Apple polyphenols in human and animal health*

Apples contain substantial amounts of polyphenols, and diverse phenolics mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids, have been identified in their flesh and skins. This work aimed to analyze the overall landscape of the research literature published to date on apple phenolic compounds in the context of human and animal health. The Web of Science Core Collection electronic database was queried with (apple* polyphenol*) AND (health* OR illness* OR disease* OR medic* OR pharma*) to identify relevant papers covering these words and their derivatives in the titles, abstracts, and keywords. The resulted 890 papers were bibliometrically analyzed. The VOSviewer software was utilized to produce term maps that illustrate how the frequent phrases fared in terms of publication and citation data. The apple polyphenol papers received global contributions, particularly from China, Italy, the United States, Spain, and Germany. Examples of frequently mentioned chemicals/chemical classes are quercetin, anthocyanin, catechin, epicatechin, and flavonol, while examples of frequently mentioned medical conditions are cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimers disease, and obesity. The potential health benefits of apple polyphenols on humans and animals are diverse and warrant further study.Authors acknowledge the support from The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) of Poland (project number POIR.01.01.01-00-0593/18).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Advanced paternal age effects in neurodevelopmental disorders?review of potential underlying mechanisms

Multiple epidemiological studies suggest a relationship between advanced paternal age (APA) at conception and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring, particularly with regard to increased risk for autism and schizophrenia. Conclusive evidence about how age-related changes in paternal gametes, or age-independent behavioral traits affect neural development is still lacking. Recent evidence suggests that the origins of APA effects are likely to be multidimensional, involving both inherited predisposition and de novo events. Here we provide a review of the epidemiological and molecular findings to date. Focusing on the latter, we present the evidence for genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underpinning the association between late fatherhood and disorder in offspring. We also discuss the limitations of the APA literature. We propose that different hypotheses relating to the origins of the APA effects are not mutually exclusive. Instead, multiple mechanisms likely contribute, reflecting the etiological complexity of neurodevelopmental disorders

Genomic stability of lyophilized sheep somatic cells before and after nuclear transfer.

The unprecedented decline of biodiversity worldwide is urging scientists to collect and store biological material from seriously threatened animals, including large mammals. Lyophilization is being explored as a low-cost system for storage in bio-banks of cells that might be used to expand or restore endangered or extinct species through the procedure of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT). Here we report that the genome is intact in about 60% of lyophylized sheep lymphocytes, whereas DNA damage occurs randomly in the remaining 40%. Remarkably, lyophilized nuclei injected into enucleated oocytes are repaired by a robust DNA repairing activity of the oocytes, and show normal developmental competence. Cloned embryos derived from lyophylized cells exhibited chromosome and cellular composition comparable to those of embryos derived from fresh donor cells. These findings support the feasibility of lyophylization as a storage procedure of mammalian cells to be used for SCNT