Publications

Reinhold Kreutz and colleagues in a recent editorial claim the Hygia Chronotherapy Trial lacks credibility because of deficient methods, thereby dismissing both the plausibility and clinical significance of its reported findings. They misstate and misrepresent crucial information, findings and conclusions unambiguously detailed in the published report of the Hygia Chronotherapy Trial. The purpose of this communication is to provide a complete rebuttal to each and every one of the misleading and scientifically unsupported claims by Kreutz et al. that calls into question their expertise to decry the merits, advantages, limitations and validity of correctly designed and conducted ambulatory blood pressure monitoring-based chronotherapy trials.

Flavonoid compounds exhibit a wide range of health benefits as plant-derived dietary components. Typically, co-consumed with the food matrix,they must be released from the matrix and converted into an absorbable form (bioaccessibility) before reaching the small intestine, where they are eventually absorbed and transferred into the bloodstream (bioavailability) to exert their biological activity. However, a large number of studies have revealed the biological functions of individual flavonoid compounds in different experimental models, ignoring the more complex but common relationships established in the diet. Besides, it has been appreciated that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in the metabolism of flavonoids and food substrates, thereby having a significant impact on their interactions, but much progress still needs to be made in this area. Therefore, this review intends to comprehensively investigate the interactions between flavonoids and food matrices, including lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals, and their effects on the nutritional properties of food matrices and the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of flavonoid compounds. Furthermore, the health effects of the interaction of flavonoid compounds with the gut microbiome have also been discussed.HIGHLIGHTSFlavonoids are able to bind to nutrients in the food matrix through covalent or non-covalent bonds.Flavonoids affect the digestion and absorption of lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals in the food matrix (bioaccessibility).Lipids, proteins and carbohydrates may favorably affect the bioavailability of flavonoids.Improved intestinal flora may improve flavonoid bioavailability.

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.

A new face of nanorod crystallinity: The structure of single-crystal gold nanorods is reinterpreted on the basis of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy on standing rods. The studies provided evidence for eight identical higher-index lateral facets (see picture for TEM image and proposed model).

Excess ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes numerous forms of skin damage. The aim of the present study was to assess and compare the photoprotective effects of cyanidin-3- O-glucoside (C3G) alone and encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles (Nano-C3G) in a UVB-induced acute photodamage mouse model. Nano-C3G was developed from chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) by ionic gelation. The particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, drug loading, and in vitro release in 6 days were determined. Kunming (KM) mice were treated with Nano-C3G (125, 250, 500 μM) or C3G (500 μM) after part of the dorsal skin area was dehaired and then exposed to 2 J/cm² of UVB. The nanocapsules were successfully produced and had a uniform and complete spherical shape without agglomeration. The size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and drug loading of Nano-C3G was 288 nm, +30 mV, 44.90%, and 4.30%, respectively. C3G in the nanocapsules was released quite rapidly, and the release rate slowed down at higher pH. The animal experiment demonstrated that Nano-C3G could effectively reduce the UVB-induced lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine contents; downregulate p53, Bcl-2-associated X (Bax), and caspase-3 and -9 expression; and balance the B-cell lymphoma-2/leukemia-2 ratio. Moreover, Nano-C3G (125, 250, 500 μM) improved the visual appearance, skin moisture, histologic appearance, and apoptotic index (based on TUNEL staining) under UVB exposure. In conclusion, these results suggest that Nano-C3G can reduce UVB-induced epidermal damage through the p53-mediated apoptosis signaling pathway. Moreover, Nano-C3G was more efficient than C3G at the same concentration (500 μM).

Purple sweet potato starch is a potential resource for resistant starch production. The effects of heat-moisture treatment (HMT) and enzyme debranching combined heat-moisture treatment (EHMT) on the morphological, crystallinity and thermal properties of PSP starches were investigated. The results indicated that, after HMT or EHMT treatments, native starch granules with smooth surface was destroyed to form a more compact, irregular and sheet-like structure. The crystalline pattern was transformed from C-type to B-type with decreasing relative crystallinity. Due to stronger crystallites formed in modified starches, the swelling power and solubility of HMT and EHMT starch were decreased, while the transition temperatures and gelatinization enthalpy were significantly increased. In addition, HMT and EHMT exhibited greater effects on the proliferation of bifidobacteria compared with either glucose or high amylose maize starch.

3D food printing is an emerging technology developed to facilitate the life of consumers and food enterprises. This technology allows to obtain any type of new foods according to our wishes. It is possible to develop a food with the exact nutritive value necessary for our body, with the most benefiting nutrients we want, or without any ingredients that we have an allergy, and even predict or personalize the taste, the color, the shape, and the size of a food. Therefore, 3D food printing is considered a promising strategy for developing healthy foods. On the other hand, many foods enterprises release high amounts of waste from their processing activities. These wastes contain many bioactive ingredients such as polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, fibers, unsaturated fatty acids, among others, which have physiological and health benefits. Similarly, several bioactive compounds have been identified in algae. They can be extracted by conventional methods with solvents such as water, ethanol, methanol, chloroform, acetone, and many others, but with some limits like environmental contamination, human toxicity, and low extraction rate. For these reasons, it will be interesting to use emerging extraction technologies to recover bioactive compounds and use them in a 3D food printer to make functional foods that can bring a targeted health benefit to consumers.

The present research signifies the anti-obesity potential of Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. and its techno-functional properties. Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. is a medicinal plant that belongs to the Nyctaginaceae family. Studies have reported the various bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, etc., in Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd., responsible for its biological properties such as antibacterial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal, antipyretic, and anticarcinogenic. In this article, the techno-functional properties of the plant, such as tapped density, bulk density, Hausner ratio, Carr index, angle of repose, water absorption and solubility index, swelling capacity, foaming capacity, foam stability, and oil absorption capacity were discussed. The plant’s total phenolic and flavonoid content was 2.9 mg GAE/g and 12.3 mg QE/g, respectively. The plant’s antioxidant activity (89.9%) was estimated using the DPPH assay. The components of the plant powder were confirmed by FTIR analysis. Lipase (IC50: 68.21) and amylase inhibition assay (IC50: 60.19) significantly confirmed the anti-obesity potential of the plant. The highest glucose retention time (2.1 mg/dL) was observed at 120 min.