Antimicrobial Effectiveness of L. Leaf Extracts Prepared in Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NaDESs).

Background: Blackcurrant ( L.) leaves are valuable sources of bioactive compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins, which contribute to their potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.

Objectives: The overall aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial potential of extracts rich in bioactive compounds from blackcurrant leaves prepared in natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs).

The highs and lows of monoamine oxidase as molecular target in cancer: an updated review.

The global burden of cancer as a major cause of death and invalidity has been constantly increasing in the past decades. Monoamine oxidases (MAO) with two isoforms, MAO-A and MAO-B, are mammalian mitochondrial enzymes responsible for the oxidative deamination of neurotransmitters and amines in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues with the constant generation of hydrogen peroxide as the main deleterious ancillary product. However, given the complexity of cancer biology, MAO involvement in tumorigenesis is multifaceted with different tumors displaying either an increased or decreased MAO profile.

Adipose tissue as target of environmental toxicants: focus on mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative inflammation in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Obesity, diabetes, and their cardiovascular and hepatic comorbidities are alarming public health issues of the twenty-first century, which share mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation as common pathophysiological mechanisms. An increasing body of evidence links the combined exposure to multiple environmental toxicants with the occurrence and severity of metabolic diseases. Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are ubiquitous chemicals or mixtures with persistent deleterious effects on the living organisms beyond the endocrine system impairment; in particular, those known as metabolism-disrupting chemicals (MDCs), increase the risk of the metabolic pathologies in adult organism or its progeny.

Phytochemical, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Safety Profile of L. Extract Obtained from Romania.

L., also known as licorice, belongs to the family and is one of the most commercially valuable plants worldwide, being used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, both for its therapeutic benefits as well as for the sweetening properties of the extract. This study evaluates the phytochemical composition, the biological activities, and the safety profile of a methanolic extract of licorice root (LRE) obtained from Romania.

Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Puerarin: Characterization, Antimicrobial Potential, Angiogenesis, and Safety Profile Assessment.

Background: Zinc oxide nanobiocomposites were successfully synthesized using a green synthesis approach. The process involves the utilization of the isoflavone puerarin, resulting in the formation of PUE-ZnO NPs.

Methods: Physico-chemical and biological characterization techniques including X-ray dif-fraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and in ovo methods were employed to study the main characteristics of this novel hybrid material.

Characteristics of Urinary Tract Infections in Patients with Diabetes from Timișoara, Romania: Prevalence, Etiology, and Antimicrobial Resistance of Uropathogens.

: Diabetic patients are more likely to develop infections compared to the general population, especially urinary tract infections (UTIs). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of UTIs in a population of patients with diabetes (DM) from Romania, to identify the most common uropathogens and their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns, as well as to determine the correlations between resistance behavior and particularities of patients with UTIs according to DM type. : The hospital records of 1282 type 1 (T1D) and type 2 DM (T2D) adult inpatients who were ordered urine cultures during hospitalization were reviewed, and all 241 patients who presented a positive urine culture were included in the present study analysis.

Bupropion Increased More than Five Times the Systemic Exposure to Aripiprazole: An In Vivo Study in Rats.

: In psychiatric disorders, antipsychotics and antidepressant medication are often administered together. Aripiprazole, a third-generation antipsychotic drug, is extensively metabolized by CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 isoenzymes, while bupropion, used in depressive disorders, is known as a moderate or strong CYP2D6 enzyme inhibitor. This in vivo experiment aimed to assess the presence of a pharmacokinetic drug interaction between aripiprazole and bupropion and its magnitude on the systemic exposure of aripiprazole.

The Profile of Bacterial Infections in a Burn Unit during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic Period.

Infections represent a major complication for burn-injured patients. The aim of this study was to highlight the changes in the incidence and antimicrobial resistance of bacterial strains isolated from burn patients, at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, in relation to the antibiotics used during the pandemic. A comparative analysis of the demographic data and the microorganisms identified in the clinical samples of two groups of burn patients admitted to a university hospital in Romania was carried out.

Echocardiographic assessment of epicardial adipose tissue thickness as independent predictor in coronary artery disease.

This study aimed to assess the utility of echocardiography-measured epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness (EATT) as an independent predictor for coronary artery disease (CAD), examining its correlation with oxidative stress levels in epicardial tissue and the complexity of the disease in patients undergoing open-heart surgery. This study included a total of 25 patients referred for cardiac surgery with 14 in the CAD group and 11 in the non-CAD group. Epicardial fat was sampled from patients subjected to open-heart surgery EATT was higher in the CAD group compared to the non-CAD group (8.

Maximizing Wine Antioxidants: Yeast's Contribution to Melatonin Formation.

Melatonin is commonly found in various fruits, juices, and some fermented beverages. Its concentration in wine is influenced by soil properties, climatic factors, and yeast activity. Even if it is found in fermented beverages in relatively low proportions, melatonin still holds significant nutritional value, giving anti-aging properties, anti-inflammatory actions, and antidepressant effects.

Methylene blue reduces monoamine oxidase expression and oxidative stress in human cardiovascular adipose tissue.

Cardiovascular diseases represent the major cause of morbidity mainly due to chronic heart failure. Epicardial (EAT) and perivascular adipose tissues (PVAT) are considered major contributors to the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic pathologies. Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are mitochondrial enzymes recognized as sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cardiometabolic pathologies.

The Off-Target Cardioprotective Mechanisms of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors: An Overview.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), a novel class of glucose-lowering drugs, have revolutionized the management of heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction, regardless of the presence of diabetes, and are currently incorporated in the heart failure guidelines. While these drugs have consistently demonstrated their ability to decrease heart failure hospitalizations in several landmark clinical trials, their cardioprotective effects are far from having been completely elucidated. In the past decade, a growing body of experimental research has sought to address the molecular and cellular mechanisms of SGLT2i in order to provide a better understanding of the off-target acute and chronic cardiac benefits, beyond the on-target renal effect responsible for blood glucose reduction.

Antioxidant Extracts from Greek and Spanish Olive Leaves: Antimicrobial, Anticancer and Antiangiogenic Effects.

L. is the most valuable species of the type, and its products offer a wide range of therapeutical uses. The olive tree has been extensively studied for its nourishing qualities, and the "Mediterranean diet", which includes virgin olive oil as a key dietary component, is strongly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and various malignancies.

Empagliflozin and dapagliflozin decreased atrial monoamine oxidase expression and alleviated oxidative stress in overweight non-diabetic cardiac patients.

The sodium-glucose-cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are the blockbuster antidiabetic drugs that exert cardiovascular protection via pleiotropic effects. We have previously demonstrated that empagliflozin decreased monoamine oxidase (MAO) expression and oxidative stress in human mammary arteries. The present study performed in overweight, non-diabetic cardiac patients was aimed to assess whether the two widely prescribed SGLT2i decrease atrial MAO expression and alleviate oxidative stress elicited by exposure to angiotensin 2 (ANG2) and high glucose (GLUC).

Liver and Pancreatic Toxicity of Endocrine-Disruptive Chemicals: Focus on Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress.

In recent years, the worldwide epidemic of metabolic diseases, namely obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been strongly associated with constant exposure to endocrine-disruptive chemicals (EDCs), in particular, the ones able to disrupt various metabolic pathways. EDCs have a negative impact on several human tissues/systems, including metabolically active organs, such as the liver and pancreas. Among their deleterious effects, EDCs induce mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, which are also the major pathophysiological mechanisms underlying metabolic diseases.

A Comprehensive Review of Microbial Biofilms on Contact Lenses: Challenges and Solutions.

Contact lenses (CL) have become an immensely popular means of vision correction, offering comfort to millions worldwide. However, the persistent issue of biofilm formation on lenses raises significant problems, leading to various ocular complications and discomfort. The aim of this review is to develop safer and more effective strategies for preventing and managing microbial biofilms on CL, improving the eye health and comfort of wearers.

Association between Chronic Misophonia-Induced Stress and Gastrointestinal Pathology in Children-A Hypothesis.

Misophonia is a neurophysiological disorder with behavioral implications, is complex and multifactorial in origin, and is characterized by an atypical and disproportionate emotional response to specific sounds or associated visual stimuli. Triggers include human-generated sounds, mainly sounds related to feeding and breathing processes, and repetitive mechanical sounds. In response to the triggering stimulus, the patient experiences immediate, high-intensity, disproportionate physical and emotional reactions that affect their quality of life and social functioning.

Advanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Cytarabine from Pharmaceutical Wastewaters.

The need to develop advanced wastewater treatment techniques and their use has become a priority, the main goal being the efficient removal of pollutants, especially those of organic origin. This study presents the photo-degradation of a pharmaceutical wastewater containing Kabi cytarabine, using ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and a synthesized catalyst, a composite based on bismuth and iron oxides (BFO). The size of the bandgap was determined by UV spectroscopy, having a value of 2.

Host-Guest Complexation of Itraconazole with Cyclodextrins for Bioavailability Enhancement.

Itraconazole is an antifungal agent included in the triazole pharmacological classification that belongs to the BCS class II, characterized by a low solubility in an aqueous medium (of 1 ng/mL, at neutral pH), which is frequently translated in a low oral bioavailability but with a high permeability. In this sense, it is necessary to find solutions to increase/improve the solubility of itraconazole in the aqueous environment. The main purpose of this study is the preparation and analysis of five different guest-host inclusion complexes containing intraconazole.

Mitochondrial DNA and Inflammation Are Associated with Cerebral Vessel Remodeling and Early Diabetic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Cerebrovascular disease accounts for major neurologic disabilities in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). A potential association of mitochondrial DNA () and inflammation with cerebral vessel remodeling in patients with type 2 DM was evaluated. A cohort of 150 patients and 30 healthy controls were assessed concerning urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), synaptopodin, podocalyxin, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), N-acetyl-β-(D)-glucosaminidase (NAG), interleukins IL-17A, IL-18, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1).

Targeting of M2 macrophages with IL-13-functionalized liposomal prednisolone inhibits melanoma angiogenesis .

The intricate cooperation between cancer cells and nontumor stromal cells within melanoma microenvironment (MME) enables tumor progression and metastasis. We previously demonstrated that the interplay between tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and melanoma cells can be disrupted by using long-circulating liposomes (LCLs) encapsulating prednisolone phosphate (PLP) (LCL-PLP) that inhibited tumor angiogenesis coordinated by TAMs. In this study, our goal was to improve LCL specificity for protumor macrophages (M2-like (i.

Assessing the Relationship between Indexed Epicardial Adipose Tissue Thickness, Oxidative Stress in Adipocytes, and Coronary Artery Disease Complexity in Open-Heart Surgery Patients.

: This cross-sectional study conducted at the Timișoara Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Romania, and the Centre for Translational Research and Systems Medicine from "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timișoara, Romania, investigated the relationship between indexed epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATTi) and oxidative stress in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) adipocytes in the context of coronary artery disease (CAD) among open-heart surgery patients. The objective was to elucidate the contribution of EATTi as an additional marker for complexity prediction in patients with CAD, potentially influencing clinical decision-making in surgical settings. : The study included 25 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, with a mean age of 65.