Quality Assessment of Waste from Olive Oil Production and Design of Biodegradable Packaging

The use of olive pomace from olive oil production is still insufficient. The lingering olive pomace is harmful to the environment. On the other hand, the world is increasingly polluted with plastic or by-products from the production of biodegradable products. Considering these two problems, the aim of this work was to develop a mixture and create biodegradable disposable tableware characterized by high antioxidant activity. The disposable tableware was made by mixing olive pomace with teff flour or/and sorghum groats and lecithin. Baking was carried out at the temperature of 180 °C. The best variant of the mixture for the preparation of disposable tableware was olive pomace, teff flour, sorghum groats and lecithin. These vessels were the toughest, with low water absorption and had a high antioxidant potential due to the high content of polyphenols and omega acids. Protecting the cups and bowls with beeswax had a positive effect on reducing water absorption

Reply to Zarguan et al. Comment on “Budryn et al. Hydroxybenzoic Acids as Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Calorimetric and Docking Simulation Studies. Nutrients 2022, 14, 2476”

We thank Prof. Zarguan’s group for their comment [...

Binding of Red Clover Isoflavones to Actin as A Potential Mechanism of Anti-Metastatic Activity Restricting the Migration of Cancer Cells

Actin functions are crucial for the ability of the cell to execute dynamic cytoskeleton reorganization and movement. Nutraceuticals that form complexes with actin and reduce its polymerization can be used in cancer therapy to prevent cell migration and metastasis of tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of isoflavones to form complexes with actin. Docking simulation and isothermal titration calorimetry were used for this purpose. The formation of complexes by hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic and π-π interactions was demonstrated. Interactions occurred at the ATP binding site, which may limit the rotation of the actin molecule observed during polymerization and also at the site responsible for contacts during polymerization, reducing the ability of the molecule to form filaments. The greatest therapeutic potential was demonstrated by isoflavones occurring in red clover sprouts, i.e., biochanin A and formononetin, being methoxy derivatives of genistein and daidzein

Cicer arietinum L. Sprouts’ Influence on Mineralization of Saos-2 and Migration of MCF-7 Cells

In the present study, we investigated the biological activity of four extracts obtained from Cicer arietinum L. sprouts. The fermentation of the sprouts with Lactobacillus casei and their incubation with β-glucosidase elevated the concentrations of isoflavonoids, especially coumestrol, formononetin and biochanin A. To study the biological activity of C. arietinum, the human osteosarcoma Saos-2 and human breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines were used. The extracts obtained from fermented sprouts exhibited the strongest ability to decrease intracellular oxidative stress in both types of cells. They augmented mineralization and alkaline phosphatase activity in Saos-2 cells, as well as diminished the secretion of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor α. Simultaneously, the extracts, at the same doses, inhibited the migration of MCF-7 cells. On the other hand, elevated concentrations of C. arietinum induced apoptosis in estrogen-dependent MCF-7 cells, while lower doses stimulated cell proliferation. These results are important for carefully considering the use of fermented C. arietinum sprouts as a dietary supplement component for the prevention of osteoporosis

Hydroxybenzoic Acids as Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Calorimetric and Docking Simulation Studies

One of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is low acetylcholine level due to high acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. For this reason, AChE inhibitors are used in the treatment of AD, the prolonged use of which may cause a cholinergic crisis. There is a need to search for safe natural AChE inhibitors. The study analyzed 16 hydroxybenzoic acids using calorimetry and docking simulation as AChE inhibitors. All tested compounds were shown to inhibit the hydrolysis of ACh. The best properties were shown by methyl syringinate, which acted as competitive inhibitor at a catalytic site. The tested compounds also interacted with the anionic or peripheral binding site known to block β-amyloid plaques formation. The activity of the tested hydroxybenzoic acids IC50 ranged from 5.50 to 34.19 µmol/µmol of AChE, and the binding constant Ka from 20.53 to 253.16 L/mol, which proves their reversible, non-toxic effect, and activity at physiological concentrations

Selected aspects of allergy nursing

Introduction. Due to their dynamic character, allergic conditions pose challenges for modern medicine and constitute a public health problem. Nearly 40% of the general Polish population is estimated to suffer from an allergy. We would like to emphasize that allergies are not some extraordinary ailments; instead, they commonly coincide with or are complications of other systemic conditions. Hence, national health policies should prioritize the development and implementation of ready-to-use protocols that focus mainly on prevention rather than treatment