0.13 min in T0. The sensorial attributes also indicated their marked suitability as external and internal characteristics were least affected by the addition of the herbs. Although some parameters like the crust and crumb colors were affected by the addition of black cumin, showing values of 6.25 ± 0.52 and 4.44 ± 0.19, respectively, in T15, and aroma characteristics were affected by the addition of ginger, supplementation with a combination of herbs at lower doses mitigated the adverse effects of other herbs. Moreover, shelf-life extension, especially with the addition of turmeric powder, was the hallmark of this research. This study concluded that medicinal herbs can be incorporated into baked products to improve the nutritional and sensorial attributes of functional herbal bread.

Lanthanide-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles: Unraveling Their Role in Cytotoxicity, Antioxidant Capacity, and Nanotoxicology

This study used a sonochemical synthesis method to prepare (La, Sm)-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). The effect of incorporating these lanthanide elements on the structural, optical, and morphological properties of ZnO-NPs was analyzed. The cytotoxicity and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation capacity of ZnO-NPs were evaluated against breast (MCF7) and colon (HT29) cancer cell lines. Their antioxidant activity was analyzed using a DPPH assay, and their toxicity towards Artemia salina nauplii was also evaluated. The results revealed that treatment with NPs resulted in the death of 10.559-42.546% and 18.230-38.643% of MCF7 and HT29 cells, respectively. This effect was attributed to the ability of NPs to downregulate ROS formation within the two cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. In the DPPH assay, treatment with (La, Sm)-doped ZnO-NPs inhibited the generation of free radicals at IC50 values ranging from 3.898 to 126.948 μg/mL. Against A. salina nauplii, the synthesized NPs did not cause death nor induce morphological changes at the tested concentrations. A series of machine learning (ML) models were used to predict the biological performance of (La, Sm)-doped ZnO-NPs. Among the designed ML models, the gradient boosting model resulted in the greatest mean absolute error (MAE) (MAE 9.027, R2 = 0.86). The data generated in this work provide innovative insights into the influence of La and Sm on the structural arrangement and chemical features of ZnO-NPs, together with their cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity, and in vivo toxicity.

Interplay of oxidative stress, cellular communication and signaling pathways in cancer

Cancer remains a significant global public health concern, with increasing incidence and mortality rates worldwide. Oxidative stress, characterized by the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within cells, plays a critical role in the development of cancer by affecting genomic stability and signaling pathways within the cellular microenvironment. Elevated levels of ROS disrupt cellular homeostasis and contribute to the loss of normal cellular functions, which are associated with the initiation and progression of various types of cancer. In this review, we have focused on elucidating the downstream signaling pathways that are influenced by oxidative stress and contribute to carcinogenesis. These pathways include p53, Keap1-NRF2, RB1, p21, APC, tumor suppressor genes, and cell type transitions. Dysregulation of these pathways can lead to uncontrolled cell growth, impaired DNA repair mechanisms, and evasion of cell death, all of which are hallmark features of cancer development. Therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting oxidative stress have emerged as a critical area of investigation for molecular biologists. The objective is to limit the response time of various types of cancer, including liver, breast, prostate, ovarian, and lung cancers. By modulating the redox balance and restoring cellular homeostasis, it may be possible to mitigate the damaging effects of oxidative stress and enhance the efficacy of cancer treatments. The development of targeted therapies and interventions that specifically address the impact of oxidative stress on cancer initiation and progression holds great promise in improving patient outcomes. These approaches may include antioxidant-based treatments, redox-modulating agents, and interventions that restore normal cellular function and signaling pathways affected by oxidative stress. In summary, understanding the role of oxidative stress in carcinogenesis and targeting this process through therapeutic interventions are of utmost importance in combating various types of cancer. Further research is needed to unravel the complex mechanisms underlying oxidative stress-related pathways and to develop effective strategies that can be translated into clinical applications for the management and treatment of cancer. Video Abstract.

Chemical Composition and Biological Properties of New Romanian Lavandula Species

The aims of the present study were to evaluate for the first time the chemical composition and antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and antiproliferative potentials of the Romanian George 90 lavender species, as well as parental species, L. angustifolia and L. latifolia. The L. angustifolia, L. latifolia and George 90 essential oils were analyzed by GC-MS/MS and the L. angustifolia, L. latifolia and George 90 hydroalcoholic extracts were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. The antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and antiproliferative assays revealed that all the investigated species showed significant activities. The results highlighted the chemical composition and the promising biological potentials of the L. angustifolia, L. latifolia and George 90 lavender species, validating their ethnomedicinal value, which offers potential applications as natural drugs.

Recent Progress in Distiller's Grains: Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities

Distiller's grains (DGs) are solid mixtures that remain after the production of alcoholic beverages. A large amount of DGs is produced each year during the brewing process. Currently, they are mostly used as a feedstock or substrate in the feed industry. However, the lack of a comprehensive understanding of the chemical composition of DGs is a major constraint on their further development and application for high-value-added usages. Some studies were published on the bioactive constituents of DGs in several different types of journals. Data were therefore collated to provide a comprehensive overview of these natural products. DGs are rich in phenols, phytosterols, and fatty acids, in addition to general lipid and protein constituents. These compounds and their related extracts possess diverse biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperglycaemic effects. We hope that this review will provide research incentives for the further development and utilisation of DGs to develop high-value-added products.

Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a widespread systemic disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass and an imbalance of the microarchitecture of bone tissue. Experimental and clinical studies devoted to investigating the main pathogenetic mechanisms of osteoporosis revealed the important role of estrogen deficiency, inflammation, oxidative stress, cellular senescence, and epigenetic factors in the development of bone resorption due to osteoclastogenesis, and decreased mineralization of bone tissue and bone formation due to reduced function of osteoblasts caused by apoptosis and age-depended differentiation of osteoblast precursors into adipocytes. The current review was conducted to describe the basic mechanisms of the development of osteoporosis at molecular and cellular levels and to elucidate the most promising therapeutic strategies of pathogenetic therapy of osteoporosis based on articles cited in PubMed up to September 2023.

From Tea to Health: Exploring Abrus mollis for Liver Protection and Unraveling Its Potential Mechanisms

Abrus mollis Hance is a characteristic medicinal herb which is used in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces of China for making soup, medicinal meals, and herbal tea to treat dampheat jaundice and rib discomfort. Current phytochemical study on A. mollis led to the isolation of four new flavones, mollisone A-D (1-4), and thirty two known compounds (5-36). Their structures were characterized by an extensive analysis of spectroscopic data including IR, UV, HR-ESI-MS, and 1D and 2D NMR, as well as electronic circular dichroism calculation. In addition, in order to initially understand their biological activities for traditional applications, in vitro antioxidant and hepatoprotective tests were carried out, whose results illustrated that 25 compounds had significant free radical scavenging ability, and compounds 13 and 16 exhibited protective activities on D-GalN-induced LO2 cell damage than the positive control. Moreover, network pharmacological analysis revealed that the hepatoprotective activity of A. mollis involved multitargets and multipathways such as PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and JAK-STAT pathways and various biological processes such as positive regulation of phosphorylation and regulation of kinase activity. These results suggested that this species could serve as a potential hepatoprotective agent for functional food or medicinal use.

Immunohistochemical Expression of Glutathione Peroxidase-2 (Gpx-2) and Its Clinical Relevance in Colon Adenocarcinoma Patients

Glutathione peroxidase 2 (Gpx-2) is a selenoenzyme with antioxidant capabilities that may play a role in cancer development. Hence, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of Gpx-2 protein in colon adenocarcinoma samples derived from patients with colon adenocarcinoma who did not receive any form of treatment prior to the surgical procedure. The associations between the immunohistochemical expression of Gpx-2 and clinical parameters were analysed using the Chi2 test and Fisher's exact test. A Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test were used to verify the relationship between the intensity of Gpx-2 expression and the 5-year survival rate of patients. In total, 101 (80.80%) samples had strong Gpx-2 protein expression and 24 (19.20%) samples were characterized with low expression. The high expression of Gpx-2 was correlated with the histological grade of the tumour (p < 0.001), PCNA immunohistochemical expression (p < 0.001), depth of invasion (p = 0.001) and angioinvasion (p < 0.001). We can conclude that high expression of Gpx-2 is correlated with reduced survival of colon adenocarcinoma patients (log-rank, p < 0.001).

Research Progress of SERS Sensors Based on Hydrogen Peroxide and Related Substances

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has an important role in living organisms, and its detection is of great importance in medical, chemical, and food safety applications. This review provides a comparison of different types of Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors for H2O2 and related substances with respect to their detection limits, which are of interest due to high sensitivity compared to conventional sensors. According to the latest research report, this review focuses on the sensing mechanism of different sensors and summarizes the linear range, detection limits, and cellular applications of new SERS sensors, and discusses the limitations in vivo and future prospects of SERS technology for the detection of H2O2.

Glutathione: Lights and Shadows in Cancer Patients

In cases of cellular injury, there is an observed increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). When this production becomes excessive, it can result in various conditions, including cancerogenesis. Glutathione (GSH), the most abundant thiol-containing antioxidant, is fundamental to re-establishing redox homeostasis. In order to evaluate the role of GSH and its antioxi-dant effects in patients affected by cancer, we performed a thorough search on Medline and EMBASE databases for relevant clinical and/or preclinical studies, with particular regard to diet, toxicities, and pharmacological processes. The conjugation of GSH with xenobiotics, including anti-cancer drugs, can result in either of two effects: xenobiotics may lose their harmful effects, or GSH conjugation may enhance their toxicity by inducing bioactivation. While being an interesting weapon against chemotherapy-induced toxicities, GSH may also have a potential protective role for cancer cells. New studies are necessary to better explain the relationship between GSH and cancer. Although self-prescribed glutathione (GSH) implementation is prevalent among cancer patients with the intention of reducing the toxic effects of anticancer treatments and potentially preventing damage to normal tissues, this belief lacks substantial scientific evidence for its efficacy in reducing toxicity, except in the case of cisplatin-related neurotoxicity. Therefore, the use of GSH should only be considered under medical supervision, taking into account the appropriate timing and setting.

Distinct Role of Lycium barbarum L. Polysaccharides in Oxidative Stress-Related Ocular Diseases

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the increased production of reactive species and reduced antioxidant activity, which can cause a variety of disturbances including ocular diseases. Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) are complex polysaccharides isolated from the fruit of L. barbarum, showing distinct roles in antioxidants. Moreover, it is relatively safe and non-toxic. In recent years, the antioxidant activities of LBPs have attracted remarkable attention. In order to illustrate its significance and underlying therapeutic value for vision, we comprehensively review the recent progress on the antioxidant mechanisms of LBP and its potential applications in ocular diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive neuroretinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, and diabetic cataract.