A Critical Review of the Use of Surfactant-Coated Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine and Food Nanotechnology.

Surfactants, whose existence has been recognized as early as 2800 BC, have had a long history with the development of human civilization. With the rapid development of nanotechnology in the latter half of the 20th century, breakthroughs in nanomedicine and food nanotechnology using nanoparticles have been remarkable, and new applications have been developed. The technology of surfactant-coated nanoparticles, which provides new functions to nanoparticles for use in the fields of nanomedicine and food nanotechnology, is attracting a lot of attention in the fields of basic research and industry. This review systematically describes these "surfactant-coated nanoparticles" through various sections in order: 1) surfactants, 2) surfactant-coated nanoparticles, application of surfactant-coated nanoparticles to 3) nanomedicine, and 4) food nanotechnology. Furthermore, current progress and problems of the technology using surfactant-coated nanoparticles through recent research reports have been discussed.

Influence of quercetin on the global DNA methylation pattern in pigs.

The plant flavonol quercetin causes multiple health-promoting effects in human and animals. In this study, we investigated the possible effects of quercetin on global DNA methylation in growing pigs after 7 weeks of feeding a quercetin-enriched diet. The results indicated that a trend for an improved feed conversion was observed in the quercetin fed group compared to the control group. Furthermore, quercetin influenced global DNA methylation by upregulating DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in both mRNA and protein expressions in a tissue specific manner. The observed bioactivity of quercetin against the global methylation marker in pigs indicates that quercetin could be a potential inducer of DNA methylation which might be of economic significance for effective nutritional interventions affecting the health and productivity of animals.

Vitamin E: Regulatory Redox Interactions.

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient that was discovered in the 1920s. Many of the physiological functions of vitamin E, including its antioxidative effects, have been studied for nearly 100 years. Changes in redox balance induced by both endogenously and exogenously generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in various diseases, and are also a phenomenon that is considered essential for survival. Vitamin E is known to regulate redox balance in the body due to its high concentration among the lipid soluble vitamin groups, and exists ubiquitously in the whole body, including cell membranes and lipoproteins. However, it has been reported that the beneficial properties of vitamin E, including its antioxidative effects, are only displayed in vitro, and not in vivo. Therefore, there exists an ongoing debate regarding the biological functions of vitamin E and its relationship with redox balance. In this review, we introduce the relationship between vitamin E and redox interactions with (i) absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of vitamin E, (ii) oxidative stress and ROS in the body, (iii) mechanism of antioxidative effects, (iv) non-antioxidant functions of vitamin E, and (v) recent recognition of the field of oxidative stress research. Understanding the recent findings of the redox interaction of vitamin E may help to elucidate the different antioxidative phenomena observed for vitamin E in vitro and in vivo. © 2019 IUBMB Life, 71(4):430-441, 2019.