Biochemistry and Future Perspectives of Antibiotic Resistance: An Eye on Active Natural Products.

Antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat to the current healthcare system, negatively impacting the effectiveness of many antimicrobial treatments. The situation is exacerbated by the widespread overuse and abuse of available antibiotics, accelerating the evolution of resistance. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel approaches to therapy to overcome established resistance mechanisms.

Synthesis and Biological Activity of Homohypotaurine Obtained by the Enzyme-Based Conversion of Homocysteine Sulfinic Acid Using Recombinant Glutamate Decarboxylase.

-Homocysteine, formed from S-adenosyl methionine following demethylation and adenosine release, accumulates when the methionine recycling pathway and other pathways become impaired, thus leading to hyperhomocysteinemia, a biomarker in cardiovascular diseases, neurological/psychiatric disorders, and cancer. The partial oxidation of the -homocysteine thiol group and its decarboxylation on C-alpha lead to the formation of -homocysteinesulfinic acid (-HCSA) and homohypotaurine (HHT), respectively. Both compounds are not readily available from commercial suppliers, which hinders the investigation of their biological activities.

Genicular Artery Embolization: A New Tool for the Management of Refractory Osteoarthritis-Related Knee Pain.

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a prevalent cause of chronic pain and disability, particularly affecting women. While traditionally attributed to chronic wear and tear, recent evidence highlights multifactorial pathogenesis involving low-grade inflammation and neoangiogenesis. Current therapeutic options include physical therapy, pharmacotherapy, and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Theoretically Predicted and Experimentally Detected Chirality of Dibenzocyclooctynes and Their Triazole Adducts with Azides.

Dibenzocyclooctynes have emerged as promising scaffolds for bioorthogonal ligation. An important structural aspect that has not been addressed so far relates to their chirality. Herein, we explore, by theoretical and experimental methods, this structural aspect that has been neglected so far.

Natural deep eutectic solvents protect RNA from thermal-induced degradation.

RNA is a fundamental nucleic acid for life and it plays important roles in the regulation of gene transcription, post-transcriptional regulation, and epigenetic regulation. Recently, the focus on this nucleic acid has significantly increased due to the development of mRNA vaccines and RNA-based gene therapy protocols. Unfortunately, RNA based products show constrains mainly owing to instability and easy degradability of the RNA molecules.

Cornerstones of CT urography: a shared document by the Italian board of urogenital radiology.

CT urography is a single term used to refer to different scanning protocols that can be applied for a number of clinical indications. If, on the one hand, this highlights the role of the radiologist in deciding the most suitable technique to perform according to the patient's needs, on the other hand, a certain confusion may arise due to the different technical and clinical variables that have to be taken into account. This has been well demonstrated by a previous work based on an online questionnaire administered to a population of Italian radiologists that brought out similarities as well as differences across the national country.

First Insight into the Neuroprotective and Antibacterial Effects of Phlorotannins Isolated from the Cell Walls of Brown Algae and .

Phaeophyceae (brown algae) essentially contribute to biotopes of cold and temperate seas. Their thalli are rich in biologically active natural products, which are strongly and universally dominated with phlorotannins-polyphenols of complex and diverse structure based on multiple differently arranged phloroglucinol units and well known as strong antioxidants with a broad spectrum of biological activities. In the algal cells, phlorotannins can either accumulate in the cytoplasm or can be secreted into the cell wall (CW).

Phytochemical Characterization of Water Avens ( L.) Extracts: Structure Assignment and Biological Activity of the Major Phenolic Constituents.

Water avens ( L.) is a common plant widely spread in Europe and North America. It is rich in biologically active natural products, some of which are promising as prospective pharmaceuticals.

Proline Affects Flowering Time in Arabidopsis by Modulating FLC Expression: A Clue of Epigenetic Regulation?

The recent finding that proline-induced root elongation is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) prompted us to re-evaluate other developmental processes modulated by proline, such as flowering time. By controlling the cellular redox status and the ROS distribution, proline could potentially affect the expression of transcriptional factors subjected to epigenetic regulation, such as (). Accordingly, we investigated the effect of proline on flowering time in more detail by analyzing the relative expression of the main flowering time genes in proline-deficient mutants and found a significant upregulation of expression.

Mechano-Transduction Boosts the Aging Effects in Human Erythrocytes Submitted to Mechanical Stimulation.

Erythrocytes' aging and mechano-transduction are fundamental cellular pathways that determine the red blood cells' (RBCs) behavior and function. The aging pattern can be influenced, in morphological, biochemical, and metabolic terms by the environmental conditions. In this paper, we studied the effect of a moderate mechanical stimulation applied through external shaking during the RBCs aging and revealed a strong acceleration of the aging pattern induced by such stimulation.

ERp57 chaperon protein protects neuronal cells from Aβ-induced toxicity.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder whose main pathological hallmark is the accumulation of Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the form of senile plaques. Aβ can cause neurodegeneration and disrupt cognitive functions by several mechanisms, including oxidative stress. ERp57 is a protein disulfide isomerase involved in the cellular stress response and known to be present in the cerebrospinal fluid of normal individuals as a complex with Aβ peptides, suggesting that it may be a carrier protein which prevents aggregation of Aβ.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil-Based Green Formulations With Promising Antimicrobial Activity Against Drug-Resistant Isolates.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) from L. drupes, a cornerstone in the Mediterranean diet, is well known for its nutritional and health properties, especially for prevention of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders. Traditionally, beneficial health effects have been largely attributed to the high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, and in recent years, these have also been related to other components including oleacein and oleocanthal.

Pheomelanin Effect on UVB Radiation-Induced Oxidation/Nitration of l-Tyrosine.

Pheomelanin is a natural yellow-reddish sulfur-containing pigment derived from tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of tyrosine in presence of cysteine. Generally, the formation of melanin pigments is a protective response against the damaging effects of UV radiation in skin. However, pheomelanin, like other photosensitizing substances, can trigger, following exposure to UV radiation, photochemical reactions capable of modifying and damaging cellular components.

Pharmacokinetic properties of a novel formulation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine phytate.

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), the main endogenous methyl donor, is the adenosyl derivative of the amino acid methionine, which displays many important roles in cellular metabolism. It is widely used as a food supplement and in some countries is also marketed as a drug. Its interesting nutraceutical and pharmacological properties prompted us to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of a new form of SAM, the phytate salt.

Chemistry and Biochemistry of Sulfur Natural Compounds: Key Intermediates of Metabolism and Redox Biology.

Sulfur contributes significantly to nature chemical diversity and thanks to its particular features allows fundamental biological reactions that no other element allows. Sulfur natural compounds are utilized by all living beings and depending on the function are distributed in the different kingdoms. It is no coincidence that marine organisms are one of the most important sources of sulfur natural products since most of the inorganic sulfur is metabolized in ocean environments where this element is abundant.

GO Nanosheets: Promising Nano Carrier for the S29, 1-(2-Chloro-2-(4-chlorophenyl-ethyl)--(4-fluorobenzyl)-1-pyrazolo[3,4-d] pyrimidin-4-amine, Therapeutic Agent in Neuroblastoma.

Graphene oxide (GO) derivatives are reported as a valid alternative to conventional carriers of therapeutic agents, because they have a large surface area, an excellent electrical and thermal conductivity and a great capacity for selective binding of drugs and therapeutics, due to the functionalization of their surfaces, edges and sides. In this work GO nanosheets, synthesized by electrochemical exfoliation of graphite (patent N 102015000023739, Tor Vergata University), were investigated as possible carriers of an anticancer drug, the S29, an inhibitor of a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase (c-SRC) on a neuroblastoma cell line (SK N BE 2 cells). Neuroblastoma is a heterogenous tumor whose characteristics range from spontaneous regression to aggressive phenotypes that are due to different mutations that often occur in SRC family kinases.

Anthocyanins: A Comprehensive Review of Their Chemical Properties and Health Effects on Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Anthocyanins are a class of water-soluble flavonoids widely present in fruits and vegetables. Dietary sources of anthocyanins include red and purple berries, grapes, apples, plums, cabbage, or foods containing high levels of natural colorants. Cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin, petunidin, and pelargonidin are the six common anthocyanidins.

Blueberry Counteracts BV-2 Microglia Morphological and Functional Switch after LPS Challenge.

Microglia, the innate immune cells of the CNS, respond to brain injury by activating and modifying their morphology. Our study arises from the great interest that has been focused on blueberry (BB) for the antioxidant and pharmacological properties displayed by its components. We analyzed the influence of hydroalcoholic BB extract in resting or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia BV-2 cells.

One- and Two-Electron Oxidations of β-Amyloid by Carbonate Radical Anion (CO) and Peroxymonocarbonate (HCO): Role of Sulfur in Radical Reactions and Peptide Aggregation.

The β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. The methionine (Met) residue at position 35 in Aβ C-terminal domain is critical for neurotoxicity, aggregation, and free radical formation initiated by the peptide. The role of Met in modulating toxicological properties of Aβ most likely involves an oxidative event at the sulfur atom.

Third generation dual source CT with ultra-high pitch protocol for TAVI planning and coronary tree assessment: feasibility, image quality and diagnostic performance.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility, image quality (IQ) and diagnostic performance of third generation 192 × 2 dual source computer tomography (DSCT) with ultra-high pitch acquisition for trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) planning and coronary tree assessment.

Method: In this prospective study, 223 patients underwent to DSCT for TAVI. Coronary calcium scoring (CCS) was calculated.