Bioactive Compounds Contained in Mediterranean Diet and Their Effects on Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neuroinflammatory processes in the brain are believed to play a crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, especially due to increased production of reactive oxygen species. The brain is susceptible to oxidative stress more than other organs due to the low activity of antioxidant defense systems. In agreement with these observations, increased oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, ischemic diseases and aging. The Mediterranean diet is inspired by the traditional dietary pattern of some countries of the Mediterranean basin. From ancient times, these populations were characterized by simple food habits as high intake of whole cereals (pasta, bread, rice), fruits and vegetables (up to 400 g day−1 in Greece), legumes and fish, olive oil as the common source of fats, poor intake of meat and dairy products and a moderate, regular wine drinking. In the present chapter, there are going to be presented some bioactive substances present in the Mediterranean diet related to the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. These substances are able to exert important antioxidant activity (through mechanisms such as sequestration of free radicals, inhibition of the production of hydrogen peroxide, activation of endogenous defense mechanisms

Sports Nutrition and Performance

Nutrition plays an essential role on sports performance. Following an adequate nutrition pattern determines winning the gold medal or failing in the attempt. That is why it is commonly referred to as “invisible training.” However, regarding food and performance, it is not only referred to professional athletes. Nowadays, a large number of amateur athletes perform daily physical activity both recreationally and semiprofessionally. That population also seeks to achieve an improvement in their personal brands, which can be reached following proper nutritional guidelines. In athlete population, nutrient requirements are incremented compared with non-athlete population. Therefore, it is essential to carry out a nutritional approach adapted to the athlete and training sessions. In addition, other advantages of adequate food intake in sports are related to changes in body composition, reduction of injuries, and prolongation of professional career length. The objective of this chapter is to determine the nutritional requirements of athlete population that allow to achieve their sporting goals. Nutritional strategies will be addressed in terms of macronutrients consumption, hydration, and timing depending on type and intensity of exercise

Adherencia y satisfacción del paciente con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica desde la farmacia comunitaria

Introducción: Numerosos estudios demuestran que actualmente la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) está mal controlada e infradiagnosticada en numerosos pacientes debido a la utilización inadecuada de la farmacoterapia. El conocimiento de los pacientes sobre los complejos medicamentos que manejan puede no ser suficiente, y es aquí donde la dispensación activa del farmacéutico comunitario juega un papel esencial. Los objetivos de este artículo son medir la adherencia al tratamiento y el grado de satisfacción con la intervención del farmacéutico de los pacientes que utilizan inhaladores.  Método: Se ha realizado un estudio observacional transversal en 105 pacientes diagnosticados de enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) tratados con inhaladores y que acuden a la farmacia comunitaria. A todos los pacientes se les realizó el test de Morisky-Green de adherencia al tratamiento y un test para valorar el grado de satisfacción de los pacientes que utilizan inhaladores con la intervención del farmacéutico.  Resultados: Presentan adherencia al tratamiento el 60% de los pacientes. La adherencia al tratamiento es superior en mujeres que en hombres, y mayor en pacientes de edad igual o superior a 65 años. Respecto al grado de satisfacción con el farmacéutico se observa que el 52,4 % de los pacientes considera adecuada la intervención llevada a cabo por el farmacéutico y el 43,8 % totalmente adecuada. Conclusiones: Los pacientes con EPOC tienen una adherencia al tratamiento bastante mejorable y están satisfechos con la intervención del farmacéutico en la mejora de la utilización de los inhaladores

Adherencia y satisfacción del paciente con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica desde la farmacia comunitaria

Introducción: Numerosos estudios demuestran que actualmente la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) está mal controlada e infradiagnosticada en numerosos pacientes debido a la utilización inadecuada de la farmacoterapia. El conocimiento de los pacientes sobre los complejos medicamentos que manejan puede no ser suficiente, y es aquí donde la dispensación activa del farmacéutico comunitario juega un papel esencial. Los objetivos de este artículo son medir la adherencia al tratamiento y el grado de satisfacción con la intervención del farmacéutico de los pacientes que utilizan inhaladores.  Método: Se ha realizado un estudio observacional transversal en 105 pacientes diagnosticados de enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) tratados con inhaladores y que acuden a la farmacia comunitaria. A todos los pacientes se les realizó el test de Morisky-Green de adherencia al tratamiento y un test para valorar el grado de satisfacción de los pacientes que utilizan inhaladores con la intervención del farmacéutico.  Resultados: Presentan adherencia al tratamiento el 60% de los pacientes. La adherencia al tratamiento es superior en mujeres que en hombres, y mayor en pacientes de edad igual o superior a 65 años. Respecto al grado de satisfacción con el farmacéutico se observa que el 52,4 % de los pacientes considera adecuada la intervención llevada a cabo por el farmacéutico y el 43,8 % totalmente adecuada. Conclusiones: Los pacientes con EPOC tienen una adherencia al tratamiento bastante mejorable y están satisfechos con la intervención del farmacéutico en la mejora de la utilización de los inhaladores

The Effect of Regular Intake of Dry-Cured Ham Rich in Bioactive Peptides on Inflammation, Platelet and Monocyte Activation Markers in Humans.

Background and aims: Dietary studies have shown that active biopeptides provide protective health benefits, although the mediating pathways are somewhat uncertain. To throw light on this situation, we studied the effects of consuming Spanish dry-cured ham on platelet function, monocyte activation markers and the inflammatory status of healthy humans with pre-hypertension. Methods: Thirty-eight healthy volunteers with systolic blood pressure of >125 mmHg were enrolled in a two-arm crossover randomized controlled trial. Participants received 80 g/day dry-cured pork ham of >11 months proteolysis or 100 g/day cooked ham (control product) for 4 weeks followed by a 2-week washout before "crossing over" to the other treatment for 4 more weeks. Soluble markers and cytokines were analyzed by ELISA. Platelet function was assessed by measuring P-selectin expression and PAC-1 binding after ADP (adenosine diphosphate) stimulation using whole blood flow cytometry. Monocyte markers of the pathological status (adhesion, inflammatory and scavenging receptors) were also measured by flow cytometry in the three monocyte subsets after the interventional period. Results: The mean differences between dry-cured ham and cooked ham followed by a time period adjustment for plasmatic P-selectin and interleukin 6 proteins slightly failed (p = 0.062 and p = 0.049, respectively), notably increased for MCP-1 levels (p = 0.023) while VCAM-1 was not affected. Platelet function also decreased after ADP stimulation. The expression of adhesion and scavenging markers (ICAM1R, CXCR4 and TLR4) in the three subsets of monocytes was significantly higher (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: The regular consumption of biopeptides contained in the dry-cured ham but absent in cooked ham impaired platelet and monocyte activation and the levels of plasmatic P-selectin, MCP-1 and interleukin 6 in healthy subjects. This study strongly suggests the existence of a mechanism that links dietary biopeptides and beneficial health effects

Alternative sweeteners modify the urinary excretion of flavanones metabolites ingested through a new maqui-berry beverage

Dietary sugar has been largely related to the onset of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, among others. The growing awareness on the close relationship between the dietary habits and this health disturbance has encouraged the development of new beverages using alternative sweeteners that could contribute to combat the above referred pathophysiological disorders. To gain further insight into this issue, the present work, upon an acute dietary intervention, evaluated the urinary excretion of flavanones ingested through polyphenols-rich beverages composed of maqui berry and citrus, with the aim of establishing the highest urinary excretion rate and metabolite profiles. The functional beverages evaluated were supplemented with a range of sweeteners including sucrose (natural and high caloric), stevia (natural and non-caloric), and sucralose (artificial and non-caloric) as an approach that would allow reducing the intake of sugars and provide bioactive phenolics (flavanones). The juices developed were ingested by volunteers (n = 20) and the resulting flavanones and their phase II metabolites in urine were analyzed by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography ElectroSpray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS). A total of 16 metabolites were detected: eriodyctiol, naringenin, and homoeriodyctiol derivatives, where peak concentrations were attained 3.5 h after beverage intake. Sucralose and stevia were the sweeteners that provided the highest urinary excretion for most compounds. Sucrose did not provide a remarkable higher elimination through urine of any compounds in comparison with sucralose or stevia. These results propose two alternative sweeteners to sucrose (sucralose and stevia), an overused, high caloric sweetener that promotes some metabolic diseaseThis work was partially funded by the Spanish MINECO through Research Project AGL2016-75332-C2-1-R. VA was supported by a FPI grant (BES-2017-079754). The authors thank the English expert reviewer (Mario Fon) for the revision of the English style and grammar

Comparative study of different methods to measure antioxidant activity of resveratrol in the presence of cyclodextrins

The antioxidant activity of resveratrol in the absence and presence of increasing concentrations of HPb- CDs was determined using three different methods: ORAC, ABTS and DPPH. The three methods were validated and compared for their linearity, precision and accuracy in measuring resveratrol antioxidant activity. The results indicated that the most sensitive method is the ORAC assay, which can measure the lowest resveratrol concentration (0.15–2 lM) with the highest precision. In the presence of increasing concentrations of HP-b-CDs, the antioxidant activity of resveratrol was seen to increase when it was measured by the ORAC and ABTS assays. However, no increase was observed when the DPPH assay was used. With the ORAC assay, the antioxidant activity increased until all the resveratrol had been included in HP-b-CDs (0.4 mM CDs), whereas in the case of ABTS assay the plateau in antioxidant activity was reached after 2 mM HP-b-CDs, suggesting that the CDs interferences in the measurement method. When the DPPH assay was used, no effect was observed when increasing concentrations of HP-b-CDs, indicating that in a methanolic medium resveratrol is free. Therefore, so this method cannot be used to measure the effect of resveratrol complexation with CDs on its antioxidant activity.Ciencias de la Alimentació

Estudio de la adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con la enfermedad de Parkinson desde la farmacia comunitaria y las asociaciones de Parkinson de la Región de Murcia

Introducción: La falta de adherencia al tratamiento farmacológico es uno de los principales problemas en pacientes con enfermedades crónicas. Una falta de adherencia se relaciona con un aumento de la discapacidad y de los costes sanitarios. El objetivo principal de este artículo es conocer el grado de adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con la enfermedad de Parkinson.  Método: se ha realizado un estudio observacional, longitudinal y prospectivo en colaboración con la Federación de Asociaciones de Parkinson de la Región de Murcia (FEPAMUR) y farmacias colaboradoras de la Región de Murcia. Se llevó a cabo un procedimiento de recogida de datos demográficos del paciente (sexo y edad) con el fin de caracterizarlos, y se evaluó la adherencia al tratamiento mediante el Test de Morisky-Green y el test de Hermes. Resultados: Al estudiar la adherencia con el Test de Morisky-Green se aprecia que el 64% obtuvo una adherencia baja al tratamiento, el 19% presentó una adherencia media, mientras que sólo el 17% de los pacientes fue muy adherente. Según el test de Hermes se observa que un 42% de los pacientes son adherentes al tratamiento.  Conclusiones: Existe una baja adherencia al tratamiento farmacológico, según el test de Hermes y el test de Morisky-Green. En función del sexo se concluye que las mujeres son más adherentes que los hombres y si nos enfocamos en la edad, se erigen como más adherentes aquellos pacientes con una edad menor a 60 años

A Descriptive Review of the Antioxidant Effects and Mechanisms of Action of Berberine and Silymarin

Oxidative stress is a key factor in the development of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and liver disorders. Antioxidant therapies that target oxidative damage show significant promise in preventing and treating these conditions. Berberine, an alkaloid derived from various plants in the Berberidaceae family, enhances cellular defenses against oxidative stress through several mechanisms. It activates the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway, which reduces mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and improves energy metabolism. Furthermore, it boosts the activity of key antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), thus protecting cells from oxidative damage. These actions make berberine effective in managing diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and neurodegenerative disorders. Silymarin, a flavonolignan complex derived from Silybum marianum, is particularly effective for liver protection. It activates the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway, enhancing antioxidant enzyme expression and stabilizing mitochondrial membranes. Additionally, silymarin reduces the formation of ROS by chelating metal ions, and it also diminishes inflammation. This makes it beneficial for conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcohol-related liver disorders. This review aims to highlight the distinct mechanisms by which berberine and silymarin exert their antioxidant effects.Ciencias de la Alimentació

Estudio de la adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con la enfermedad de Parkinson desde la farmacia comunitaria y las asociaciones de Parkinson de la Región de Murcia

Introducción: La falta de adherencia al tratamiento farmacológico es uno de los principales problemas en pacientes con enfermedades crónicas. Una falta de adherencia se relaciona con un aumento de la discapacidad y de los costes sanitarios. El objetivo principal de este artículo es conocer el grado de adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con la enfermedad de Parkinson.  Método: se ha realizado un estudio observacional, longitudinal y prospectivo en colaboración con la Federación de Asociaciones de Parkinson de la Región de Murcia (FEPAMUR) y farmacias colaboradoras de la Región de Murcia. Se llevó a cabo un procedimiento de recogida de datos demográficos del paciente (sexo y edad) con el fin de caracterizarlos, y se evaluó la adherencia al tratamiento mediante el Test de Morisky-Green y el test de Hermes. Resultados: Al estudiar la adherencia con el Test de Morisky-Green se aprecia que el 64% obtuvo una adherencia baja al tratamiento, el 19% presentó una adherencia media, mientras que sólo el 17% de los pacientes fue muy adherente. Según el test de Hermes se observa que un 42% de los pacientes son adherentes al tratamiento.  Conclusiones: Existe una baja adherencia al tratamiento farmacológico, según el test de Hermes y el test de Morisky-Green. En función del sexo se concluye que las mujeres son más adherentes que los hombres y si nos enfocamos en la edad, se erigen como más adherentes aquellos pacientes con una edad menor a 60 años