Strategies to enhance the response of liver cancer to pharmacological treatments.

In contrast to other types of cancers, there is no available efficient pharmacological treatment to improve the outcomes of patients suffering from major primary liver cancers, i.e., hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.

Pharmacological Properties of Bergapten: Mechanistic and Therapeutic Aspects.

Bergapten (BP) or 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP) is a furocoumarin compound mainly found in bergamot essential oil but also in other citrus essential oils and grapefruit juice. This compound presents antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hypolipemic, and anticancer effects and is successfully used as a photosensitizing agent. The present review focuses on the research evidence related to the therapeutic properties of bergapten collected in recent years.

Psychoactive substance consumption: A Portuguese cross-sectional study.

Background: Increasing consumption of psychoactive substances is a major social concern worldwide.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of psychoactive substances consumption in the Portuguese, throughout their life as well as recently, and the main reasons for the consumption and associated factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) applied to a sample of 385 Portuguese obtained for convenience.

Phenolic Bioactives as Antiplatelet Aggregation Factors: The Pivotal Ingredients in Maintaining Cardiovascular Health.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the main causes of mortality in the world. The development of these diseases has a specific factor-alteration in blood platelet activation. It has been shown that phenolic compounds have antiplatelet aggregation abilities and a positive impact in the management of CVD, exerting prominent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, cardioprotective, antihyperglycemic, and antimicrobial effects.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Potential, and Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of Aqueous Extract and Essential Oil of Hochst. Ex Benth.

an endemic plant of Ethiopia, is traditionally used to cure various diseases and as a food ingredient. In the Ethiopian folk medicine, the decoction is orally taken as a remedy to treat diabetes and high blood pressure. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antihyperglycemic effects of the aqueous extract and of the essential oil of .

Health-Promoting Effects of Phenolic-Rich Extracts: Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Antitumoral Properties.

genus comprises numerous species that are particularly abundant in the West Mediterranean region. A growing body of evidence suggests that many of these species are a rich source of bioactive compounds, including phenolic compounds such as rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acids and luteolin glycosides, able to render them potential applications in a range of industrial fields. This review collects the most relevant studies focused on the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer of phenolic-rich extracts from plants, highlighting correlations made by the authors with respect to the main phenolic players in such activities.

Areca catechu-From farm to food and biomedical applications.

The family Arecaceae includes 181 genera and 2,600 species with a high diversity in physical characteristics. Areca plants, commonly palms, which are able to grow in nearly every type of habitat, prefer tropical and subtropical climates. The most studied species Areca catechu L.

Phytochemical Composition and Bioactive Effects of , and Aqueous Extracts.

In the present study, aqueous extracts of , and origin were screened for their phenolic composition and for antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties. The three aqueous extracts contained distinct phenolic compounds, with presenting the highest total levels (231.6 ± 7.

Hepatoprotection of L., L. and L.

The phenolic composition of hydroethanolic extracts of L., L. and L.

The Health-Benefits and Phytochemical Profile of and var. Decoctions.

and var. decoctions were screened for diverse bioactivities, including the ability to counteract oxidative and inflammatory events, as well as to act as cytotoxic and antimicrobial agents. Both extracts showed good activities and that of origin was particularly effective regarding the ability to prevent lipid peroxidation and to prevent nitric oxide (NO●) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated murine macrophage RAW 264.

Rubus ulmifolius Schott fruits: A detailed study of its nutritional, chemical and bioactive properties.

There is a growing interest in wild edible species that represent a source of several health-promoting compounds, providing a potential strategy to diversify and enrich the daily diet. The aim of the present work was to characterize the nutritional and chemical composition of Rubus ulmifolius Schott fruits. Furthermore, their antimicrobial activity, non-anthocyanin and anthocyanin phenolic profile were also determined.

, and Decoctions: Antioxidant Activities and Inhibition of Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolic Enzymes.

Vahl., A. Gray, and L.

Metabolites and Biological Activities of , , and Grown under Organic Cultivation.

plants are marketed for diverse usages because of their pleasant odor, as well as high nutritional value and wealth of health-promoting phytochemicals. In this study, , , and grown under organic cultivation regime were characterized regarding nutrients and phenolic compounds. In addition, the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of these species were screened.

Health-Promoting Effects of Thymus herba-barona, Thymus pseudolanuginosus, and Thymus caespititius Decoctions.

, , and decoctions were screened for their phenolic constituents, along with their potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. The total phenolic compounds in the extracts of the three plants ranged from 236.0 ± 26.

Seaweeds as Preventive Agents for Cardiovascular Diseases: From Nutrients to Functional Foods.

Being naturally enriched in key nutrients and in various health-promoting compounds, seaweeds represent promising candidates for the design of functional foods. Soluble dietary fibers, peptides, phlorotannins, lipids and minerals are macroalgae's major compounds that can hold potential in high-value food products derived from macroalgae, including those directed to the cardiovascular-health promotion. This manuscript revises available reported data focusing the role of diet supplementation of macroalgae, or extracts enriched in bioactive compounds from macroalgae origin, in targeting modifiable markers of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), like dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, vascular inflammation, hypertension, hypercoagulability and activation of the sympathetic and renin-angiotensin systems, among others.

Antioxidant capacities of flavones and benefits in oxidative-stress related diseases.

Flavonoids, a group of secondary metabolites widely distributed in the plant kingdom, have been acknowledged for their interesting medicinal properties. Among them, natural flavones, as well as some of their synthetic derivatives, have been shown to exhibit several biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-allergic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective and antimicrobial. The antioxidant properties of flavones allow them to demonstrate potential application as preventive and attenuating agents in oxidative stress, i.

Antioxidant Capacities of Flavones and Benefits in Oxidative-Stress Related Diseases.

Flavonoids, a group of secondary metabolites widely distributed in the plant kingdom, have been acknowledged for their interesting medicinal properties. Among them, natural flavones, as well as some of their synthetic derivatives, have been shown to exhibit several biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-allergic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective and antimicrobial. The antioxidant properties of flavones allow them to demonstrate potential application as preventive and attenuating agents in oxidative stress, i.