Formulation, Characterization, and Antioxidant Properties of Chitosan Nanoparticles Containing Phenolic Compounds from Olive Pomace.

Olive phenolic compounds like hydroxytyrosol (OH-Tyr), tyrosol (Tyr), and their precursors have different health-promoting properties, mainly based on their strong antioxidant capacity. However, their presence in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is scarce since they are primarily contained in the by-products of oil production, such as olive pomace (OP). The aim of this work was to extract and encapsulate OP phenolic compounds into chitosan-tripolyphosphate nanoparticles (NPs) using an ionotropic gelation lyophilization approach to increase their resistance to environmental and chemical stress.

Mass Spectrometry Characterization of Honeydew Honey: A Critical Review.

Honeydew honey is produced by bees () foraging and collecting secretions produced by certain types of aphids on various parts of plants. In addition to exhibiting organoleptic characteristics that distinguish them from nectar honey, these honeys are known for their functional properties, such as strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Despite their importance, they remain poorly characterized in comparison with flower honeys, as most studies on this subject are not only carried out on too few samples but also still focused on traditional chemical-physical parameters, such as specific rotation, major sugars, or melissopalynological information.

Thermal degradation of red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. Capitata f. rubra) anthocyanins in a water model extract under accelerated shelf-life testing.

Red cabbage (RC) represents a source of anthocyanins acylated with hydroxycinnamic acids (HCA) that are described to enhance their stability. Nevertheless, data about their thermal degradation are still controversial. Our aim was to comprehensively analyse the degradation kinetics of individual RC anthocyanins in a model aqueous extract treated at 40 °C × 30 days to simulate severe but realistic storage conditions.

Nanoencapsulation of Anthocyanins from Red Cabbage ( L. var. ) through Coacervation of Whey Protein Isolate and Apple High Methoxyl Pectin.

Encapsulation is a valuable strategy to protect and deliver anthocyanins (ACNs), phenolic compounds with outstanding antioxidant capacity but limited stability. In this study, coacervation was used to encapsulate an ACN-rich red cabbage extract (RCE). Two agri-food by-product polymers, whey protein isolate (WPI) and apple high-methoxyl pectin (HMP), were blended at pH 4.

Inefficient white matter activity in Schizophrenia evoked during intra and inter-hemispheric communication.

Intensive cognitive tasks induce inefficient regional and network responses in schizophrenia (SCZ). fMRI-based studies have naturally focused on gray matter, but appropriately titrated visuo-motor integration tasks reliably activate inter- and intra-hemispheric white matter pathways. Such tasks can assess network inefficiency without demanding intensive cognitive effort.

Incidental findings on brain MRI in patients with first-episode and chronic psychosis.

Brain incidental findings (IFs) are unexpected brain abnormalities detected by a structural magnetic resonance (MRI) examination. We conducted a study to assess whether brain IFs are associated with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and chronic psychosis (affective vs. non-affective) compared to healthy controls (HC).

Spray-drying Microencapsulation of an Extract from Tilia tomentosa Moench Flowers: Physicochemical Characterization and in Vitro Intestinal Activity.

Silver linden (Tilia tomentosa Moench, TtM) flowers possess several health-promoting properties, especially at the neurological level, such as intestinal relaxation activity associated with specific flavonols, particularly quercetin and kaempferol derivatives. However, such molecules are susceptible to degradation upon different triggers like heat, light and extreme pH values. To overcome the scarce stability of TtM flowers bioactive molecules and make them suitable for developing functional food and supplements, we applied microencapsulation.

Influence of Moench Extract on Mouse Small Intestine Neuromuscular Contractility.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are characterized by abdominal pain, bloating and bowel disturbances. FGID therapy is primarily symptomatic, including treatment with herbal remedies. Flower extract of Moench () is occasionally used as an anti-spasmodic in popular medicine.

Effects of Combination Treatments with Astaxanthin-Loaded Microparticles and Pentoxifylline on Intracellular ROS and Radiosensitivity of J774A.1 Macrophages.

Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) is a serious, yet incurable, complication of external beam radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer. Macrophages are key cellular actors in RIF because of their ability to produce reactive oxidants, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory cytokines that, in turn, are the drivers of pro-fibrotic pathways. In a previous work, we showed that phagocytosis could be exploited to deliver the potent natural antioxidant astaxanthin specifically to macrophages.

Allergens from Edible Insects: Cross-reactivity and Effects of Processing.

Purpose Of Review: The recent introduction of edible insects in Western countries has raised concerns about their safety in terms of allergenic reactions. The characterization of insect allergens, the sensitization and cross-reactivity mechanisms, and the effects of food processing represent crucial information for risk assessment.

Recent Findings: Allergic reactions to different insects and cross-reactivity with crustacean and inhalant allergens have been described, with the identification of new IgE-binding proteins besides well-known pan-allergens.

Allergenicity assessment of the edible cricket Acheta domesticus in terms of thermal and gastrointestinal processing and IgE cross-reactivity with shrimp.

The allergenic potency of the cricket Acheta domesticus, a promising edible insect, has never been assessed. This work aims to study the immunoreactivity of Acheta domesticus, and its cross-reactivity with the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, assessing the effect of cooking and gastrointestinal digestion on their allergenic properties. Different cricket proteins were detected by immunoblotting with shrimp-allergic patients' sera.

Patient experience data as enacted: Sociomaterial perspectives and 'singular-multiples' in health care quality improvement research.

Over the last three decades, sociomaterial approaches to the study of health care practices have made an important contribution to the sociology of health care. Significant attention has been paid to the role of technology and artefacts in health care and the operation of actor-networks but less space has been given to questions of ontological multiplicity in health care practices. In this paper, we draw upon our study of patient experience data in five acute hospitals in England to illustrate how treating patient experience data as 'singular-multiples' can enable useful insights into patient experience data work in health care organisations.

Phagocytosis of Astaxanthin-Loaded Microparticles Modulates TGF Production and Intracellular ROS Levels in J774A.1 Macrophages.

Radiation-induced fibrosis is a serious long-lasting side effect of radiation therapy. Central to this condition is the role of macrophages that, activated by radiation-induced reactive oxygen species and tissue cell damage, produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ). This, in turn, recruits fibroblasts at the site of the lesion that initiates fibrosis.

"First-episode psychosis: Structural covariance deficits in salience network correlate with symptoms severity".

Background: Patterns of coordinated variations of gray matter (GM) morphology across individuals are promising indicators of disease. However, it remains unclear if they can help characterize first-episode psychosis (FEP) and symptoms' severity.

Methods: Sixty-seven FEP and 67 matched healthy controls (HC) were assessed with structural MRI to evaluate the existence of distributed GM structural covariance patterns associated to brain areas belonging to salience network.

Enabling 'citizen voice' in the English health and social care system: A national survey of the organizational structures, relationships and impacts of local Healthwatch in England.

Background: Local Healthwatch have been operating since 2013 as 'consumer champions' in health and social care in England. There is little evidence about how they operate and the daily practices through which they seek to represent citizen views and influence others.

Objective: To explore (a) the current organizational arrangements, relationships and impact of local Healthwatch in England, and (b) to what extent do these vary across local Healthwatch organizations.

Identification and Characterization of IgE-Reactive Proteins and a New Allergen (Cic a 1.01) from Chickpea (Cicer arietinum).

Scope: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) allergy has frequently been reported particularly in Spain and India. Nevertheless, chickpea allergens are poorly characterized. The authors aim to identify and characterize potential allergens from chickpea.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Adolescent Cannabis Users: Metabolites in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex Reflects Individual Differences in Personality Traits and can Affect Rehabilitation Compliance.

Introduction: The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has shown to play a role in impulsivity, fear, and anxiety. Considering, its high glutamate receptor density, it was chosen as a region of interest to investigate the role of glutamate transmission in drug dependance. We investigated the correlations between personality trait scores and glutamate-to-glutamine (Glx) ratio concentrations in the ACC in order to evaluate if (1) personality traits may increase the probability of drug use and (2) drug use can modify cerebral metabolic pattern contributing to addictive behaviors.

Resting state networks activity in euthymic bipolar disorder.

Objectives: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric condition causing shifts in mood, energy and activity levels severely altering the quality of life of the patients even in the euthymic phase. Although widely accepted, the neurobiological bases of the disorder in the euthymic phase remain elusive. This study aims at characterizing resting state functional activity of the BD euthymic phase in order to better understand the pathogenesis of the disease and build future neurobiological models.

Turning a green alga red: engineering astaxanthin biosynthesis by intragenic pseudogene revival in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii does not synthesize high-value ketocarotenoids like canthaxanthin and astaxanthin; however, a β-carotene ketolase (CrBKT) can be found in its genome. CrBKT is poorly expressed, contains a long C-terminal extension not found in homologues and likely represents a pseudogene in this alga. Here, we used synthetic redesign of this gene to enable its constitutive overexpression from the nuclear genome of C.

Development and Characterization of Astaxanthin-Containing Whey Protein-Based Nanoparticles.

Astaxanthin (ASX) is a carotenoid of great interest due to its potential health benefits. However, its use in the food, feed, and pharmaceutical fields is limited due to low bioavailability, poor stability during thermochemical treatments, susceptibility to oxidation, and poor organoleptic characteristics. The aim of this work was to develop a method to stabilize astaxanthin extracted from the microalgae () and to improve its nutritional and functional properties through nanoencapsulation.

Microencapsulation by spray-drying of polyphenols extracted from red chicory and red cabbage: Effects on stability and color properties.

The research of antioxidants and natural pigments to replace synthetic molecules is increasingly considering wastes from plant food supply chains. Red chicory (RCH) and red cabbage (RCA) are rich sources of polyphenols (PP), especially anthocyanins, well know natural pigments possessing strong antioxidant capacity and beneficial health effects. The aim of this work was to compare different solvents for PP extraction and to evaluate the effect of spray-drying encapsulation using modified starch on PP, antioxidant capacity (AOC) and color properties.

Magnetic resonance diffusion-tensor imaging metrics in High Grade Gliomas: Correlation with IDH1 gene status in WHO 2016 era.

Purpose: To evaluate any possible correlation between the presence of Isocitrate DeHydrogenase 1 mutation (IDH1m) and specific DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) metrics, such as Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Mean Diffusivity (MD), Radial Diffusivity (RD) and Axial Diffusivity (AD).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 47 patients who underwent an advanced-MR study with DTI followed by surgical intervention with a subsequent histologic diagnosis of High-Grade Glioma (HGG) and immunohistochemical evaluation of IDH1 (Isocitrate DeHydrogenase) mutation status. For each DTI metrics we measured the ratio between tumor and normal tissue and we evaluated the correlation with IDH1 mutation.

Effects of microencapsulation by ionic gelation on the oxidative stability of flaxseed oil.

Flaxseed oil is a major source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as it contains nearly 50% of alpha-linolenic acid. For this reason it is highly susceptible to auto-oxidation. The aim of the work was to increase the stability of flaxseed oil by a microencapsulation process based on ionic gelation through vibrating-nozzle extrusion technology, using pectin as shell material.