Optimization of hypobaric and ultrasonic processing of persimmon rhamnogalacturonan-I to enhance drug-digestion interactions.

The biological activity of polysaccharides used for nutraceuticals/drug excipients has been a neglected area of study. This work deals with the preparation, optimization, characterization, and evaluation of persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) fruit by-products and the study of the resultant dietary fiber (DF) interaction with other compounds, using acetaminophen as a model.

Polyphenolic extracts from Diospyros kaki and Vitis vinifera by-products stimulate cytoprotective effects in bacteria-cell host interactions by mediation of transcription factor Nrf2.

Background: The intestinal and skin epithelium play a strong role against bacterial stimuli which leads to inflammation and oxidative stress when overwhelmed. Polyphenols from fruit-rich diets and by-products show promise against bacterial deleterious effects; however, their antibacterial and health-promoting effects remain understudied.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the impact of polyphenolic extracts of grape (GrPE), persimmon (PePE) and pomegranate (PoPE) by-products on bacterial pathogen-host interactions, focusing beyond growth inhibition to explore their effects on bacterial adhesion, invasion, and modulation of host responses.

Autoinducers modulation as a potential anti-virulence target of bacteria by phenolic compounds.

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the effects of phenolic extracts from grape (GrPE), pomegranate (PoPE), and persimmon (PePE) by-products on bacterial virulence activities such as biofilms, motility, energy-dependent efflux pumps, and β-lactamase activity, which are modulated primarily by quorum sensing (QS), defining their potential applications.

Method: The microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and sub-inhibitory concentrations (SICs) of the extracts against reference pathogenic bacteria. The antibacterial mode of action was determined by labelling bacterial cells in in vivo cell-tracking experiments.

Green Technologies for Persimmon By-Products Revalorisation as Sustainable Sources of Dietary Fibre and Antioxidants for Functional Beverages Development.

The use of green technologies such as ultrasound and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) for revalorisation of food and agricultural by-products represents a sustainable way to tackle waste and promote a healthier environment while delivering much-needed functional food ingredients for an increasingly unhealthy population. The processing of persimmon ( Thunb.) generates large amounts of by-products rich in fibre-bound bioactive phytochemicals.

Preventing Mislabeling: A Comparative Chromatographic Analysis for Classifying Medical and Industrial Cannabis.

Gas chromatography (GC) techniques for analyzing and determining the cannabinoid profile in cannabis ( L.) are widely used in standard laboratories; however, these methods may mislabel the profile when used under rapid conditions. Our study aimed to highlight this problem and optimize GC column conditions and mass spectrometry (MS) parameters to accurately identify cannabinoids in both standards and forensic samples.

The outcome of boosting mitochondrial activity in alcohol-associated liver disease is organ-dependent.

Background And Aims: Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) accounts for 70% of liver-related deaths in Europe, with no effective approved therapies. Although mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the earliest manifestations of alcohol-induced injury, restoring mitochondrial activity remains a problematic strategy due to oxidative stress. Here, we identify methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ) as a mediator for ALD progression and hypothesize that targeting MCJ may help in recovering mitochondrial fitness without collateral oxidative damage.

Carotenoids from Persimmon ( Thunb.) Byproducts Exert Photoprotective, Antioxidative and Microbial Anti-Adhesive Effects on HaCaT.

Persimmon ( Thunb.) fruits are a remarkable source of carotenoids, which have shown protective effects against UV radiation in bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants. The aim of this study was to analyze the photoprotection provided by an acetone extract, rich in carotenoids and obtained from byproducts derived from the persimmon juice industry, against UV-induced cell death in the keratinocyte HaCaT cell line.

Potential of Persimmon Dietary Fiber Obtained from Byproducts as Antioxidant, Prebiotic and Modulating Agent of the Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Function.

Appropriate nutrition targets decrease the risk of incidence of preventable diseases in addition to providing physiological benefits. Dietary fiber, despite being available and necessary in balanced nutrition, are consumed at below daily requirements. Food byproducts high in dietary fiber and free and bonded bioactive compounds are often discarded.

A mathematical approach to predict the solids concentration in anaerobic membrane bioreactos (AnMBR): Evaluation of the volatile solids solubilization.

Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors (AnMBR) are gaining attention as a suitable approach for sustainable low-strength wastewater treatment, as they bring together the advantages of both anaerobic treatments and membrane bioreactors. However, increasing the sludge retention time (SRT) necessary to favor hydrolysis increases the suspended solids concentration potentially leading to decreased permeate flux. Therefore, the availability of a mathematical approach to predict the solids concentration within an AnMBR can be very useful.

New frontiers from removal to recycling of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater in the Circular Economy.

Nutrient recovery technologies are rapidly expanding due to the need for the appropriate recycling of key elements from waste resources in order to move towards a truly sustainable modern society based on the Circular Economy. Nutrient recycling is a promising strategy for reducing the depletion of non-renewable resources and the environmental impact linked to their extraction and manufacture. However, nutrient recovery technologies are not yet fully mature, as further research is needed to optimize process efficiency and enhance their commercial applicability.

Effects of a Primary Care-Based Multifactorial Intervention on Physical and Cognitive Function in Frail, Elderly Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Detecting and managing frailty at early stages can prevent disability and other adverse outcomes. The study aim was to evaluate whether a multifactorial intervention program could modify physical and cognitive frailty parameters in elderly individuals.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, single-blind, parallel-group trial in community-living prefrail/frail elderly individuals in Barcelona.

Non-enzymatic browning due to storage is reduced by using clarified lemon juice as acidifier in industrial-scale production of canned peach halves.

Non-enzymatic browning (NEB) in canned peach halves in syrup during storage was investigated. Absorbance at 420 nm (), colorimetric parameters (CIE, TCD and /), fructose, glucose and sucrose, total sugar, organic acids, ascorbic acid (AA), dehydroascorbic acid, and 2,3-diketogulonic acid were used to estimate the extent of NEB during 1 year of storage at 30 °C and the relationships between each of these parameters and were established. The investigation was carried out to explore the possibility of replacing the E330 commonly used as acidifier by turbid or clarified lemon juice (TLJ or CLJ) to obtain a product having good nutrition with better retention of quality.

Hydrogen Sulfide Improves Cardiomyocyte Function in a Cardiac Arrest Model.

BACKGROUND Cardioplegic arrest is a common procedure for many types of cardiac surgery, and different formulations have been proposed to enhance its cardio-protective effect. Hydrogen sulfide is an important signaling molecule that has cardio-protective properties. We therefore studied the cardio-protective effect of hydrogen sulfide in cardiac cell culture and its potential therapeutic use in combination with cardioplegia formulations.

Physicochemical characterization of pomegranate wines fermented with three different Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains.

Three commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains: Viniferm Revelación, Viniferm SV and Viniferm PDM were evaluated for the production of pomegranate wine from a juice coupage of the two well-known varieties Mollar and Wonderfull. Further malolactic fermentation was carried out spontaneously. The same fermentation patterns were observed for pH, titratable acidity, density, sugar consumption, and ethanol and glycerol production.

Characterization of polyphenols, sugars, and other polar compounds in persimmon juices produced under different technologies and their assessment in terms of compositional variations.

Persimmon juice is emerging in the global juice market as a new wholesome commercial juice that could effectively complement a healthy diet, given the epidemiological evidence linking a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with reduced incidences of chronic diseases. However, little data are available on the persimmon-juice composition or on the effect of the technological treatment employed for its production. The present work performs a complete qualitative analytical characterization through high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-TOF/MS) of the diverse persimmon juices produced under different technologies in a pilot plant (clarification, astringency removal, flash vacuum expansion, centrifugation and pasteurization) in order to evaluate the effect of the different production procedures on the polar chemical profile of persimmon juice.

The promiscuous and synergic molecular interaction of polyphenols in bactericidal activity: an opportunity to improve the performance of antibiotics?

Plant polyphenols are a potential source of new antimicrobial molecules against bacteria because most newly developed antimicrobial agents do not improve the clinical management of infectious diseases. The potential synergism between the major polyphenolic compounds present in a Cistus salviifolius extract, which was characterized by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS, was investigated by the isobole method and the fractional inhibitory concentration index determination. Pairwise combinations of selected flavonoids and ellagitannins present in C.

Physicochemical characterization of pure persimmon juice: nutritional quality and food acceptability.

Technological process for production of non-astringent persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb. cv. "Rojo Brillante") juice was described.

Effectiveness of a primary care based multifactorial intervention to improve frailty parameters in the elderly: a randomised clinical trial: rationale and study design.

Background: Frailty is a highly prevalent condition in old age leading to vulnerability and greater risk of adverse health outcomes and disability. Detecting and tackling frailty at an early stage can prevent disability. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactorial intervention program to modify frailty parameters, muscle strength, and physical and cognitive performance in people aged 65 years or more.

Chemical guide parameters for Spanish lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm.) juices.

To contribute for setting reference guideline for commercial juice extracted from the Spanish lemon varieties, chemical composition of 92 direct and 92 reconstituted samples were investigated. In direct lemon juice, titratable acidity was 52.4 g/L, being the citric acid the main component.

Varietal blends as a way of optimizing and preserving the anthocyanin content of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juices.

Anthocyanins are unstable compounds prone to degradation during storage of pomegranates juices, leading to disadvantageous color changes. Blending varietal pomegranate juices could be useful not only to preserve the genuine characteristics of fresh juices but also to study different factors affecting anthocyanin stability while maintaining to the utmost the matrix studied. The effects of critical factors such as anthocyanin concentration, pH, and endogenous ascorbic acid on pigment integrity were assessed through the study of the degradation kinetics of pomegranate phytochemicals in blended juices made from two distinct cultivars ('Wonderful' and 'Mollar de Elche').

Chemical guide parameters for Punica granatum cv. 'Mollar' fruit juices processed at industrial scale.

To contribute for setting reference guideline for commercial juice from the pomegranate variety 'Mollar', chemical composition of eighteen samples directly obtained and commercialised in 2012 from three different fruit juice factories was investigated. According to the findings, the relative density of direct pomegranate juices varied between 1.061 and 1.

Changes on indigenous microbiota, colour, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of pasteurised pomegranate juice.

Juices prepared from arils of 'Mollar' pomegranates were analysed for naturally occurring microorganisms, CIE Lab colour parameters, total phenols, anthocyanins and punicalagins, ellagic acid content and antioxidant capacity before and after low-, mild- and high-temperature pasteurisations (LTPs, MTPs and HTPs): 65, 80 and 90 °C for 30 or 60s. Mean aerobic plate count (APC), yeast and mold count (YMC), and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for fresh juices were 5.7, 5.

Approaches to understanding the contribution of anthocyanins to the antioxidant capacity of pasteurized pomegranate juices.

Influence of processing and storage conditions on anthocyanin stability and antioxidant activity of clarified and cloudy juices from arils of the 'Mollar' pomegranate variety was studied. Clarification process reduced the content of total monomeric and individual anthocyanins, and increased the antioxidant activity of pomegranate juice. Thermal treatments (65 and 90 °C for 30 or 5 s) decreased the percentage of polymeric anthocyanin form, increasing on the contrary the monomeric one.