Honey, a Gift from Nature to Health and Beauty: A Review

Benefits of honey are contributed by the composition of its elements such as glucose, fructose, glucose oxidase, vitamins and phenolic compounds. For health, honey can be used to treat wounds due to the antibacterial activity conferred by the hydrogen peroxide produced by glucose oxidase in honey. Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, deodorizing and tissue regeneration activities in honey also help in the wound healing process. It can also be an alternative sweetener for diabetic patients to ensure compliance to a healthy diet. Moreover, honey exerts several effects such as lowering low density lipids and increasing high density lipids, thus reducing risk of atherosclerosis. In terms of beauty, honey can be used on skin and hair. It moisturizes skin through its natural humectant properties contributed by high contents of fructose and glucose. Honey treats acne on the skin due to its antibacterial activity, anti-inflammatory action and tissue repair. The hair can benefit from honey in such a way that the hair has abundance, and becomes easier to comb. However, there have not been as many studies regarding the use of honey in skin in comparison to its use for health. Therefore, future studies on honey could research its use, action and benefits in both cosmetics and dermatology

Approaches in biotechnological applications of natural polymers

Natural polymers, such as gums and mucilage, are biocompatible, cheap, easily available and non-toxic materials of native origin. These polymers are increasingly preferred over synthetic materials for industrial applications due to their intrinsic properties, as well as they are considered alternative sources of raw materials since they present characteristics of sustainability, biodegradability and biosafety. As definition, gums and mucilages are polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates consisting of one or more monosaccharides or their derivatives linked in bewildering variety of linkages and structures. Natural gums are considered polysaccharides naturally occurring in varieties of plant seeds and exudates, tree or shrub exudates, seaweed extracts, fungi, bacteria, and animal sources. Water-soluble gums, also known as hydrocolloids, are considered exudates and are pathological products; therefore, they do not form a part of cell wall. On the other hand, mucilages are part of cell and physiological products. It is important to highlight that gums represent the largest amounts of polymer materials derived from plants. Gums have enormously large and broad applications in both food and non-food industries, being commonly used as thickening, binding, emulsifying, suspending, stabilizing agents and matrices for drug release in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In the food industry, their gelling properties and the ability to mold edible films and coatings are extensively studied. The use of gums depends on the intrinsic properties that they provide, often at costs below those of synthetic polymers. For upgrading the value of gums, they are being processed into various forms, including the most recent nanomaterials, for various biotechnological applications. Thus, the main natural polymers including galactomannans, cellulose, chitin, agar, carrageenan, alginate, cashew gum, pectin and starch, in addition to the current researches about them are reviewed in this article.. }To the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfíico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for fellowships (LCBBC and MGCC) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvíel Superior (CAPES) (PBSA). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) (JAT)

Prevenção da síndrome metabólica em crianças obesas: uma proposta de intervenção Prevención del síndrome metabólico en niños obesos: una propuesta de intervención Prevention of metabolic syndrome in obese children: a proposal of intervention

OBJETIVO: Analisar o efeito de 12 semanas de intervenção envolvendo prática de atividade física, orientações alimentar e psicológica sobre fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento da síndrome metabólica em crianças e adolescentes obesos. MÉTODOS: Estudo longitudinal com 23 crianças e adolescentes obesos, com idade entre seis e 16 anos (12,0±3,2 anos). Foram mensurados: gordura corporal total e de tronco, glicemia, colesterol total e triglicérides, pressão arterial sistólica e diastólica. Os jovens foram submetidos a três sessões semanais de 60 minutos de exercício físico (atividades esportivas recreativas, ginástica, circuitos e caminhadas), durante 12 semanas. O teste do qui-quadrado foi usado para comparar dados categóricos daqueles que apresentaram valores acima das recomendações para cada fator de risco. O teste t para dados pareados foi aplicado para comparar os dois momentos do estudo. RESULTADOS: Em indivíduos com alterações metabólicas no início do estudo, observou-se, após a intervenção, a diminuição de 11,6% na glicemia (105 para 93mg/dL; p=0,046) e de 24,9% no triglicérides (217 para 163mg/dL; p=0,013); porém, não houve diferenças na pressão arterial e no colesterol total. CONCLUSÕES: O programa de exercício físico aplicado nas crianças e adolescentes foi eficiente para melhorar os valores de glicemia e triglicérides.<br>OBJETIVO: Analizar el efecto de 12 semanas de intervención implicando práctica de actividad física, orientación alimentar y psicológica sobre factores de riesgo respecto al desarrollo del síndrome metabólico en niños y adolescentes obesos. MÉTODOS: Estudio longitudinal con 23 niños y adolescentes obsesos, con edad entre seis y 16 años (12,0±3,2 años). Se midió: grasa corporal total y de tronco, glucemia, colesterol total y triglicéridos, presión arterial sistólica y diastólica Los jóvenes fueron sometidos a tres sesiones semanales de 60 minutos de ejercicio físico (actividades deportivas recreativas, gimnástica, circuitos y caminatas) durante 12 semanas. En el tratamiento estadístico, se realizó el análisis descriptivo, con promedio, desviación estándar y error estándar. La prueba de chi cuadrado fue usada para comparar datos categóricos con aquellos que presentaron valores por encima de las recomendaciones para cada Factor de Riesgo y la prueba t para datos pareados fue usada para comparar los dos momentos del estudio. RESULTADOS: En individuos con alteraciones metabólicas en el inicio del estudio, se observó, después de la intervención, reducción del 11,6% en la glucemia (1053mg/dL para 93mg/dL; p=0,046) y del 24,9% en los triglicéridos (217mg/dL para 163mg/dL; p=0,013); sin embargo, no hubo diferencias en la presión arterial y en el colesterol total. CONCLUSIÓN: El programa de ejercicio físico aplicado en los niños y adolescentes fue eficiente para mejorar los valores de glucemia y triglicéridos.<br>OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of a 12-week intervention program based on physical activity practice, alimentary and psychological orientation on the risk factors for the development of metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted with 23 obese children and adolescents, aged six to 16 years (12.0±3.2 years). Total body and trunk fat mass, glycemia, total cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured. The children were submitted to physical activity three times a week during 12 weeks. Each session of 60 minutes consisted of recreational sports activities, gymnastics, circuits and track-walking. Chi-square test was used to compare categorical data for those patients who had values above the recommendations for each risk factor and Student's t-test for paired data was used to compare the two moments of the study. RESULTS: In subjects who had altered baseline values in the beginning of the study, the glycemia levels decreased 11.6% (from 105 to 93mg/dL; p=0.046) and the triglycerides decreased 24.9% (from 217 to 163mg/dL; p=0.013) after the intervention. On the other hand, no differences were noted for blood pressure and total cholesterol after the intervention. CCONCLUSIONS: The intervention was effective in improving blood glucose and triglycerides levels in children and adolescents enrolled in the study