Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) berries, seeds, leaves, and essential oils: New undiscovered sources of natural compounds with promising health benefits

AbstractMyrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is a typical plant of the coasts of Mediterranean area, which grows spontaneously as a shrub or a small tree. Myrtle berries, leaves, seeds, and essential oils are natural sources of several nutrients and bioactive compounds with marked health effects. In the ancient medicine, it has been indeed used for treating several common diseases, including gastrointestinal, urinary, and skin disorders, whereas currently it is widely employed in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. This review aims to describe the nutritional and the phytochemical compositions of different parts of myrtle plant, as well as their antioxidant activities. In addition, several in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo studies are also presented to give a general overview of the potential effects of myrtle on human health. Finally, a critical analysis of the limitations related to the current research on myrtle is given

A Systematic Review on the Implication of Minerals in the Onset, Severity and Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease with high prevalence in adults that leads to destruction of the teeth-supporting tissues. Periodontal therapy has been traditionally directed at reduction of the bacterial load to a level that encourages health-promoting bacteria and maintenance of oral-hygiene. The role of nutrition in different chronic inflammatory diseases has been the subject of an increasing body of research in the last decades. In this sense, there has been an important increase in the volume of research on role of nutrition in periodontitis since the diet has known effects on the immune system and inflammatory cascades. Minerals play a key role in all these processes due to the multiple pathways where they participate. To clarify the role of the different minerals in the establishment, progression and/or treatment of this pathology, a systemically review of published literature cited in PubMed until May 2016 was conducted, which included research on the relationship of these elements with the onset and progression of periodontal disease. Among all the minerals, calcium dietary intake seems important to maintain alveolar bone. Likewise, dietary proportions of minerals that may influence its metabolism also can be relevant. Lastly, some observations suggest that all those minerals with roles in immune and/or antioxidant systems should be considered in future research

Bee Products: An Emblematic Example of Underutilized Sources of Bioactive Compounds

Beside honey, honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) are able to produce many byproducts, including bee pollen, propolis, bee bread, royal jelly, and beeswax. Even if the medicinal properties of these byproducts have been recognized for thousands of years by the ancient civilizations, in the modern era, they have a limited use, essentially as nutritional supplements or health products. However, these natural products are excellent sources of bioactive compounds, macro- and micronutrients, that, in a synergistic way, confer multiple biological activities to these byproducts, such as, for example, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This work aims to update the chemical and phytochemical composition of bee pollen, propolis, bee bread, royal jelly, and beeswax and to summarize the main effects exerted by these byproducts on human health, from the anticancer and immunemodulatory activities to the antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, hypotensive, and anti-allergic properties

Role of Lipids in the Onset, Progression and Treatment of Periodontal Disease. A Systematic Review of Studies in Humans

The risk of different oral problems (root caries, tooth mobility, and tooth loss) can be increased by the presence of periodontal disease, which has also been associated with a growing list of systemic diseases. The presence of some bacteria is the primary etiology of this disease; a susceptible host is also necessary for disease initiation. In this respect, the progression of periodontal disease and healing of the periodontal tissues can be modulated by nutritional status. To clarify the role of lipids in the establishment, progression, and/or treatment of this pathology, a systematic review was conducted of English-written literature in PubMed until May 2016, which included research on the relationship of these dietary components with the onset and progression of periodontal disease. According to publication type, randomized-controlled trials, cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies were included. Among all the analyzed components, those that have any effect on oxidative stress and/or inflammation seem to be the most interesting according to current evidence. On one hand, there is quite a lot of information in favor of a positive role of n-3 fatty acids, due to their antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects. On the other hand, saturated fat-rich diets increase oxidative stress as well the as intensity and duration of inflammatory processes, so they must be avoided.Alfonso Varela-López is recipient of a fellowship of FPU program from the Spanish Ministry of Education. Authors acknowledge to the University of Granada and the Autonomous Government of Andalusia for partial support of the research team

Adenosine Monophosphate (AMP)-Activated Protein Kinase: A New Target for Nutraceutical Compounds

Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an important energy sensor which is activated by increases in adenosine monophosphate (AMP)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio and/or adenosine diphosphate (ADP)/ATP ratio, and increases different metabolic pathways such as fatty acid oxidation, glucose transport and mitochondrial biogenesis. In this sense, AMPK maintains cellular energy homeostasis by induction of catabolism and inhibition of ATP-consuming biosynthetic pathways to preserve ATP levels. Several studies indicate a reduction of AMPK sensitivity to cellular stress during aging and this could impair the downstream signaling and the maintenance of the cellular energy balance and the stress resistance. However, several diseases have been related with an AMPK dysfunction. Alterations in AMPK signaling decrease mitochondrial biogenesis, increase cellular stress and induce inflammation, which are typical events of the aging process and have been associated to several pathological processes. In this sense, in the last few years AMPK has been identified as a very interesting target and different nutraceutical compounds are being studied for an interesting potential effect on AMPK induction. In this review, we will evaluate the interaction of the different nutraceutical compounds to induce the AMPK phosphorylation and the applications in diseases such as cancer, type II diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases or cardiovascular diseases

Dealing with predatory publishers/publishing: Answers to some of the most common questions

This Question and Answer (Q&A) document is meant to guide on important aspects of predatory publishers/publishing, such as what an author can do after submitting an article to a predatory journal, what the consequences could be, and so forth. We collected some of the most common questions researchers have about predatory journals, and the answers were gathered from different online sources. As the topic is constantly evolving, we will keep the document updated

Effect of manuka honey on 5-fluorouracil chemosensitivity in colonspheres enriched with cancer stem (-like) cells

Manuka honey (MH) has an in vitro chemosensitizing effect against 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) in colonspheres enriched with cancer stem (-like) cells (CSCs-like); these interesting findings, although preliminary, suggest a potential synergistic action of MH with 5-Fu, which could be useful in deepening the studies on natural compounds to be used in association with conventional medical therapies

Association between diagnostic imaging and biochemical markers: a possible tool for monitoring metabolic disorders

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), obesity, and diabetes mellitus (DM) are the most common metabolic disorders (MDs) in the world, characterized by abnormalities in body’s metabolic processes. The typical diagnosis of MDs is usually executed by monitoring the levels of specific biochemical markers, but diagnostic imaging may provide valuable complementary information in MDs, offering advantages in diagnosis, target organ monitoring, follow-up, and development of new therapeutic approaches. The aim of this review is to summarize and discuss the studies published in the literature about the connection between images deriving from the diagnostic techniques and the key biochemical markers in the main MDs, in order to gain a comprehensive view of the different disorders

Guidelines for dealing with predatory publishers/publishing: A working document

The phenomenon of predatory publishing and publishers is a challenge that needs to be addressed, as it undermines the quality of scientific endeavor and practice. This publication aims to provide practical guidance on how to avoid predatory publishing to support CGIAR researchers, repository managers, librarians, and staff involved in the quality assurance of publications