Protective Effects of Wild (Fabaceae) Flowers Phytocomplex in Human Dermal Fibroblasts Stimulated with Interleukin-1β.

is indigenous to the Mediterranean region. It is grown as fodder in southern Italy because it contains various secondary metabolites with beneficial activities on animals. Recently, its potential use in cosmeceutical treatments for skin problems was reported.

Natural Compounds and Glutathione: Beyond Mere Antioxidants.

The tripeptide glutathione plays important roles in many cell processes, including differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis; in fact, disorders in glutathione homeostasis are involved both in the etiology and in the progression of several human diseases, including cancer. Natural compounds have been found to modulate glutathione levels and function beyond their role as mere antioxidants. For example, certain compounds can upregulate the expression of glutathione-related enzymes, increase the availability of cysteine, the limiting amino acid for glutathione synthesis, or directly interact with glutathione and modulate its function.

Wild Artichoke ( subsp. Asteraceae) Leaf Extract: Phenolic Profile and Oxidative Stress Inhibitory Effects on HepG2 Cells.

subsp. (wild artichoke) is widespread in Sicily, where it has been used for food and medicinal purposes since ancient times; decoctions of the aerial parts of this plant have been traditionally employed as a remedy for different hepatic diseases. In this study, the phenolic profile and cell-free antioxidant properties of the leaf aqueous extract of wild artichokes grown in Sicily (Italy) were investigated.

Biological Investigation and Chemical Study of subsp. (Brassicaeae) Leaves.

subsp. (Caruel) Raimondo & Mazzola, belonging to the complex, is a wild edible plant endemic to western Sicily and a relative of modern cultivated crops. In this study, the antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory activities, enzymatic inhibition, and cytotoxicity in cancer cells of subsp.

Vitamin E and Non-Communicable Diseases: A Review.

Vitamin E, a nutrient found in several foods, comprises eight lipophilic vitamers, the α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols and the α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocotrienols. This vitamin is capable of exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and acting as immunomodulators. Despite these well-known biological activities, the findings regarding the ability of vitamin E and its serum metabolites to prevent and/or control chronic disease are often conflicting and inconsistent.

Phytocomplex of a Standardized Extract from Red Orange ( L. Osbeck) against Photoaging.

Excessive exposure to solar radiation is associated with several deleterious effects on human skin. These effects vary from the occasional simple sunburn to conditions resulting from chronic exposure such as skin aging and cancers. Secondary metabolites from the plant kingdom, including phenolic compounds, show relevant photoprotective activities.

Protocatechuic Acid, a Simple Plant Secondary Metabolite, Induced Apoptosis by Promoting Oxidative Stress through HO-1 Downregulation and p21 Upregulation in Colon Cancer Cells.

Gastrointestinal cancers, particularly colorectal cancer, are mainly influenced by the dietary factor. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer thanks to the phenolic compounds, which possess antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties. Polyphenols, alongside their well-known antioxidant properties, also show a pro-oxidative potential, which makes it possible to sensitize tumor cells to oxidative stress.

Anti-adipogenic and anti-oxidant effects of a standardised extract of Moro blood oranges ( (L.) Osbeck) during adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

Particular features in the pulp of blood oranges are marked levels of anthocyanin, a class of polyphenolic compounds well known to exert numerous health-promoting actions on human wellbeing including anti-obesity effects. In this study, we investigated , the antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities of Morosil, a standardised extract of Moro blood oranges. During adipocyte differentiation, 3T3-L1 cells were treated with concentrations of extract containing 2.

Plant-Based Bioactive Molecules in Improving Health and Preventing Lifestyle Diseases.

The Special Issue, "Plant-Based Bioactive Molecules in Improving Health and Preventing Life-style Diseases", includes original research papers and reviews, which aim to increase knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying multiple biological effects of natural compounds from plants, responsible for maintaining human health and improving many diseases caused by people's daily lifestyles [...

A standardized extract of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill and Olea europaea L. improves gastrointestinal discomfort: A double-blinded randomized-controlled study.

Gastrointestinal discomfort (GD), which often includes gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a common disorder in healthy adults affecting 40% of the worldwide population. The symptoms related to GD can have a negative impact on the quality of life (QoL). Current treatments for GERD are associated with side effects.

The Antioxidant Activities of Rafin. Ethanolic Extract Exert Protective and Anti-diabetic Effects on Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes in Rats.

Pathophysiological mechanisms correlating diabetes mellitus with associated complications are still not completely clear, even though oxidative stress seems to play a pivotal role. Literature data suggest that cell damages induced by hyperglycemia, although multifactorial, have a common pathway in oxidative/nitrosative stress. The present study evaluated the effects of Raf.

Rapha Myr, a Blend of Sulforaphane and Myrosinase, Exerts Antitumor and Anoikis-Sensitizing Effects on Human Astrocytoma Cells Modulating Sirtuins and DNA Methylation.

Brain and other nervous system cancers are the 10th leading cause of death worldwide. Genome instability, cell cycle deregulation, epigenetic mechanisms, cytoarchitecture disassembly, redox homeostasis as well as apoptosis are involved in carcinogenesis. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is inversely related with the risk of developing cancer.

Sigma Receptor Ligands Carrying a Nitric Oxide Donor Nitrate Moiety: Synthesis, In Silico, and Biological Evaluation.

We report the development of molecular hybrids in which a nitrate group serving as nitric oxide (NO) donor is covalently joined to σ receptor ligands to give candidates for double-targeted cancer therapy. The compounds have been evaluated in radioligand binding assay at both σ receptors and selected compounds tested for NO release. Compounds , , , , and were subjected to MTT test.

Raf. (Betulaceae) Extract Induced HO-1 Expression and Ferroptosis Cell Death in Human Colon Cancer Cells.

Raf. (Birch Etna) belonging to the Betulaceae family grows on the eastern slope of Etna. Many bioactive compounds present in Betula species are considered promising anticancer agents.

Protective Effects of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) and Novel Cape Analogue as Inducers of Heme Oxygenase-1 in Streptozotocin-Induced Type 1 Diabetic Rats.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease resulting in the destruction of insulin producing β-cells of the pancreas, with consequent insulin deficiency and excessive glucose production. Hyperglycemia results in increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS) with consequent oxidative/nitrosative stress and tissue damage. Oxidative damage of the pancreatic tissue may contribute to endothelial dysfunction associated with diabetes.

Effects of Polyphenolic Derivatives on Heme Oxygenase-System in Metabolic Dysfunctions.

Background: The aim of this review is to summarize the effects of various naturally occurring polyphenols in the management of metabolic dysfunctions. This cluster of metabolic abnormalities comprises insulin resistance, increased levels of free fatty acids, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, hyperglycemia and hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 (T2DM) along with DM-induced complications. Most of them are included in the well-known metabolic syndrome (MS).

Novel Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (Cape) Analogues as Inducers of Heme Oxygenase-1.

Background: Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a metabolic enzyme strongly involved in processes including cytoprotection, modulation of inflammatory response, anti-oxidative functions, regulation of cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, cardiovascular homeostasis, and immuno-modulation. HO-1 induction and/or activation is able to counterbalance, at least in part, oxidative stress and inflammation. For this reason, HO-1 can be regarded as an attractive target to ameliorate different stress-related pathologies.

Effects of physical activity on systemic oxidative/DNA status in breast cancer survivors.

Physical activity offers a paradoxical hormetic effect and a health benefit to cancer survivors; however, the biochemical mechanisms have not been entirely elucidated. Despite the well-documented evidence implicating oxidative stress in breast cancer, the association between health benefits and redox status has not been investigated in survivors who participate in dragon boating. The present study investigated the plasmatic systemic oxidative status (SOS) in breast cancer survivors involved in two distinct physical training exercises.

Therapeutic Potential of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) in Diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar levels. Different pathogenic processes are involved in the etiology of the disease. Indeed, chronic diabetes hyperglycemia is often associated with severe long-term complications including cardiovascular symptoms, retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy.

Effects of an extract of Celtis aetnensis (Tornab.) Strobl twigs on human colon cancer cell cultures.

Cancers of the digestive tract, in particular colorectal cancer (CRC), are among those most responsive to dietary modification. Research has shown that approximately 75% of all sporadic cases of CRC are directly influenced by diet. Many natural compounds have been investigated for their potential usefulness as cancer chemopreventive agents as they have been thought to suppress carcinogenesis mainly during the initiation phase due to their radical scavenger activity.

Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Regulates PPAR's Levels in Stem Cells-Derived Adipocytes.

Hypertrophic obesity inhibits activation of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), considered the key mediator of the fully differentiated and insulin sensitive adipocyte phenotype. We examined the effects of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (Cape), isolated from propolis, a honeybee hive product, on Adipose Stem Cells (ASCs) differentiation to the adipocyte lineage. Finally we tested the effects of Cape on insulin-resistant adipocytes.

Cyanidin induces apoptosis and differentiation in prostate cancer cells.

Several natural antioxidants, including anthocyanins, have been reported to have chemotherapeutic activity in vivo and in vitro. The aim of the present study was to delineate the anti-proliferative activity and the cytodifferentiation properties mediated by cyanidin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside (C3G) treatment in the DU145 and LnCap human prostatic cancer cell lines. C3G produced anti-proliferative effects through activation of caspase-3 and induction of p21 protein expression.

Novel imidazole derivatives as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) inhibitors and their cytotoxic activity in human-derived cancer cell lines.

Heme oxygenase (HO) is a cytoprotective enzyme that can be overexpressed in some pathological conditions, including certain cancers. In this work, novel imidazole derivatives were designed and synthesized as inhibitors of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2). In these compounds the imidazole ring, crucial for the activity, is connected to a hydrophobic group, represented by aryloxy, benzothiazole, or benzoxazole moieties, by means of alkyl or thioalkyl chains of different length.

Effects of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray extract on adipocyte differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray (Asteraceae) is widely used in traditional medicine.