This study aimed to explore the possibility of enriching cold-pressed Virginia (VIO) and Valencia (VAO) peanut oils with omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) from walnut oil (WO) to produce blended oils with improved nutritional value. The oxidative stability of pure and blended oils was examined under accelerated conditions (60 °C) for 28 days. The FA and tocopherol profiles, as well as nutritional quality indices, were determined. As the proportion of WO increased in the blends, the levels of linoleic and α-linolenic essential FAs increased, while oleic acid content decreased. Furthermore, γ- and δ-tocopherol levels rose, whereas α-tocopherol declined. Among the studied blends, VIO:WO blends, especially at a (70:30) ratio, were nutritionally favorable with a balanced FA profile. During storage, notable changes were observed in tocopherol levels, along with subtle alterations in the FA profile of the blended oils. Hence, the oxidative stability of pure VIO and VAO decreased with WO incorporation.
Cancer is one of the major leading causes of mortality globally and chemo-drug-resistant cancers pose significant challenges to cancer treatment by reducing patient survival rates and increasing treatment costs. Although the mechanisms of chemoresistance vary among different types of cancer, cancer cells are known to share several hallmarks, such as their resistance to apoptosis as well as the ability of cancer stem cells to produce metastatic daughter cells that are resistant to chemotherapy. To address the issue of chemo-drug resistance in cancer cells, a tetracistronic expression construct, Ad-MBR-GFP, encoding adenovirus-mediated expression of MOAP-1, Bax, RASSSF1A, and GFP, was generated to investigate its potential activity in reducing or inhibiting the chemo-drug resistant activity of the human breast cancer cells, MCF-7-CR and MDA-MB-231. When infected by Ad-MBR-GFP, the cancer cells exhibited round cell morphology and nuclei condensation with positive staining for annexin-V. Furthermore, our results showed that both MCF-7-CR and MDA-MB-231 cells stained positively for CD 44 and negatively for CD 24 (CD44+/CD24-) with high levels of endogenous ALDH activity whereas SNU-1581 breast cancer cells were identified as CD 44-/CD 24- cells with relatively low levels of endogenous ALDH activity and high sensitivity toward chemo-drugs, suggesting that both CD 44 and ALDH activity contribute to chemo-drug resistance. Moreover, both MCF-7-CR and MDA-MB-231 cells showed strong chemo-drug sensitivity to cisplatin when the cells were infected by Ad-MBR-GFP, leading to 9-fold and 2-fold reduction in the IC 50 values when compared to cisplatin treatment alone, respectively. The data were further supported by 3D (soft agar) and spheroid cell models of MCF-7-CR and MDA-MB-231 cells which showed a 2-fold reduction of a number of cell colonies and spheroid size when treated with both Ad-MBR-GFP and cisplatin, and compared to control. Other than chemo-sensitivity, Ad-MBR-GFP-infected cancer cells retarded cell migration. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the mechanism of action of Ad-MBR-GFP involved cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase and inhibition of cellular DNA synthesis. Taken together, our investigation showed that Ad-MBR-GFP mediated chemo-drug sensitization in the infected cancer cells involved the activation of apoptosis signaling, cell cycle arrest, and inhibition of DNA synthesis, suggesting that Ad-MBR-GFP is potentially efficacious for the treatment of chemo-drug resistant cancers.
Reactive oxygen species and other radicals potentially cause oxidative damage to proteins, lipids and DNA which may ultimately lead to various complications including mutations, carcinogenesis, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, aging and inflammatory disease. Recent reports demonstrate that Streptomyces bacteria produce metabolites with potent antioxidant activity that may be developed into therapeutic drugs to combat oxidative stress. This study shows that Streptomyces sp. MUM212 which was isolated from mangrove soil in Kuala Selangor, Malaysia, could be a potential source of antioxidants. Strain MUM212 was characterized and determined as belonging to the genus Streptomyces using 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis. The MUM212 extract demonstrated significant antioxidant activity through DPPH, ABTS and superoxide radical scavenging assays and also metal-chelating activity of 22.03±3.01%, 61.52±3.13%, 37.47±1.79% and 41.98±0.73% at 4mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, MUM212 extract was demonstrated to inhibit lipid peroxidation up to 16.72±2.64% at 4 mg/mL and restore survival of Vero cells from H2O2-induced oxidative damages. The antioxidant activities from the MUM212 extract correlated well with its total phenolic contents; and this in turn was in keeping with the GC-MS analysis which revealed the presence of phenolic compounds that could be responsible for the antioxidant properties of the extract. Other chemical constituents detected included hydrocarbons, alcohols and cyclic dipeptides which may have contributed to the overall antioxidant capacity of MUM212 extract. As a whole, strain MUM212 seems to have potential as a promising source of novel molecules for future development of antioxidative therapeutic agents against oxidative stress-related diseases.
Human gut microbiota – are normal flora living freely in the human gastrointestinal systems and this symbiotic bond begins at birth, and there are associations between human microbiota and skin allergens.
Methods
This systematic review provides an insight into the role and condition of human microbiota that affects skin dermatitis and eczema. A thorough search was conducted using predefined terms in several electronic databases (PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect), from database inception to March 2018. Studies must involve human microbiota, dermatitis, eczema, and full texts needed to be available. A total of 20 eligible articles were identified.
Results
Based on the literature, several factors involving gut microbiota were identified that could affect skin dermatitis and eczema. Findings suggest that the dysbiosis of allergy in adults develops postnatally. At infancy stage, colonisation of the gut microbiota takes place and affects the immune development into the adolescence and adulthood. Hence, maternal milk represents a key factor to build ad modulate establishment of infant gut microbiota. Low level of IgA and IgE secretion in the gut system could reduce gut microbiota diversity. These antibody levels could be used to determine the establishment of a healthy symbiosis with gut microbiota. Interactions between dysbiosis in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and gut epithelial is noted as underlie cause for the progression of dermatitis. In addition, studies reported a reduction of the abundance of Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiota had been seen in infants with eczema. A variation of Bifidobacteriumcolonisation patterns in early life is said to be associated with later development of eczema or dermatitis. Figure 1 illustrates what happens when an alteration takes action to the normal microbiome flora such as Bifidobacterial, Escherichia coli and Lactobacilli. This leads to the development of dermatitis and eczema.
Conclusions
In summary, probiotics can enhance and maintain a healthy gut microbiota. Studies also suggested prenatal and postnatal supplementation of bifidobacterial may be effective in the primary prevention of allergy diseases. These findings provide vital insight and knowledge that could enhance the potential for future microbial-based therapies to improve the clinical outcome of dermatitis and eczema.
There is a need to shift the paradigm of cancer therapeutic approach. The severe adverse side effects, drug resistanceand unaffordable price plagued with chemotherapeutic drugs has spurred the development of “dirty drug”. Natural products,specifically phytochemicals, have gained much attention due to their ability to target multiple interconnected pathways.Resveratrol (RSV), the stilbenes found in red wine, is one of the phytochemicals that exhibits various pharmacologicaltherapeutic effects including cancer. In this review, we highlighted RSV as a potential “broad-spectrum” anticancer compound,by summarising its targeting mechanisms in the pathways relevant to the cancer hallmarks.
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