Arginine enzymatic deprivation and diet restriction for cancer treatment

Recent findings in amino acid metabolism and the differences between normal, healthy cells and neoplastic cells have revealed that targeting single amino acid metabolic enzymes in cancer therapy is a promising strategy for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Arginine is derived from dietary protein intake, body protein breakdown, or endogenous de novo arginine production and several studies have revealed disturbances in its synthesis and metabolism which could enhance or inhibit tumor cell growth. Consequently, there has been an increased interest in the arginine-depleting enzymes and dietary deprivation of arginine and its precursors as a potential antineoplastic therapy. This review outlines the most recent advances in targeting arginine metabolic pathways in cancer therapy and the different chemo- and radio-therapeutic approaches to be co-applied

OPTIMIZATION OF DIFFERENT PARAMETERS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF POLYPHENOLS AND PROANTHOCYANIDINS FROM PISTACIA VERA HULLS

Objective: Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) hull are usually discarded as waste, which can lead to environmental pollution even a significant portion of polyphenols are often present in high concentrations in the outer parts of fruits. In this way, using a pistachio hull as a source of bioactive compounds will increase the value of pistachio production and offer valorization for a useless by-product. Methods: Different ethanol concentrations (5, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 95 %) were investigated and the extraction efficiency at extraction temperature from 20 to 90 °C and extraction times from 5 to 45 min was studied. The extraction yield of total polyphenols and proanthocyanidins from the pistachio hull and the antioxidant activity of the extract were evaluated. Results: The obtained results indicated relationships between the tested parameters and extraction yield. The maximum yield for total polyphenols and proanthocyanidins was obtained with 25% ethanol at 60 °C for 15 min (13.91±0.72 and 5.86±0.45 g/100g dry weight, respectively). DPPH radical scavenging activities of extracts were proved to have a linear relationship with the polyphenols yield in the extracts (R2=0.9907) with a maximum DPPH radical scavenging activity of 60.25%. Conclusion: These findings propose that pistachio hull extracts can be a valuable source of bioactive compounds

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS: REVIEW STUDY OF PROBABLE RELATIONSHIP

Vitamin D deficiency is evident in many parts of the world, even in the sunnier regions, for a variety of reasons. Recently, vitamin D has been reported in many scientific researchers as an important factor that may have significant health benefits in the prevention and the treatment of many chronic illnesses such as depression. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, depression is one of the world's leading causes of disability and affects 350 million people in all communities across the world. Depressive disorders often start at an early age; they reduce people's functioning, and they are the leading cause of disability worldwide in terms of total years lost due to disability. The demand for curbing and preventing depression is on the rise globally. The present review will highlight the relation between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of depression among the different population. It will also discuss the epidemiology of vitamin D supplementation and depression from a variety of sources both suggesting and disproving their relation

Encapsulation of flaxseed oil extract in alginate–salep system by ionic gelation

The objective of the current study was to encapsulate flaxseed oil extracted from finely grounded flaxseed powder and determined for its fatty acids content by GC/FID. Ionotropic gelation method was used to form beads containing 40% flaxseed oil with vitamin E being used as an antioxidant agent. The study employed calcium chloride solution as crosslinking agent with a combination of sodium alginate and salep. The effect of polymer concentrations and calcium chloride concentration on the morphology, entrapment efficiency and oil release was studied. The encapsulation efficiency reached 93.46 ± 0.064% using 0.6% of salep and 2% sodium alginate with 0.3M calcium chloride gelling solution. In SGF medium, the matrix released only about 28.56% of the entrapped flaxseed oil after 2 hours. The rest of the oil then released in the SIF medium, continuing for up to 5 h to release 99.32% of the oil

Evaluation of physical and chemical properties and total phenolic content in baker’s yeast obtained from grape juice

Baker`s yeast is mainly produced from molasses in various parts of the world, and other sources, including grape juice. In this study, the grape juice was chosen. This study aimed to produce a biomass from dry baker`s yeast. Its physical and chemical properties was evaluated. The biomass from baker’s yeast S. cerevisiae was equal to 41.50±0.01 g/L. The following fermentation conditions, i.e. temperature (30.1oC), pH (4.75), sugar concentration (158.36 g/L), ratio of carbon to nitrogen (11.9), and initial concentration of yeasts (2.5 g/L) were used. The fermentation was carried out for a period 12 h. Grape juice was subjected to four different heat treatments as follows: pasteurized grape juice at (65, 70, and 75oC) for 10 min, and sterilized grape juice in the autoclave at 121oC for 20 min. The effect of each treatment was determined on inhibition of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase present in grape juice. The total phenolic content was determined in the yeast. Heat treatments gave the best phenolic content in the resulting yeast. The heat treatments of the juice succeeded in reducing the activity of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase and autoclave heat treatment gave the best phenolic content in the yeast

Alginate-pomegranate peels' polyphenols beads: effects of formulation parameters on loading efficiency

Pérolas de alginato de cálcio, contendo polifenóis de extrato de casca de romã, foram encapsuladas pelo método de gelificação iônica. Os efeitos de vários fatores de formulação (concentração de alginato de sódio, concentração de cloreto de cálcio, cloreto de cálcio, o tempo de exposição, o tempo de manutenção do banho de gelificação e a concentração do extrato) sobre a eficiência de carga do extrato foram investigados. A formulação que contém 1 g extrato de casca de romã em 100 mL de água destilada, encapsulado com 3% de alginato de sódio curada em 0,05 M de cloreto de cálcio durante 20 minutos e mantido em banho de gelificação por 15 min foi escolhida como a melhor em relação à eficiência de carga. Estas condições otimizadas permitem o encapsulamento de 43,90% do total de polifenóis extraídos e de 46,34% do total de proantocianidinas extraídas. A microencapsulação de extrato de cascas de romã em esferas de alginato de cálcio é uma técnica promissora para a suplementação farmacêutica e de alimentos com antioxidantes naturais.Calcium alginate beads containing pomegranate peels' polyphenol extract were encapsulated by ionic gelation method. The effects of various formulation factors (sodium alginate concentration, calcium chloride concentration, calcium chloride exposure time, gelling bath time maintaining, and extract concentration) on the efficiency of extract loading were investigated. The formulation containing an extract of 1 g pomegranate peels in 100 mL distilled water encapsulated with 3 % of sodium alginate cured in 0.05 M calcium chloride for 20 minutes and kept in a gelling bath for 15 minutes was chosen as the best formula regarding the loading efficiency. These optimized conditions allowed the encapsulation of 43.90% of total extracted polyphenols and 46.34 % of total extracted proanthocyanidins. Microencapsulation of pomegranate peels' extract in calcium alginate beads is a promising technique for pharmaceutical and food supplementation with natural antioxidants

Optimization of Baker’s Yeast Production on Grape Juice Using Response Surface Methodology

The purpose of this study is to complete as an example the fermentation conditions allowing the production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast biomass in large quantities using the juice as the same carbon source. Determination of the best of five factors affects the production of dry biomass by baker’s yeast. The optimal value of the five factors affecting the process of biomass production by the baker’s sourdough was determined. The experimental design was performed using CCD (Central Composite Experimental Design), and the response surface methodology method was used to determine the best possible amount of production of yeast and has reached (41.44 g/L) after 12 hours of fermentation, under the following optimal conditions (temperature (30.11°С), pH (4.75), sugar concentration (158.36 g/L), the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (an essential nutrient for yeast growth) that is (11.9), and initial concentration of yeasts (2.5 g/L). Three kinematic models (Monod, Verhulst, and Tessier) were also selected for the purpose of studying the kinetic performance of S. cerevisiae yeast, and the best results were obtained based on the Verhulst model. The Leudeking Piret model has also been successfully used to estimate substrate during fermentation

An Updated Review on The Properties of Melissa officinalis L.: Not Exclusively Anti-anxiety

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Phenolic bioactives as antiplatelet aggregation factors: the pivotal ingredients in maintaining cardiovascular health

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the main causes of mortality in the world. The development of these diseases has a specific factor—alteration in blood platelet activation. It has been shown that phenolic compounds have antiplatelet aggregation abilities and a positive impact in the management of CVD, exerting prominent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, cardioprotective, antihyperglycemic, and antimicrobial effects. Thus, this review is intended to address the antiplatelet activity of phenolic compounds with special emphasis in preventing CVD, along with the mechanisms of action through which they are able to prevent and treat CVD. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown beneficial effects of phenolic compound-rich plant extracts and isolated compounds against CVD, despite that the scientific literature available on the antiplatelet aggregation ability of phenolic compounds in vivo is scarce. Thus, despite the current advances, further studies are needed to confirm the cardioprotective potential of phenolic compounds towards their use alone or in combination with conventional drugs for effective therapeutic interventions.N.C.-M. acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Horizon 2020 Program (PTDC/PSI-GER/28076/2017).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio