London rocket () is a wild green consumed globally, yet its phytochemical composition remains underexplored. In this study, we analyzed the leaves of wild plants and those grown in controlled environments (GCE) with varying electrical conductivities (EC) and light spectra. Plants were assessed for growth, phenolic content, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, glucosinolates, and antiproliferative effects against HT-29 human colorectal cancer cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis an invasive brown macroalga that has recently proliferated in the western Mediterranean Sea, causing significant environmental challenges. This alga, however, contains valuable bioactive compounds-alginate, mannitol, and phlorotannins-that can serve as biofertilizers to promote plant growth and aid in bioremediation of degraded or contaminated soils. This study focused on optimizing the extraction of these compounds from , transforming an ecological issue into a beneficial resource.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ice plant ( L.) is a halophyte that could become an alternative crop because of its interest as a functional food and its adaptation to high-saline soils. In this work, leaves from wild ice plants were compared with their cultivated counterparts in a soilless system at different salinities and light exposures for assessing growth parameters, moisture, fatty acid profiles, total carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, and antiproliferative activity against the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe shoots of L. are consumed worldwide, although most species belonging to this genus have a restricted range, and several taxa remain unstudied. In this work, a total of four taxa from different locations were scrutinized and compared with cultivated .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 5xFAD transgenic mouse model widely used in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research recapitulates many AD-related phenotypes with a relatively early onset and aggressive age-dependent progression. Besides developing amyloid peptide deposits alongside neuroinflammation by the age of 2 months, as well as exhibiting neuronal decline by the age of 4 months that intensifies by the age of 9 months, these mice manifest a broad spectrum of behavioural impairments. In this review, we present the extensive repertoire of behavioural dysfunctions in 5xFAD mice, organised into four categories: motor skills, sensory function, learning and memory abilities, and neuropsychiatric-like symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimer's disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia, presents a significant global health challenge with no known cure to date. Central to our understanding of AD pathogenesis is the β-amyloid cascade hypothesis, which underlies drug research and discovery efforts. Despite extensive studies, no animal models of AD have completely validated this hypothesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWild shoots are consumed worldwide, although most species remain understudied. In this work, a total of four wild species were collected from different locations and analyzed compared with farmed . Shoots were screened for (i) phenolic compounds by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS; (ii) total phenolic acids and total flavonoid content by the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride methods; (iii) vitamin C by HPLC-DAD; (iv) antioxidant activity by the DPPH and ABTS methods; and (v) the in vitro antiproliferative activities against HT-29 colorectal cancer cells by the MTT assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBerry consumption is increasing worldwide due to their high content of bioactive compounds. However, such fruits have a very short shelf life. To avoid this drawback and to offer an effective alternative for its consumption at any time of the year, an agglomerated berry powder mix (APB) was developed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe fillets and roes of 29 species of dry-salted fishes consumed in Eurasian countries were analyzed for fatty acids (FAs), tocols, and squalene, looking for derived health benefits. FAs were analyzed by GC-FID, and tocols and squalene were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. With some exceptions, docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6-3), eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5-3), and arachidonic (ARA, 20:4-6) acids were the prominent polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeeds of most Arecaceae species are an underutilized raw material that can constitute a source of nutritionally relevant compounds. In this work, seeds of 24 Arecaceae taxa were analyzed for fatty acids (FAs) by GC-FID, for phenolics by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS, and for their antitumor activity against the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line by the MTT assay. Lauric, oleic, and linoleic acids were the prominent FAs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo develop and utilize the oil of Pinus seeds and explore natural resources rich in pinolenic acid (PNLA), twenty-one Pinus taxa were evaluated in a search of Δ5-unsaturated polymethylene-interrupted fatty acids (Δ5-UPIFA)-rich oils. While the fatty acid (FA) composition was determined by GC-FID and GC-MS, NMR of crude oils proved to be a fast method for establishing the ratio between Δ5-UPIFA and total FA. For all analyzed taxa, both the geographical origin and the concentration of total FA in the seeds are provided.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAhiflower oil© is extracted from the seeds of Buglossoides arvensis, which contains high amounts of stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3), while its phenolic composition still is unreported. Moreover, several Buglossoides taxa remain unstudied and could become natural sources of SDA. In this work, seeds of several Buglossoides taxa and Ahiflower oil© were screened for fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and in vitro antiproliferative activities against colorectal cancer cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFγ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6) is a bioactive fatty acid (FA) that exerts several healthy actions; however, its occurrence is restricted to a few oils. The goal of this study was to detect GLA-rich Ribes species and cultivars (cv), and to achieve this the seeds of 7 Ribes taxa and 50 Ribes cv were surveyed for FA profiles. The highest GLA percentages were found in R.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent studies show that vegetables at early stage of development contain higher amounts of phytonutrients and minerals, and lower amounts of nitrates than at fully developed stage. Nevertheless, the effects of some spectrum light on the carotenoid content of lettuce microgreens are unknown. Three different LED lamps were checked: (i) artificial white light (T); (ii) continuous light-emitting diodes with longer blue-wavelength (T), and (iii) continuous light-emitting diodes with longer red-wavelength (T).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated the influence of different dietary formulation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on rat tissue fatty acid (FA) incorporation and consequent modulation of their bioactive metabolite N-acylethanolamines (NAE). For 10 weeks, rats were fed diets with 12% of fat from milk + 4% soybean oil and 4% of oils with different n-3 PUFA species: soybean oil as control, linseed oil rich in α-linolenic (ALA), oil rich in ALA and stearidonic acid (SDA), fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), microalga oil rich in EPA or microalga oil rich in DHA. FA and NAE profiles were determined in plasma, liver, brain and adipose tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this work, seeds from selected Mertensia species were analyzed for γ-linolenic acid-rich oils and minor functional compounds. Fatty acids (FA) were analyzed by GC-FID; tocopherols, sterols, squalene, and phenolics compounds by HPLC-DAD, and the structures of the latter were confirmed by LC-MS. M.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThirty Boraginaceae species from different tribes were evaluated in a search of γ-linolenic (GLA, 18:3n-6) and stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3)-rich oils. The high GLA percentages were found in the seed oils of Symphytum bulbosum and S. tuberosum subsp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFα-Linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3-3) and γ-gamma linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3-6) are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that improve the human health. The present study focused on testing the antitumor actions of pure ALA and GLA on the HT-29 human colorectal cancer cell line. Cell viability was checked by MTT ((3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) test, cell membrane damage by the lactate dehydrogenase assay, apoptosis was tested by both caspase-3 activity trial and transmission electron microscopy images, and protein composition was analyzed by quantitative proteomics analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
December 2019
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and mortal types of cancer. There is increasing evidence that some polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exercise specific inhibitory actions on cancer cells through different mechanisms, as a previous study on CRC cells demonstrated for two very long-chain PUFA. These were docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:63) and arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:46) in the free fatty acid (FFA) form.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFifty Ribes species and R. nigrum-based cultivars from eight Ribes sections were surveyed for γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3, n-6)- and stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4, n-3)-rich oils. R.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVegetables, once harvested and stored on supermarket shelves, continue to perform biochemical adjustments due to their modular nature and their ability to retain physiological autonomy. They can live after being harvested. In particular, the content of some essential nutraceuticals, such as carotenoids, can be altered in response to environmental or internal stimuli.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBorage is a well-known plant of great importance in human nutrition and health. Expanding knowledge of particular plants that have anti-cancer products is a global concern. There is substantial information regarding the benefits, presence and extraction of gamma linolenic acid (GLA; 18:3n6) in different plants around the world, especially in borage seeds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, we hypothesized that terrestrial plant oils, rich in alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and stearidonic acid (SDA) relative to fish oil, rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prevent negative effects on cardiovascular and neurological function using a rat model fed a hypercaloric diet. Results showed effects on the FA profile, namely, eicosapentaenoic, EPA, and docosahexaenoic, DHA, levels. There were also effects on neural aspects (cAMP response element-binding protein, CREB, gene expression, at least, doubled) and the pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance (TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha reduced by 30-50%).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA), as well as derivatives, such as eicosanoids, regulate different activities, affecting transcription factors and, therefore, DNA transcription, being a critical step for the functioning of fatty-acid-derived signaling. This work has attempted to determine the in vitro anticancer activities of these molecules linked to the gene transcription regulation of HT-29 colorectal cancer cells. We applied the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test along with lactate dehydrogenase and caspase-3 assays; proteome changes were assessed by "sequential windowed acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra" quantitative proteomics, followed by pathway analysis, to determine the affected molecular mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: To overcome the current overexploitation of fish rich in 3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), microalgae have become a promising marine lipid source. The purpose of this study was to assess eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6-3), isolated or combined from distinct marine origins, on the promotion of neuroprotective effects.
Methods: The experiment lasted for 10 weeks and involved 32 Wistar rats, divided into 4 diets ( = 8): a diet rich in milk fat was taken as control (Milk Fat) and compared to -3 LCPUFA enriched diets, either in EPA + DHA form through fish oil (Fish Oil), or EPA through oil (Nanno), or DHA through oil (Schyzo), while maintaining Milk Fat incorporation.