ABSTRACT
Since the global shock caused by COVID-19, interest in immune-enhancing materials is rapidly increasing, therefore, the development of novel materials is necessary from the industrial and health perspectives. In this study, we selected Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner Seed Extract (NSE) and evaluated immune enhancement effect by using RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. NSE significantly up-regulated production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species without affecting cell viability in RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, NSE exhibited an increase of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in RAW 264.7 cells. The enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay results showed that NSE-treatment significantly enhanced production of interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, we observed that NSE significantly up-regulated phosphorylation of p65, I kappa B kinase α/β, and I kappa B (IκB) α as well as down-regulation of IκB α expression in RAW 264.7 cells. Our findings indicate that NSE could be the potential health-functional food material with capacity of improving immunity via Nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway. © 2023, Korean Society for Applied Biological Chemistry. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Ascertaining sustainable endogenous nutrients for long-term healthy skin from the nutritional perspective of changing consumers, is an interesting method to prevent photoaging symptoms which are the main cause of skin aging. This narrative literature review aims to focus on the sustainable potential of phytoene (PT) and phytofluene (PTF) to engage in biological actions with photoprotection, dietary intervention, nutrition, stability, safety, and distinct structure of PT and PTF for skin health. As a result, this review demonstrates that dietary interventions of colourless carotenoids, PT and PTF, according to their distinct structural and biological actions, maximize the absorption of damaging light in the ultraviolet range unlike coloured carotenoids that have maximum absorption in the visible range. Furthermore, in addition to skin health, their distinct chemical structures and biological actions are attributed to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities and suggest the sustainable potential of PT and PTF to provide various additional health benefits, such as improving the immune system and cardiovascular health. "Healthy and beautiful skin starts from within”. It is hoped that dietary interventions of PT and PTF, along with topical photoprotection by sunscreen, will become better known to consumers as a nutritional approach to long-term basal protection/defense and complementary photoprotection and skin health strategies. © 2023 by the authors.
ABSTRACT
Social security is an important social and public policy measure to help address poverty in any contemporary society. The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) system in Hong Kong provides a safety net for those aged children and adults below 65 years old who cannot support themselves financially. It is designed to bring their income up to a prescribed level to meet their basic needs. The rapid increase in social welfare expenditure in the last decade has become a concern to the Hong Kong SAR Government. The overall social welfare expenditure has accounted for nearly 15.6% of government expenditure in 2018, with the total amount increasing from $58 billion to $90 billion (an increase of 72.4%) for the period 2014-2018. However, the amount spent on CSSA only increased from $20.7 billion to $22.3 billion with an increase of 7.7% only for the same period. The much slower magnitude of increase is related to the reduction in the number of CSSA recipients, which decreased from 237,501 to 185,528 over the period. A decomposition method was used to assess the changes in the number of people in the CSSA system. It showed that the rate of arriving into the system has been decreasing due to a robust economy with a very low unemployment rate; whereas moving out of the system has also been decreasing in the past 5 years. This phenomenon can be partly attributed to the widening of the income gap in the community in the period. Despite the increase in population size, as long as employment conditions remain strong and the momentum of leaving the system can be maintained, the number of CSSA recipients will continue to decrease. However, the results also suggested that a certain proportion of CSSA recipients will not be able to move out of the system and have been trapped. Some innovative methods to help them out of CSSA are discussed. In view of the poor economic outlook arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for the Government to have effective measures to keep people in their jobs. If the unemployment rate will does not substantially increase and then increase of in CSSA recipients can be contained.