Pterostilbene-loaded PLGA nanoparticles alter phenylpropanoid and oxylipin metabolism in Solanum lycopersicum L. leaves.

Due to the fast-changing global climate, conventional agricultural systems have to deal with more unpredictable and harsh environmental conditions leading to compromise food production. The application of phytonanotechnology can ensure safer and more sustainable crop production, allowing the target-specific delivery of bioactive molecules with great and partially explored positive effects for agriculture, such as an increase in crop production and plant pathogen reduction. In this study, the effect of free pterostilbene (PTB) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with pterostilbene was investigated on Solanum lycopersicum L.

The Role of Cerebellum and Basal Ganglia Functional Connectivity in Altered Voluntary Movement Execution in Essential Tremor.

Substantial evidence highlights the role of the cerebellum in the pathophysiology of tremor in essential tremor (ET), although its potential involvement in altered movement execution in this condition remains unclear. This study aims to explore potential correlations between the cerebellum and basal ganglia functional connectivity and voluntary movement execution abnormalities in ET, objectively assessed with kinematic techniques. A total of 20 patients diagnosed with ET and 18 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study.

Functionalized biochar from waste as a slow-release nutrient source: Application on tomato plants.

Licorice processing waste was pyrolyzed at different temperatures (500 and 700 °C) to obtain biochar (BC500 and BC700) for use as a slow-release fertilizer on . The materials were characterized through BET analysis, SEM, elemental analysis, pH, and pyrolysis temperature effect was evaluated. The biochars were functionalized by the impregnation method to enrich them with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), and desorption tests were performed in aqueous solution at different pHs (5 and 7).

Protective Effect of Procyanidin-Rich Grape Seed Extract against Gram-Negative Virulence Factors.

Biofilm formation and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are implicated in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Grape seeds, wine industry by-products, have antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. In the present study, the protective effect of procyanidin-rich grape seed extract (prGSE), from unfermented pomace of L.

Natural Compounds with Antimicrobial Activities in Oral Candida Infections during Head and Neck Radiotherapy.

Background: Oral colonization and infections are frequently observed in patients during and soon after radiation therapy. Infective mucositis is a common side effect associated with cancer therapy, characterized by an inflammation of the oral mucous membranes with histological mucosal and submucosal changes. Ulcerative mucositis is responsible for significant pain, impairing the patient's nutritional intake and leading to local or systemic infections promoting mycosis due to several species of the genus Candida.

Confocal Microscopy Investigations of Biopolymeric PLGA Nanoparticle Uptake in L. Cultured Cells and Plantlet Roots.

To date, most endocytosis studies in plant cells have focused on clathrin-dependent endocytosis, while limited evidence is available on clathrin-independent pathways. Since dynamin a is a key protein both in clathrin-mediated endocytosis and in clathrin-independent endocytic processes, this study investigated its role in the uptake of poly-(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs). The experiments were performed on cultured cells and roots of .

Xanthones: Biosynthesis and Trafficking in Plants, Fungi and Lichens.

Xanthones are a class of secondary metabolites produced by plant organisms. They are characterized by a wide structural variety and numerous biological activities that make them valuable metabolites for use in the pharmaceutical field. This review shows the current knowledge of the xanthone biosynthetic pathway with a focus on the precursors and the enzymes involved, as well as on the cellular and organ localization of xanthones in plants.

White and gray matter alterations in de novo PD patients: which matter most?

Objectives: This paper aimed to identify white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) abnormalities in a sample of early PD patients, and their correlations with motor and non-motor symptom severity.

Methods: We enrolled 62 de novo PD patients and 31 healthy subjects. Disease severity and non-motor symptom burden were assessed by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III and the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale, respectively.

A robotic arm for safe and accurate control of biomedical equipment during COVID-19.

Purpose: Hospital facilities and social life, along with the global economy, have been severely challenged by COVID-19 since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic in March 2020. Since then, countless ordinary citizens, as well as healthcare workers, have contracted the virus by just coming into contact with infected surfaces. In order to minimise the risk of getting infected by contact with such surfaces, our study aims to design, prototype, and test a new device able to connect users, such as common citizens, doctors or paramedics, with either common-use interfaces (e.

Protective Role of Natural Compounds under Radiation-Induced Injury.

In recent years, evidence has shown the potential therapeutic effects of different natural compounds for the prevention and treatment of radiotherapy-induced mucositis (RIOM). RIOM represents one of the most frequent side effects associated with anti-neoplastic treatments affecting patients' quality of life and treatment response due to radiation therapy discontinuation. The innate radio-protective ability of natural products obtained from plants is in part due to the numerous antioxidants possessed as a part of their normal secondary metabolic processes.

Poly-(lactic--glycolic) Acid Nanoparticles Entrapping Pterostilbene for Targeting Section .

Poly-(lactic--glycolic) acid (PLGA) is a biodegradable, biosafe, and biocompatible copolymer. The section causes otomycosis localized in the external auditory canal. In this research, , a species belonging to the section, was tested.

Biostimulant Effects of and Culture Filtrates on Plant: Growth Performance and Metabolomic Traits.

In this study, we investigated the biostimulant effect of fungal culture filtrates obtained from and on growth performance and metabolomic traits of chicory () plants. For the first time, we showed that culture filtrate exerts a direct plant growth-promoting effect through an increase of biomass, both in shoots and roots, and of the leaf area. Conversely, no significant effect on morphological traits and biomass yield was observed in plants treated with culture filtrate.

A novel approach to control Botrytis cinerea fungal infections: uptake and biological activity of antifungals encapsulated in nanoparticle based vectors.

Botrytis cinerea, responsible for grey mold diseases, is a pathogen with a broad host range, affecting many important agricultural crops, in pre and post harvesting of fruits and vegetables. Commercial fungicides used to control this pathogen are often subjected to photolysis, volatilization, degradation, leaching, and runoff during application. In this context, the use of a delivery system, based on poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) represents an innovative approach to develop new pesticide formulations to successfully fight B.

Effects of Organic Biostimulants Added with Zeolite on Zucchini Squash Plants Infected by Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus.

The use of organic substances in integrated pest management can contribute to human- and environment-safe crop production. In the present work, a combination of organic biostimulants (Fullcrhum Alert and BioVeg 500) and an inorganic corroborant (Clinogold, zeolite) was tested for the effects on the plant response to the quarantine pest tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV). Biostimulants were applied to healthy and infected greenhouse-grown zucchini plants, and the vegetative parameters and viral titer were evaluated.

Are Neurophysiological Biomarkers Able to Discriminate Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Subtypes?

Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) subtype is retrospectively diagnosed, and biomarkers of the SPMS are not available. We aimed to identify possible neurophysiological markers exploring grey matter structures that could be used in clinical practice to better identify SPMS. Fifty-five people with MS and 31 healthy controls underwent a transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol to test intracortical interneuron excitability in the primary motor cortex and somatosensory temporal discrimination threshold (STDT) to test sensory function encoded in cortical and deep grey matter nuclei.

Focal Dystonia: Functional Connectivity Changes in Cerebellar-Basal Ganglia-Cortical Circuit and Preserved Global Functional Architecture.

Background And Objectives: Neuroimaging studies suggest that changes in the cerebellar-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical sensorimotor circuit are a pathophysiologic feature of focal dystonia. However, it remains unclear whether structural and functional alterations vary in different forms of focal dystonia. Thus, in patients with cervical dystonia (CD) and blepharospasm (BSP), we aimed to investigate structural damage and resting-state functional alterations using whole-brain and seed-based approaches to test the hypothesis of possible functional connectivity (FC) alterations in specific circuits, including the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex, in the context of preserved global FC.

Comparison between In Vitro Chemical and Ex Vivo Biological Assays to Evaluate Antioxidant Capacity of Botanical Extracts.

The anti-oxidative activity of plant-derived extracts is well-known and confers health-promoting effects on functional foods and food supplements. Aim of this work is to evaluate the capability of two different assays to predict the real biological antioxidant efficiency. At this purpose, extracts from five different plant-derived matrices and commercial purified phytochemicals were analyzed for their anti-oxidative properties by using well-standardized in vitro chemical method (TEAC) and an ex vivo biological assay.

Antifungal Activity of Phenolic and Polyphenolic Compounds from Different Matrices of L. against Human Pathogens.

Phenolic compounds, the most widely distributed class of natural products in the plants, show several biological properties including antifungal activity. Phenolics contained in grapes can be classified in two main groups, flavonoids and non-flavonoids compounds. Variability and yield extraction of phenolic and polyphenolic compounds from different matrices of depends of cultivar, climate, soil condition and process technology.

The Functional Relevance of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Patients with Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.

(1) Background In addition to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been investigated as a potential diagnostic and predictive tool for patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). In this preliminary study, we evaluated the use of quantitative DTI in the clinical practice as a possible measure to correlate with upper limbs function. (2) Methods: A total of 11 patients were enrolled in this prospective observational study.

Resting-state functional connectivity of anterior and posterior cerebellar lobes is altered in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Damage to the cerebellar sensorimotor and cognitive domains may underlie physical and cognitive disability.

Objective: To investigate resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of sensorimotor and cognitive cerebellum, and clinical correlates in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: A total of 119 patients with MS and 42 healthy subjects underwent multimodal 3T-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Remediation of hexavalent chromium contaminated water through zero-valent iron nanoparticles and effects on tomato plant growth performance.

Contaminated water with hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) is a serious environmental problem. This study aimed to evaluate the Cr(VI) removal by zero valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) reduction process and the impact of Cr(VI), nZVI and combined treatment with nZVI and Cr(VI) on tomato growth performance. To evaluate the Cr(VI) toxic effect on germination capability, seeds were exposed to increasing Cr(VI) concentrations up to 1000 mg L.

Practice-dependent motor cortex plasticity is reduced in non-disabled multiple sclerosis patients.

Objectives: Skill acquisition after motor training involves synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) in primary motor cortex (M1). In multiple sclerosis (MS), LTP failure ensuing from neuroinflammation could contribute to worsen clinical recovery. We therefore addressed whether practice-dependent plasticity is altered in MS.

Microfluidic synthesis of methyl jasmonate-loaded PLGA nanocarriers as a new strategy to improve natural defenses in Vitis vinifera.

The objective of the present work was to synthesize biopolymeric nanoparticles (NPs) entrapping the resistance-inductor methyl jasmonate (MeJA) to be employed as a novel and alternative strategy in integrated pest management. NPs were prepared by using a continuous flow microfluidic reactor that allows to precisely control some features that are crucial for applications such as size, polydispersion, morphology and reproducibility. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), a biopolymer largely studied for its use in biological applications, was chosen for the production of NPs entrapping MeJA, a biotic endogenous elicitor able to trigger plant's defense responses.

Phytochemical and biological characterization of Italian "sedano bianco di Sperlonga" Protected Geographical Indication celery ecotype: A multimethodological approach.

Celery is a widely used vegetable known for its peculiar sensorial and nutritional properties. Here, the white celery (Apium graveolens L.) "sedano bianco di Sperlonga" PGI ecotype was investigated to obtain the metabolic profile of its edible parts (blade leaves and petioles) also related to quality, freshness and biological properties.

Anti- Biofilm Activity of Pterostilbene or Crude Extract from Non-Fermented Grape Pomace Entrapped in Biopolymeric Nanoparticles.

Polymeric nanoparticle-based carriers are promising agents to deliver drugs to cells. phenolic compounds are known for their antifungal activity against . The aim of the present study was to investigate the antifungal activity of pterostilbene or crude extracts from non-fermented grape pomace, entrapped in poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles (NPs), with diameters of 50 and 150 nm, on biofilm.