Alpha-Lipoic Acid: Biological Mechanisms and Health Benefits.

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a bioactive molecule with significant health effects. The biological action of ALA has been ascribed to the characteristic antioxidant properties of the oxidized form (ALA) and its reduced counterpart the dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) system. The ALA/DHLA combination represents an ideal antioxidant since it can quench radicals, is able to chelate metals, is amphiphilic, and has no major adverse effects.

Heyndrickxia coagulans LMG S-24828 Is a Safe Probiotic Strain Capable of Germinating in the Human Gut.

Ensuring the viability and efficacy of probiotic microorganisms during manufacturing and gastrointestinal transit remains challenging, particularly for sensitive strains such as certain lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. This has led to increased interest in spore-forming bacteria, such as Heyndrickxia coagulans (formerly Bacillus coagulans), which can endure environmental stresses through their endospore forms. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the probiotic potential of strain LMG S-24828, originally isolated from healthy human feces.

LMG S-24828 Impairs Virulence and Protects Vaginal Epithelial Cells against Infection In Vitro.

Probiotics are living microbes that provide benefits to the host. The growing data on health promotion, following probiotics administration, increased interest among researchers and pharmaceutical companies. Infections of the lower genital tract in females, caused by a wide range of pathogens, represent one of the main areas for the use of probiotics and postbiotics.

Exploring Orthogonality between Halogen and Hydrogen Bonding Involving Benzene.

The concept of orthogonality between halogen and hydrogen bonding, brought out by Ho and coworkers some years ago, has become a widely accepted idea within the chemists' community. While the original work was based on a common carbonyl oxygen as acceptor for both interactions, we explore here, by means of M06-2X, M11, B97X, and B97XD/aug-cc-PVTZ DFT calculations, the interdependence of halogen and hydrogen bonding with a shared π-electron system of benzene. The donor groups (specifically NCBr and HO) were placed on either or the same side of the ring, according to a double T-shaped or a perpendicular geometry, respectively.

Effects of a nutraceutical combination of monacolin, γ-oryzanol and γ-aminobutyric acid on lipid profile and C-reactive protein in mice.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two nutraceutical agents aimed to improve lipid profile in a sample of mice.

Material And Methods: Fifty mice were randomly divided into four groups. Control mice were fed a standard diet (SD), while the other three groups were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks.

Randomised clinical trial in women with Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: Efficacy of probiotics and lactoferrin as maintenance treatment.

Background: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a recurrent vaginal condition in childbearing women.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of an oral formulation containing Lactobacillus acidophilus GLA-14, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and bovine lactoferrin on symptoms and recurrence of VVC as adjuvant therapy to topical clotrimazole.

Patients/methods: Forty-eight women positive for C.

Comparative Bioavailability of Two Diosmin Formulations after Oral Administration to Healthy Volunteers.

Diosmin is a flavonoid commonly found in citrus fruits, largely used as adjuvant treatment for circulatory disorders, including chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and hemorrhoids. Following oral administration, diosmin is not directly absorbed but must first be hydrolyzed into its aglycone, diosmetin, which is then absorbed into the systemic circulation. The aim of the current cross-over clinical study was to assess the pharmacokinetic profile of µSmin Plus, a micronized diosmin flavonoid complex standardized in diosmin and formulated with a buffering agent (tested formulation).

Study on the effects of an oral lactobacilli and lactoferrin complex in women with intermediate vaginal microbiota.

Purpose: In the vagina of healthy reproductive-aged women, several microbial species maintain a finely tuned mutualistic relationship with the host providing the first-line of defense against the colonization by opportunistic pathogens, which are the leading cause of dysbiosis or vaginal infections (bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, and aerobic vaginitis). The use of probiotic lactobacilli to prevent vaginal infections has a good rationale, and an excellent safety record, but so far only a few strains have been clinically proven to be effective, particularly to prevent BV. The aim of the clinical trial was to evaluate the changes in Nugent score in women with intermediate vaginal microbiota treated with oral Lactobacillus acidophilus GLA-14 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 mixture, in combination with bovine lactoferrin RCX™ (Respecta) or placebo, for 15 days.

Extract Attenuates Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Intestinal Epithelial Cells via NF-κB Activation and Nrf2 Response.

, dried root extract, also known as , is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic remedy. Moreover, it has been reported that could attenuate intestinal inflammation; however, the underlying mechanism for its anti-inflammatory activity in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated extract (5-100 µg/mL) in a model of inflammation and oxidative stress for IECs.

Toxicity of Crepis lacera in grazing ruminants.

Background: Crepis lacera is a plant from the Asteraceae family that is common in the Mediterranean region. Farmers believe that this plant may be deadly to small ruminants in areas of southern Italy. However, scientific evidence is lacking, and no proof exists that C.

Accumulation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Mussels: A Proteomic Study.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are environmental pollutants of industrial origin that can contaminate food, mainly food of animal origin. Although production of PCBs has been banned in many countries since the 1980s, they are still present in the environment and are considered dangerous pollutants for human health. In fact, they can bioaccumulate in living organisms such as marine organisms because of their chemical and physical properties.

Effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus acidophilus on bacterial vaginal pathogens.

The human vagina is colonized by a variety of microbes. Lactobacilli are the most common, mainly in healthy women; however, the microbiota composition can change rapidly, leading to infection or to a state in which potential pathogenic microorganisms co-exist with other commensals. In premenopausal women, urogenital infections, such as bacterial vaginosis and aerobic vaginitis, remain an important health problem.

Severe Spontaneous Echo Contrast/Auricolar Thrombosis in "Nonvalvular" AF: Value of Thromboembolic Risk Scores.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have an increased thromboembolic risk that can be estimated with risk scores and sometimes require oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT). Despite correct anticoagulation, some patients still develop left atrial spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) or thrombosis. The value of traditional risk scores (R CHADS , CHADS , and CHA DS -VASc) in predicting such events remains controversial.

Impact of insulin resistance on cardiac and vascular function.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR), constitutes an important cardiovascular risk factor and can cause ischemic heart disease. It can lead to left ventricular dysfunction with a mechanism independent of ischemic heart disease and it is closely associated with impaired vascular function. The aim of our study was to explore the impact of IR on cardiac and vascular function, in patients with cardiovascular risk factors but angiographically undamaged coronary arteries.

Dual Effect of Ziconotide in Primary Erythromelalgia.

Erythromelalgia (EM) is a rare disabling clinical syndrome more commonly known to affect the lower extremities. There is no single effective treatment for this disease that often requires a multidisciplinary approach. Herein, we report the case of a 31-year-old woman affected by primary erythromelalgia who was successfully treated with intrathecal Ziconotide.

Pharmacokinetic Profile of µSMIN Plus™, a new Micronized Diosmin Formulation, after Oral Administration in Rats.

Diosmin is a naturally occurring flavonoid present in citrus fruits and other plants belonging to the Rutaceae family. It is used for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) for its pheblotonic and vaso-active properties, safety and tolerability as well. The aim of the current in vivo study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic profile of a branded micronized diosmin (µSMIN Plus™) compared with plain micronized diosmin in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Lactobacilli vaginal colonisation after oral consumption of Respecta(®) complex: a randomised controlled pilot study.

Purpose: The aim of the current pilot study was to determine if oral consumption of a combination of two probiotics; L. acidophilus La-14, L. rhamnosus HN001, and bovine lactoferrin (Respecta(®) complex), would lead to the detection with molecular techniques of the consumed probiotic strains in the vagina.

The electronic circular dichroism of nicotine in aqueous solution: a test case for continuum and mixed explicit-continuum solvation approaches.

In this paper, we extend an integrated QM/MM/polarizable continuum model (PCM) method, which combines a fluctuating charge (FQ) approach to the MM polarization with the PCM, to describe electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of systems in aqueous solution. The main features of the approach are presented, and then applications to the UV and ECD spectra of neutral (S)-nicotine in aqueous solution are reported. The performance of the QM/FQ/PCM is compared with that of the PCM against newly measured UV ECD spectra, which are in agreement with previous findings.

Five-year retrospective Italian multicenter study of visceral leishmaniasis treatment.

The treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is poorly standardized in Italy in spite of the existing evidence. All consecutive patients with VL admitted at 15 Italian centers as inpatients or outpatients between January 2004 and December 2008 were retrospectively considered; outcome data at 1 year after treatment were obtained for all but 1 patient. Demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, diagnostic procedures, treatment regimens and outcomes, as well as side effects were recorded.

Epidemiology of malaria in endemic areas.

Malaria infection is still to be considered a major public health problem in those 106 countries where the risk of contracting the infection with one or more of the Plasmodium species exists. According to estimates from the World Health Organization, over 200 million cases and about 655.000 deaths have occurred in 2010.

Association between asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis and degenerative aortic stenosis.

Objective: Degenerative aortic stenosis shows similarities with atherosclerosis. To confirm the hypothesis that aortic stenosis is an "atherosclerosis-like" disease, we investigated the association between degenerative aortic stenosis and atherosclerosis of carotid arteries.

Methods: We studied 270 consecutive patients, 135 with degenerative aortic stenosis (trans-aortic peak velocity ≥ 2 m/sec) and other 135 subjects without aortic valve disease.

[Clinical, virological and epidemiological aspects of acute B hepatitis in the Catania area (Italy)].

Starting from January 1997 we prospectively evaluated all cases of acute hepatitis B admitted to two of the main Infectious Diseases Units in Catania (eastern Sicily). The survey was extended throughout a 10-year period up to December 2007. Between 1997 and 1999 we observed 21 cases of acute hepatitis B; between 2000 and 2002 18 cases; between 2003 and 2005 22 cases and, finally, 37 cases were reported in the period 2006-2007.

Circulating fibrocytes as a marker of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.

Surrogate markers of liver fibrosis are needed as an alternative to liver biopsy, which is invasive and life-threatening. Peripheral blood fibrocytes (PBF) are considered to be involved in systemic fibrogenic processes. We measured the level of PBF in patients with chronic hepatitis C by enrolling 70 patients affected with chronic hepatitis C, 20 patients with HCV-positive decompensated cirrhosis and 30 healthy volunteers.

Pharmaco-toxicological aspects of herbal drugs used in domestic animals.

Herbal drugs are more and more used both in human and veterinary medicine to mitigate and prevent minor diseases and to support conventional medicine using allopathic drugs. Nevertheless, 'natural product' does not mean lack of adverse effects, and many people and veterinarians do not know enough about the adverse reactions that can occur following the administration of such drugs in domestic animals. Moreover, herbal products can interact with each other when administered concomitantly or can agonize or antagonize the effects of synthetic drugs administered as primary therapy.