Antioxidant and Hypolipidemic Activity of Açai Fruit Makes It a Valuable Functional Food

Several plant extracts are acquiring increasing value because of their antioxidant activity and hypolipidemic properties. Among them, great interest has been recently paid to acai fruit as a functional food. The aim of this study was to test the ability of acai extract in reducing oxidative stress and modulating lipid metabolism in vitro using different cell models and different types of stress. In fact, lipid peroxidation as evaluated in a HepG2 model was reduced five-fold when using 0.25 mu g/mL of extract, and it was further reduced (20-fold) with the concentration increase up to 2.5 mu g/mL. With the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)in vitro model, all concentrations tested showed at least a two-fold reduced fat deposit. In addition, primary adipocytes challenged with TNF-alpha under hypoxic conditions to mimic the persistent subcutaneous fat, treated with acai extract showed an approximately 40% reduction of fat deposit. Overall, our results show that acai is able to counteract oxidative states in all the cell models analysed and to prevent the accumulation of lipid droplets. No toxic effects and high stability overtime were highlighted at the concentrations tested. Therefore, acai can be considered a suitable support in the prevention of different alterations of lipid and oxidative metabolism responsible for fat deposition and metabolic pathological conditions

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Antioxidant and Hypolipidemic Activity of Açai Fruit Makes It a Valuable Functional Food

Several plant extracts are acquiring increasing value because of their antioxidant activity and hypolipidemic properties. Among them, great interest has been recently paid to açai fruit as a functional food. The aim of this study was to test the ability of açai extract in reducing oxidative stress and modulating lipid metabolism in vitro using different cell models and different types of stress. In fact, lipid peroxidation as evaluated in a HepG2 model was reduced five-fold when using 0.25 µg/mL of extract, and it was further reduced (20-fold) with the concentration increase up to 2.5 µg/mL. With the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)in vitro model, all concentrations tested showed at least a two-fold reduced fat deposit. In addition, primary adipocytes challenged with TNF-α under hypoxic conditions to mimic the persistent subcutaneous fat, treated with açai extract showed an approximately 40% reduction of fat deposit. Overall, our results show that açai is able to counteract oxidative states in all the cell models analysed and to prevent the accumulation of lipid droplets. No toxic effects and high stability overtime were highlighted at the concentrations tested. Therefore, açai can be considered a suitable support in the prevention of different alterations of lipid and oxidative metabolism responsible for fat deposition and metabolic pathological conditions

Herbicide Widespread: The Effects of Pethoxamid on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Steatosis In Vitro

Pethoxamid is a widespread herbicidal product, presenting itself as an extremely flexible active substance and with a high potential for use as an herbicide for preemergence. The emergence of multiple resistance in crops has been addressed using combinations of preemergence and postemergence herbicides in the same seeding-harvest cycle. A winning combination of pethoxamid and glyphosate mainly affected the acidobacteria population. Glyphosate scientific literature has demonstrated an observational link between herbicide exposure and liver disease in human subjects. Identifying and ranking the risk to the public that pethoxamid could exert on target organs has not been evaluated so far. Due to similarities to glyphosate, we did look at the effect of pethoxamid on impaired liver cells HepG2, using a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) cell model in vitro. Pethoxamid was cytotoxic starting at 1 ppm. Fatty acid accumulation (FA) was enhanced while low doses of pethoxamid slightly decreased LDH protein expression compared to FA-treated HepG2. The same trend was observed for cytochrome c. Based on our data, we can argue that NAFLD hepatic cells react to pethoxamid trying detoxifying strategies, ready to undergo cell death to avoid further degeneration. Downregulation of cytochrome can lead to the hypothesis that pethoxamid should not induce herbicide resistance

Resveratrol and Cancer Treatment: Is Hormesis a Yet Unsolved Matter?

"Plants produce many low molecular mass natural compounds endowed with biological activity. Among them, resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) has been demonstrated to be able to affect a plethora of pivotal cellular molecular processes, including transduction pathways and gene expression. These activities result, in turn, in several different cell phenotypes. Particularly, frequent effects of resveratrol treatment appear to be the reduction of growth and the activation of programmed cell death. Accordingly, a number of trials are currently under development to evaluate the possibility of using resveratrol in cancer therapy, both as single agent or in association with other anticancer compounds. However, some reports suggest that, at low concentrations, not only resveratrol does not inhibit the proliferation and\/or the survival of cells but, conversely, it induces proliferation and\/or protects cells against toxic agents. On the basis of these biphasic effects, it has been proposed that resveratrol belongs to the so-called hormetic compounds. Hormesis is an expression employed by toxicologists to describe a U-shaped (or J-shaped) dose response characterized by a beneficial effect at low doses and a toxic (or inhibitory) activity at high dose. In this review, we will reappraise data that might suggest or disprove that resveratrol is endowed with clear hormetic properties.

Resveratrol and Cancer Treatment: Is Hormesis a Yet Unsolved Matter?

"Plants produce many low molecular mass natural compounds endowed with biological activity. Among them, resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) has been demonstrated to be able to affect a plethora of pivotal cellular molecular processes, including transduction pathways and gene expression. These activities result, in turn, in several different cell phenotypes. Particularly, frequent effects of resveratrol treatment appear to be the reduction of growth and the activation of programmed cell death. Accordingly, a number of trials are currently under development to evaluate the possibility of using resveratrol in cancer therapy, both as single agent or in association with other anticancer compounds. However, some reports suggest that, at low concentrations, not only resveratrol does not inhibit the proliferation and\/or the survival of cells but, conversely, it induces proliferation and\/or protects cells against toxic agents. On the basis of these biphasic effects, it has been proposed that resveratrol belongs to the so-called hormetic compounds. Hormesis is an expression employed by toxicologists to describe a U-shaped (or J-shaped) dose response characterized by a beneficial effect at low doses and a toxic (or inhibitory) activity at high dose. In this review, we will reappraise data that might suggest or disprove that resveratrol is endowed with clear hormetic properties.

Molecular Mechanisms at the Basis of Pharmaceutical Grade Triticum vulgare Extract Efficacy in Prompting Keratinocytes Healing

Background: It has been shown that many plant- or microbial-derived oligos and polysaccharides may prompt tissue repair. Among the different extracts that have been studied, the aqueous one of Triticum vulgare (TVE) that was obtained from a whole germinated plant has been proven to have different biological properties that are useful in the process of wound healing. Nevertheless, with the long tradition of its use in pharmaceutical cream and ointments, especially in Italy, a new protocol was recently proposed (and patented) to improve the extraction process. Methods: In a simplified in vitro model, human keratinocyte monolayers were scratched and used to run time lapse experiments by using time lapse video microscopy (TLVM) to quantify reparation rate while considering a dose–response effect. Contemporarily, the molecular mechanisms that are involved in tissue repair were studied. In fact, key biomarkers that are involved in remodeling, such as MMP-2 and MMP-9, and in matrix structure assembly, such as collagen I, elastin, integrin αV and aquaporin 3, were evaluated with gene expression analyses (RT-PCR) and protein quantification in western blotting. Results: All TVE doses tested on the HaCat-supported cell proliferation. TVE also prompted cell migration in respect to the control, correctly modulating the timing of metalloproteases expression toward a consistent and well-assessed matrix remodeling. Furthermore, TVE treatments upregulated and positively modulated the expression of the analyzed biomarkers, thus resulting in a better remodeling of dermal tissue during healing. Conclusions: The in vitro results on the beneficial effects of TVE on tissue elasticity and regeneration may support a better understanding of the action mechanism of TVE as active principles in pharmaceutical preparation in wound treatment

Hybrid Complexes of High and Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronans Highly Enhance HASCs Differentiation: Implication for Facial Bioremodelling

Background/Aims: Adipose-derived Stem Cells (ASCs) are used in Regenerative Medicine, including fat grafting, recovery from local tissue ischemia and scar remodeling. The aim of this study was to evaluate hyaluronan based gel effects on ASCs differentiation and proliferation. Methods: Comparative analyses using high (H) and low (L) molecular weight hyaluronans (HA), hyaluronan hybrid cooperative complexes (HCCs), and high and medium cross-linked hyaluronan based dermal fillers were performed. Human ASCs were characterized by flow cytometry using CD90, CD34, CD105, CD29, CD31, CD45 and CD14 markers. Then, cells were treated for 7, 14 and 21 days with hyaluronans. Adipogenic differentiation was evaluated using Oil red-O staining and expression of leptin, PPAR-γ, LPL and adiponectin using qRT-PCR. Adiponectin was analyzed by immunofluorescence, PPAR-γ and adiponectin were analyzed using western blotting. ELISA assays for adiponectin and leptin were performed. Results: HCCs highly affected ASCs differentiation by up-regulating adipogenic genes and related proteins, that were also secreted in the culture medium. H-HA and L-HA induced a lower level of ASCs differentiation. Conclusion: HCCs-based formulations clearly enhance adipogenic differentiation and proliferation, when compared with linear HA and cross-linked hyaluronans. Injection of HCCs in subdermal fat compartment may recruit and differentiate stem cells in adipocytes, and considerably improving fat tissue renewal