Bioactive sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables: advances in biosynthesis, metabolism, bioavailability, delivery, health benefits, and applications.

Chronic inflammation-induced diseases (CID) are the dominant cause of death worldwide, contributing to over half of all global deaths. Sulforaphane (SFN) derived from cruciferous vegetables has been extensively studied for its multiple functional benefits in alleviating CID. This work comprehensively reviewed the biosynthesis, metabolism, bioavailability, delivery, health benefits, and applications of SFN and its potential mechanisms against CID (e.g., cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, et al.), and neurological disorders based on a decade of research. SFN exerts its biological functions through the hydrolysis of glucosinolates by gut microbiota, and exhibits rapid metabolism and excretion characteristics via metabolization of mercapturic acid pathway. Microencapsulation is an important way to improve the stability and targeted delivery of SFN. The health benefits of SNF against CID are attributed to the multiple regulatory mechanisms including modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, immune response, and intestinal homeostasis. The clinical applications of SFN and related formulations show promising potential; however, further exploration is required regarding the sources, dosages, toxicity profiles, and stability of SFN. Together, SFN is a natural product with great potential for development and application, which is crucial for the development of functional food and pharmaceutical industries.

Potential application of carduma (Cetengraulis mysticetus) and plumuda (Opisthonema spp.) fish paste for the development of a leberkäse (liver loaf) fish product: Physicochemical and functional properties.

This study investigated the potential use of fish paste from two pelagic species (Cetengraulis mysticetus or carduma in Colombia and Opisthonema sp. or plumuda in Colombia), either separately or combined, as a substitute for external fat sources in a Leberkäse product. Three stages were analyzed, evaluating biometric proportions, body performance, and meat batters containing different concentrations of fish pastes. Physicochemical and instrumental characterization analyses were performed to determine the effect of the type of fish paste and the level of its inclusion in the final product. Results showed that plumuda fish paste had higher protein and ash content than carduma fish paste, and the inclusion of carduma fish paste in meat batters led to a greater loss of liquid and lower emulsion and gel stability values. The study also established selection criteria for the two pelagic fish species that could be useful for the fishing industry. Overall, the study demonstrated that Leberkäse can be produced using these pelagic species with a relatively simple processing technology.

Correction: Chakraborty et al. Bromelain a Potential Bioactive Compound: A Comprehensive Overview from a Pharmacological Perspective. Life 2021, 11, 317.

The authors were not aware of errors made in one small subsection (Section 6.17. Antidiarrheal Effect, including the data in the table of effects) of this paper [...].

Evaluating the hypolipidemic effect of garlic essential oil encapsulated in a novel double-layer delivery system.

The limited application of garlic essential oil (GEO) is attributed to its pungent taste, poor water solubility and low bioavailability. Liposomes are nontoxic, biodegradable and biocompatible, and ß-cyclodextrin can inhibit undesirable odors and improve the stability and bioavailability. Thus a promising dual-layer GEO ß-cyclodextrin inclusion compound liposome (GEO-DCL) delivery system with both advantages was designed and prepared in this study. Experimental results indicated that the encapsulation efficiency of GEO-DCLs was 5% higher than that of GEO liposomes (GEO-CLs), reaching more than 88%. In vitro release experiment showed that the release rate of GEO in GEO-DCLs was 40% lower than that of GEO-CLs after incubation in gastric juice for 6-h, indicating that the stability of GEO-DCLs was better than GEO-CLs. Evaluation of the effects of GEO-DCLs on lowering blood lipid levels in hypercholesterolemia mice. GEO-DCLs could reduce the weight and fat deposition in hypercholesterolemia mice. Inhibiting the increase of TC, LDL-C, and decrease of HDL-C in mice. The degree of liver injury was decreased, the number of round lipid droplets in liver cytoplasm was reduced, and the growth of fat cells was inhibited. The lipid-lowering effects of GEO-DCLs were dose-dependent. GEO-DCL can improve the bioavailability of GEO and improve dyslipidemia. Based on GEO's efficacy in lowering blood lipids, this study developed a kind of GEO-DCL compound pomegranate juice beverage with good taste, miscibility and double effect of reducing blood lipids. This study lays a foundation for the application of GEO in the field of functional food.

The Impact of Vitamin D and Its Dietary Supplementation in Breast Cancer Prevention: An Integrative Review.

Vitamin D deficiency is currently a significant public health issue closely linked to numerous diseases, such as breast cancer. This study aims to determine the estimated optimal serum levels of vitamin D to have a protective effect against breast cancer, in addition to exploring the biological mechanisms and risk factors involved. A literature search of articles published in the last 5 years was conducted, and simple statistical analyses using mean and standard deviation were performed to calculate the average concentration of vitamin D from different available studies. It has been observed that serum levels of vitamin D ≥ 40.26 ng/mL ± 14.19 ng/mL could exert a protective effect against breast cancer. Additionally, various biological mechanisms, such as those related to the immune system, and risk factors like diet implicated in this relationship were elucidated. Consequently, it can be concluded that proper serum levels of vitamin D may have a protective effect against breast cancer, and dietary supplementation may be an appropriate procedure to achieve these optimal vitamin D concentrations.

Phytochemical compounds with promising biological activities from Ascophyllum nodosum extracts using microwave-assisted extraction.

Phytochemical-rich antioxidant extracts were obtained from Ascophyllum nodosum (AN) using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). Critical extraction factors such as time, pressure, and ethanol concentration were optimized by response surface methodology with a circumscribed central composite design. Under the optimal MAE conditions (3 min, 10.4 bar, 46.8 % ethanol), the maximum recovery of phytochemical compounds (polyphenols and fucoxanthin) with improved antioxidant activity from AN was obtained. In addition, the optimized AN extract showed significant biological activities as it was able to scavenge reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, inhibit central nervous system-related enzymes, and exhibit cytotoxic activity against different cancer cell lines. In addition, the optimized AN extract showed antimicrobial, and anti-quorum sensing activities, indicating that this extract could offer direct and indirect protection against infection by pathogenic microorganisms. This work demonstrated that the sustainably obtained AN extract could be an emerging, non-toxic, and natural ingredient with potential to be included in different applications.

Myco-remediation of plastic pollution: current knowledge and future prospects.

To date, enumerable fungi have been reported to participate in the biodegradation of several notorious plastic materials following their isolation from soil of plastic-dumping sites, marine water, waste of mulch films, landfills, plant parts and gut of wax moth. The general mechanism begins with formation of hydrophobin and biofilm proceding to secretion of specific plastic degarding enzymes (peroxidase, hydrolase, protease and urease), penetration of three dimensional substrates and mineralization of plastic polymers into harmless products. As a result, several synthetic polymers including polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane and/or bio-degradable plastics have been validated to deteriorate within months through the action of a wide variety of fungal strains predominantly Ascomycota (Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium spp.). Understanding the potential and mode of operation of these organisms is thus of prime importance inspiring us to furnish an up to date view on all the presently known fungal strains claimed to mitigate the plastic waste problem. Future research henceforth needs to be directed towards metagenomic approach to distinguish polymer degrading microbial diversity followed by bio-augmentation to build fascinating future of waste disposal.

A review for cancer treatment with mushroom metabolites through targeting mitochondrial signaling pathway: In vitro and in vivo evaluations, clinical studies and future prospects for mycomedicine.

Resistance to apoptosis stands as a roadblock to the successful pharmacological execution of anticancer drug effect. A comprehensive insight into apoptotic signaling pathways and an understanding of the mechanisms of apoptosis resistance are crucial to unveil new drug targets. At this juncture, researchers are heading towards natural sources in particular, mushroom as their potential drugs leads to being the reliable source of potent bioactive compounds. Given the continuous increase in cancer cases, the potent anticancer efficacy of mushrooms has inevitably become a fascinating object to researchers due to their higher safety margin and multitarget. This review aimed to collect and summarize all the available scientific data on mushrooms from their extracts to bioactive molecules in order to suggest their anticancer attributes via a mitochondrion -mediated intrinsic signaling mechanism. Compiled data revealed that bioactive components of mushrooms including polysaccharides, sterols and terpenoids as well as extracts prepared using 15 different solvents from 53 species could be effective in the supportive treatment of 20 various cancers. The underlying therapeutic mechanisms of the studied mushrooms are explored in this review through diverse and complementary investigations: in vitro assays, pre-clinical studies and clinical randomized controlled trials. The processes mainly involved were ROS production, mitochondrial membrane dysfunction, and action of caspase 3, caspase 9, XIAP, cIAP, p53, Bax, and Bcl-2. In summary, the study provides facts pertaining to the potential beneficial effect of mushroom extracts and their active compounds against various types of cancer and is shedding light on the underlying targeted signaling pathways.

Comprehensive analysis of pigment alterations and associated flavor development in strip and needle green teas.

Strip/needle green teas (SGT/NGT) processed using innovative technologies are in high demand; however, mechanisms behind their color and flavor have not been comprehensively studied. We aimed to reveal the dynamics of major pigmented components (carotenoids, lipids, flavonoids, and Maillard products) and their contributions to the flavor of green teas. The total content of flavonoids in SGT and NGT were 255 ± 4.51 and 201 ± 3.91 mg·g-1, respectively; these values are slightly lower than that in fresh leaves (FLs), resulting in a fresh and sweet aftertaste. In average, carotene content in SGT/NGT (24.8 µg·g-1) was higher than in FL (17.4 µg·g-1), whilst xanthophyll content (603 µg·g-1) decreased to one-half of that in FL (310 µg·g-1). Among the 218 primary metabolites, glutamine, glutamic acid, and arginine were found to accumulate and were dominate contributors for the umami and sweet taste. Notably, more than 96 volatiles were screened and revealed their correlations with carotenoids, lipids, and amino acids. Overall, the synergism between pigments and their non-enzymatic derivates' contribution to GT characterized flavor was illustrated.

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. - anticancer properties and phytochemicals: current trends and future perspectives.

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, and conventional cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy often result in undesirable and adverse effects. Natural products have emerged as a promising alternative for cancer treatment, with comparatively fewer side effects reported. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., a member of the Cactaceae family, contains a diverse array of phytochemicals, including flavonoids, polyphenols, betalains, and tannins, which have been shown to exhibit potent anticancer properties. Various parts of the Opuntia plant, including the fruits, stems/cladodes, and roots, have demonstrated cytotoxic effects against malignant cell lines in numerous studies. This review comprehensively summarizes the anticancer attributes of the phytochemicals found in Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., highlighting their potential as natural cancer prevention and treatment agents. Bibliometric metric analysis of PubMed and Scopus-retrieved data using VOSviewer as well as QDA analysis provide further insights and niche to be explored. Most anticancer studies on Opuntia ficus-indica and its purified metabolites are related to colorectal/colon cancer, followed by melanoma and breast cancer. Very little attention has been paid to leukemia, thyroid, endometrial, liver, and prostate cancer, and it could be considered an opportunity for researchers to explore O. ficus-indica and its metabolites against these cancers. The most notable mechanisms expressed and validated in those studies are apoptosis, cell cycle arrest (G0/G1 and G2/M), Bcl-2 modulation, antiproliferative, oxidative stress-mediated mechanisms, and cytochrome c. We have also observed that cladodes and fruits of O. ficus-indica have been more studied than other plant parts, which again opens the opportunity for the researchers to explore. Further, cell line-based studies dominated, and very few studies were related to animal-based experiments. The Zebrafish model is another platform to explore. However, it seems like more in-depth studies are required to ascertain clinical utility of this biosustainable resource O. ficus-indica.

Sustainable and Green Synthesis of Iron Nanoparticles Supported on Natural Clays via Palm Waste Extract for Catalytic Oxidation of Crocein Orange G Mono Azoic Dye.

In this study, the removal of Crocein Orange G dye (COG) from aqueous solution was investigated using an innovative green catalyst to overcome problems with chemical techniques. Clay bentonite El Hamma (HB)-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) was used as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for the oxidation of harmful COG. Palm waste extract was herein used as a reducing and capping agent to synthesize NZVI, and HB clay was employed, which was obtained from the El Hamma bentonite deposit in the Gabes province of Tunisia. HB and HB-NZVI were characterized by various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and zeta potential. Under optimal conditions, total degradation of COG was attained within 180 min. Kinetic studies showed that the dye degradation rate followed well the pseudo-second-order model. The apparent activation energy was 33.11 kJ/mol, which is typical of a physically controlled reaction. The degradation pathways and mineralization study revealed that the adsorption-Fenton-like reaction was the principal mechanism that demonstrated 100% degradation efficiency of COG even after three successive runs. Obtained results suggest that HB-NZVI is an affective heterogeneous catalyst for the degradation of COG by H2O2 and may constitute a sustainable green catalyst for azoic dye removal from industrial wastewaters.

Antifungal action and targeted mechanism of Bio fabricated zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles against Ascochytafabae.

The current work focuses on analysing the structural, optical, and anti-fungal efficacy of ZnO nanoparticles using well diffusion agar methods and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). ZnO nanoparticles were created using the sol gel method. To check the synthesized material's spatial and optical characteristics, XRD, UV, and RAMAN studies were performed. The median diameter of produced nanostructures is in the region of nanometre, according to XRD measurements. Results from Raman Spectroscopy for the nanostructure are provided, together with comparisons to current development theory and reliable experimental data. The band gap of the zinc oxide sample is found by graphing (h) 2versus input photon energy and gradually decreasing the linear component of the (h) 2 to zero. The band gap energy is expressed by the line's intersection with the energy axis. Calculations show that the energy band gap is 3.22eV.The fungus Ascochytafabae is in control of the Phaseolus vulgaris L. (beans) blight disease. It mostly affects the plant's stem, leaves, and fruits. Phaseolus vulgaris plant leaf with Ascochytafabae infection was isolated, and ZnO nanoparticle effects were observed. It emerged that the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were highly efficient against Ascochytafabae. By using the well diffusion method and an absolute concentration of ZnO nanoparticles, the maximum inhibitory concentration was 15.0 ± 0.2 mm.

Magnetic functionalized graphene oxide combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography for trace detection of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides in food.

In this study, an efficient, sensitive, and convenient magnetic solid-phase extraction method combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MSPE-UHPLC-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of 19 succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicide residues in six different food matrices The synthesized tetraethylenepentamine magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposite showed the advantages of good dispersibility, large specific surface area (113.93 m2 /g) and large pore volume (0.25 cm3 /g), making it an ideal succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor pretreatment adsorbent. The MSPE-UHPLC-MS/MS method showed linearity in the range of 5.0-800.0 µg/kg, with a correlation coefficient (R2 ) > 0.99, and a limit of quantification of 5 µg/kg. The recovery of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides was in the range of 71.2%-119.4%. The MSPE method is simple, rapid, and efficient, making it an ideal alternative to sample pretreatment in the determination of trace succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides in complex matrices.

Greener approach for the isolation of oleanolic acid from Nepeta leucophylla Benth. Its derivatization and their molecular docking as antibacterial and antiviral agents.

In the present study bioactive methanolic extract along with chloroform and hexane extracts obtained from shade dried leaves of the Himalayan aromatic medicinal plant Nepeta leucophylla Benth. Were screened for the presence of triterpenoids, especially oleanolic acid (OA). Total three compounds oleanolic acid, squalene and linoleic methyl ester were isolated from methanol extract. The percentage yield of OA was 0.11%. Out of these three, OA is more bioactive and was further subjected to derivatization using greener Ultrasonication method. Total three derivatives (3-Acetyl oleanolic acid, 3-Phthaloyl oleanolic acid and 3-Oxo oleanolic acid) were synthesized with 91.16%, 93.98%, and 83.6% respectively. Further, the antioxidant potential of OA and its derivatives were evaluated using DPPH assay which suggested that the 3-Phthaloyl oleanolic acid exhibits highest antioxidant potential with 40.83 ± 1.14% inhibition. OA and its derivatives were screened in-silico antibacterial potential against three bacterial pathogens (E-coli, M. tuberculosis and S. aureus) and antiviral potential against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and H1N1 influenza virus. The in-silico results suggested that 3-phthaloyl oleanolic acid showed best H-bonding with FtsA (Staphylococcus aureus), enoyl acyl reductase (E. coli) and arabinosyl transferase (Mycobactrium tuberculosis). 3-Phthaloyl oleanolic acid also showed best H-Bond interactions with the target proteins hemagglutinin (H1N1) and reverse transcriptase (HIV), whereas, oleanolic acid exhibited the best interactions with RNA dependent RNA polymerase (SARS-CoV-2) and thus could be considered for further in vitro studies.

Challenges in the Application of Circular Economy Models to Agricultural By-Products: Pesticides in Spain as a Case Study.

The income and residue production from agriculture has a strong impact in Spain. A circular economy and a bioeconomy are two alternative sustainable models that include the revalorization of agri-food by-products to recover healthy biomolecules. However, most crops are conventional, implying the use of pesticides. Hence, the reutilization of agri-food by-products may involve the accumulation of pesticides. Even though the waste-to-bioproducts trend has been widely studied, the potential accumulation of pesticides during by-product revalorization has been scarcely assessed. Therefore, in this study, the most common pesticides found in eight highly productive crops in Spain are evaluated according to the available published data, mainly from EFSA reports. Among these, oranges, berries and peppers showed an increasing tendency regarding pesticide exceedances. In addition, the adverse effects of pesticides on human and animal health and the environment were considered. Finally, a safety assessment was developed to understand if the reutilization of citrus peels to recover ascorbic acid (AA) would represent a risk to human health. The results obtained seem to indicate the safety of this by-product to recover AA concentrations to avoid scurvy (45 mg/day) and improve health (200 mg/day). Therefore, this work evaluates the potential risk of pesticide exposure through the revalorization of agri-food by-products using peels from citruses, one of the major agricultural crops in Spain, as a case study.