The potential role of dietary polyphenols in Parkinson’s disease

Cumulative evidence now suggests that the abnormal aggregation of the neuronal protein alpha-synuclein is critically involved in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies, of which Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most prevalent. Development of neuropathology appears to be linked to events that accelerate the rate of aggregation of alpha-synuclein from monomers, via soluble oligomeric intermediates, into amyloid fibrils. Although increasing data suggest that oligomeric aggregates, not amyloid fibrils, disrupt or permeabilise cellular membranes, the nature of the neurotoxic species and its precise molecular mechanism still remain largely unknown, hampering the development of an effective treatment for the disease. Currently, there is no approved therapeutic agent directed toward preventing alpha-synuclein aggregation and only symptomatic therapies are available with a limited time-frame of utility. Numerous studies have demonstrated the protective effects of dietary polyphenols against neuronal damage in PD. The aim of this review is to look at what research has been done so far to show that dietary polyphenolic compounds can effectively interfere with alpha-synuclein oligomerisation. Evidence in the role and mechanisms of diet-derived phenolic products may guide the design of novel therapeutic drugs that can block early stages of amyloid self-assembly in PD and related synucleinopathies.peer-reviewe

Chemical profiling of infusions and decoctions of Helichrysum italicum subsp picardii by UHPLC-PDA-MS and in vitro biological activities comparatively with green tea (Camellia sinensis) and rooibos tisane (Aspalathus linearis)

Several medicinal plants are currently used by the food industry as functional additives, for example botanical extracts in herbal drinks. Moreover, the scientific community has recently begun focusing on halophytes as sources of functional beverages. Helichrysum italicum subsp. picardii (everlasting) is an aromatic halophyte common in southern Europe frequently used as spice and in traditional medicine. In this context, this work explored for the first time H. italicum subsp. picardii as a potential source of innovative herbal beverages with potential health promoting properties. For that purpose, infusions and decoctions were prepared from roots, vegetative aerial-organs (stems and leaves) and flowers and evaluated for in vitro antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities. Samples were also assessed for toxicity in different mammalian cell lines and chemically characterized by spectrophotometric methods and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography photo diode array mass-spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-MS). Results were expressed relating to 'a cup-of-tea' and compared with those obtained with green tea (Camellia sinensis) and rooibos tisane (Aspalathus linearis). Tisanes from the everlasting's above-ground organs, particularly flowers, have high polyphenolic content and several phenolics were identified; the main compounds were chlorogenic and quinic acids, dicaffeoylquinic-acid isomers and gnaphaliin-A. The antioxidant activity of beverages from the everlasting's above-ground organs matched or surpassed that of green tea and rooibos. Its anti-diabetic activity was moderate and toxicity low. Overall, our results suggest that the everlasting is a potential source of innovative and functional herbal beverages. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.national funds through Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]FCT [SFRH/BD/94407/2013, SFRH/BD/116604/2016]Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) [12M8315N]FCT Investigator Programme [IF/00049/2012]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Climate change, agriculture and Fairtrade: identifying the challenges and opportunities

This paper presents the findings of a study commissioned by the UK's Fairtrade Foundation on the implications of climate change for agricultural producers in Fairtrade value chains

Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective

This Report has a number of inter-related general purposes. One is to explore the extent to which food, nutrition, physical activity, and body composition modify the risk of cancer, and to specify which factors are most important. To the extent that environmental factors such as food, nutrition, and physical activity influence the risk of cancer, it is a preventable disease. The Report specifies recommendations based on solid evidence which, when followed, will be expected to reduce the incidence of cancer

Catechin: Molecular mechanism of Anti-Cancer Effect: Katekin: Mekanisme Molekular Efek Antikanker

Over the recent decade, attention has been focused on the pathologic role of free radicals in a variety of diseases, which are most related to the carcinogenesis process. Carcinogenesis is a multi-step process that is induced primarily by carcinogens leading to the development of cancer. Extensive research in the last few years has revealed that regular consumption of certain fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of acquiring specific cancers. Catechins are phytochemical compounds found in high concentrations in a variety of plant-based foods and beverages. Studies with cell lines have demonstrated that catechins affect signal transduction pathways, inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. More mechanistic studies in these areas will help us to understand the inhibitory action of catechin against carcinogenesis and provide background for evaluating the effects of catechin on human carcinogenesis

Cancer immunoprevention and public health

The power of cancer immune surveillance has been documented beyond doubt, and the successful exploitation of immune response to cancer has started a new era in the war against cancer. Cancer biologists have recognized immunoevasion as an emerging hallmark in addition to the six hallmarks of cancer. Besides the natural connection between the immune system and cancer development, most established environmental risk factors are now known to interfere with immune surveillance mechanisms. Genetic variations regulating immunity may also modulate cancer susceptibility, but evidence for this is currently limited. Molecular cross talk linking “immune” and “genomic” surveillance pathways has been characterized. It appears that immune mechanisms may contribute to the effects of common cancer risk factors. We provide an updated overview of evidence for cancer immune surveillance, cancer risk factors interfering with it, and interventions to enhance cancer immune surveillance as tools to complement ongoing vaccine development efforts for cancer immunoprevention. Although there is a lot of support for cancer immunoprevention with simple lifestyle modifications from observational studies, there is an urgent need for clinical trials to establish the effectiveness of this approach for public health benefits

Evaluate to Learn: Integrating Assessment Data to Improve Outcome of a Didactic Biomedical Science Course

Objectives: To describe the evaluation system used to identify curricular issues within a pre-clinical biomedical science course in a Pharm.D program and report the difference in outcome after implementation of the resulting changes. Method: Course content, sequence of delivery and integration of topics with other courses in the relevant tracks were reviewed to identify discrepancies. Evaluation feedback from students and faculty were obtained from E-value online course evaluation system, and end of course discussion reports. Student performance in the course before and after implementing the recommended changes were compared to assess their effectiveness. Results: Content duplications and discord in the delivery sequence were identified within the course and corrected accordingly. Infectious disease content was also added in the form of interactive group cases. The information obtained from evaluations by students and faculty were compiled as a list of recommendations communicated to the course coordinator, as guidelines to alter the structure and content of the course. The overall class average earned by students enrolled in the course increased by 12% and the mean score obtained for course effectiveness in the E-value course evaluation tool improved by 0.5 points (in a scale of 1 to 5) after changes. Implications: The data indicates a probable improvement in student learning as a result of the assessment driven course changes. But the student performance comparison data are restricted to 2 cohorts which limits the reliability of the results thus requiring further investigation