Phenolic Compounds from Cherries and Berries for Chronic Disease Management and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Therefore, there is increasing interest in dietary interventions to reduce risk factors associated with these conditions. Cherries and berries are rich sources of bioactive compounds and have attracted attention for their potential cardiovascular benefits. This review summarises the current research on the effects of cherry and berry consumption on cardiovascular health, including in vivo studies and clinical trials. These red fruits are rich in phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins and flavonoids, which have multiple bioactive properties. These properties include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects. Studies suggest that regular consumption of these fruits may reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, leading to lower blood pressure, improved lipid profiles, and enhanced endothelial function. However, interpreting findings and establishing optimal dosages is a challenge due to the variability in fruit composition, processing methods, and study design. Despite these limitations, the evidence highlights the potential of cherries and berries as components of preventive strategies against CVD. Further research is needed to maximise their health benefits and improve clinical practice.

Overview of Ethnobotanical-Pharmacological Studies Carried Out on Medicinal Plants from the Serra da Estrela Natural Park: Focus on Their Antidiabetic Potential.

The Serra da Estrela Natural Park (NPSE) in Portugal stands out as a well-preserved region abundant in medicinal plants, particularly known for their pharmaceutical applications in diabetes prevention and treatment. This comprehensive review explores these plants' botanical diversity, traditional uses, pharmacological applications, and chemical composition. The NPSE boast a rich diversity with 138 medicinal plants across 55 families identified as traditionally and pharmacologically used against diabetes globally. Notably, the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are prevalent in antidiabetic applications. In vitro studies have revealed their significant inhibition of carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, and certain plant co-products regulate genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and insulin secretion. In vivo trials have demonstrated antidiabetic effects, including glycaemia regulation, insulin secretion, antioxidant activity, and lipid profile modulation. Medicinal plants in NPSE exhibit various activities beyond antidiabetic, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer, and more. Chemical analyses have identified over fifty compounds like phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides responsible for their efficacy against diabetes. These findings underscore the potential of NPSE medicinal plants as antidiabetic candidates, urging further research to develop effective plant-based antidiabetic drugs, beverages, and supplements.

Natural Functional Beverages as an Approach to Manage Diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease, commonly associated with unhealthy habits and obesity, and it is becoming a serious health issue worldwide. As a result, new approaches to treat diabetes are required, and a movement towards more natural approaches is emerging. Consuming fruit and vegetables is advised to prevent diabetes since they contain several bioactive compounds. A simple and effective strategy to include them in the diets of diabetic and obese people is through beverages. This review aims to report the anti-diabetic potentials of different vegetable and fruit beverages. These functional beverages demonstrated in vitro potential to inhibit α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes and to improve glucose uptake. In vivo, beverage consumption showed a reduction of blood glucose, increase of insulin tolerance, improvement of lipid profile, control of obesity, and reduction of oxidative stress. This suggests the potential of vegetable- and fruit-based functional beverages to be used as a natural innovative therapy for the management of diabetes.

Thymus hirtus Willd. ssp. algeriensis Boiss. and Reut: A Comprehensive Review on Phytochemistry, Bioactivities, and Health-Enhancing Effects.

Members of the Lamiaceae family are considered chief sources of bioactive therapeutic agents. They are important ornamental, medicinal, and aromatic plants, many of which are used in traditional and modern medicine and in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. In North Africa, on the Mediterranean side, there is the following particularly interesting Lamiaceous species: Thymus hirtus Willd. sp. Algeriensis Boiss. Et Reut. The populations of this endemic plant are distributed from the subhumid to the lower arid zone and are mainly employed as ethnomedicinal remedies in the following Maghreb countries: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. In fact, they have been applied as antimicrobial agents, antispasmodics, astringents, expectorants, and preservatives for several food products. The species is commonly consumed as a tea or infusion and is used against hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, respiratory ailments, heart disease, and food poisoning. These medicinal uses are related to constituents with many biological characteristics, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-ulcer, anti-diabetic, insecticidal, and anti-inflammatory activities. This review aims to present an overview of the botanical characteristics and geographical distribution of Thymus algeriensis Boiss. Et Reut and its traditional uses. This manuscript also examines the phytochemical profile and its correlation with biological activities revealed by in vitro and in vivo studies.

Potential Activity of Abrantes Pollen Extract: Biochemical and Cellular Model Studies.

The aim of this study was to determine the grain composition and (poly)phenolic profile of pollen from Abrantes (Portugal), as well as its antioxidative and antidiabetic properties, and abilities to protect human erythrocytes against induced hemoglobin oxidation, lipid peroxidation, and hemolysis. The phytochemical profile of the Abrantes' bee pollen revealed twenty phenolic compounds, identified by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry coupled with photodiode array detection. Among them, quercetin derivatives were the most abundant. Concerning the biological potential, the pollen extract showed notable capacity for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, nitric oxide, and superoxide radicals, as well as for inhibition of α-glucosidase action, and protection of human erythrocytes against oxidative damage. Non-cytotoxic effects regarding the NHDF normal cell line, human adenocarcinoma Caco-2, and human liver HepG2 cells were observed. The results obtained contributed to further research on modes of action related to oxidative damage and metabolic health problems, to generate deeper knowledge of potential health-promoting effects to develop novel pharmaceutical drugs, nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements.