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Over the past few decades, phytochemicals widely present in edible plants have exhibited compelling positive biological impact on human health, including treating some cancers. In some cases, metabolites and artificially modified products of these natural compounds have shown better chemopreventive effects than their natural counterparts. Along with direct chemopreventive strategies using phytochemicals to treat cancer by leading to cell cycle arrest, autophagy and apoptosis, natural compounds have been shown to reverse adverse epigenetic regulation, including altering DNA methylation and histone modification, modulating miRNA expression, promoting expression of phase II enzyme for detoxification, balancing inflammation responses, recovering circadian rhythm from misalignment, and modifying gut microbiota. These have all become part of indirect but effective and novel strategies in cancer prevention using phytochemicals. Therefore, in this review, we are going to summarize some findings of phytochemicals in cancer chemoprevention via several distinct strategies, both to highlight promising treatments and to encourage new ideas for future studies. [Display omitted] •Phytochemicals exhibit anti-cancer potential without side effects or toxicity under appropriate dosage.•Most phytochemicals show multiple targeting effects.•Phytochemicals can alleviate cancer issue via patient microbiota and metabolism modulation.

Macrophages can polarize into two different states (M1 and M2), which play contrasting roles during pathogenesis or tissue damage. M1 polarized macrophages produce pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators resulting in inflammation, while M2 macrophages have an anti-inflammatory effect. Secretion of appropriate cytokines and chemokines from macrophages can lead to the modification of the microenvironment for bridging innate and adaptive immune responses. Increasing evidence suggests that polarized macrophages are pivotal for disease progression, and the regulation of macrophage polarization may provide a new approach in therapeutic treatment of inflammation-related diseases, including cancer, obesity and metabolic diseases, fibrosis in organs, brain damage and neuron injuries, and colorectal disease. Polarized macrophages affect the microenvironment by secreting cytokines and chemokines while cytokines or mediators that are produced by resident cells or tissues may also influence macrophages behavior. The interplay of macrophages and other cells can affect disease progression, and therefore, understanding the activation of macrophages and the interaction between polarized macrophages and disease progression is imperative prior to taking therapeutic or preventive actions. Manipulation of macrophages can be an entry point for disease improvement, but the mechanism and potential must be understood. In this review, some advanced studies regarding the role of macrophages in different diseases, potential mechanisms involved, and intervention of drugs or phytochemicals, which are effective on macrophage polarization, will be discussed.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic pollutant that is widely spread through industrial production and agricultural practices. Epidemiological data has revealed that lifetime exposure to environmentally relevant levels of Cd increases the risk of developing various organ diseases, including chronic kidney, heart, and lung diseases, as well as nervous tissue disorders. This study assessed Cd levels in rice to determine the health risks associated with rice consumption in various age-gender subgroups in Taiwan. The distribution of Cd concentration, the lifetime average daily dose (LADD), and the hazard index (HI) were estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. In the general population, the 50th percentile LADD of Cd for male rice consumers between the ages of 19–65 years was 0.06 μg/kg body weight per day, and the hazard index (HI) 50th, 90th, and 95th percentiles were 0.16, 0.69, and 1.54, respectively. According to the HI heat map for the exposure of the general population to Cd from rice in Taiwan, the highest exposure to Cd was noted in the Yilan area (HI 0.64). Therefore, rice production in the Yilan area should be further monitored to evaluate the levels of Cd contamination.

Black garlic is obtained from fresh garlic (Allium sativum L.) that has been fermented for a period of time at a controlled high temperature (60–90°C) under controlled high humidity (80–90%). When compared with fresh garlic, black garlic does not release a strong offensive flavor owing to the reduced content of allicin. Enhanced bioactivity of black garlic compared with that of fresh garlic is attributed to its changes in physicochemical properties. Studies concerning the fundamental findings of black garlic, such as its production, bioactivity, and applications, have thus been conducted. Several types of black garlic products are also available in the market with a fair selling volume. In this article, we summarize the current knowledge of changes in the components, bioactivity, production, and applications of black garlic, as well as the proposed future prospects on their possible applications as a functional food product. [Display omitted] •Component change of garlic during fermentation is summarized.•Production, bioactivity, and application are summarized.•Different types and functions of black garlic products are introduced.

Flavor is the most important aspect of food. Based on the complex matrix of the food system and the flavor structure themselves, one important factor that plays a key role in the quality attribute of food is flavor stability. Not surprisingly, there is a large volume of published research investigating the stability of different food flavor compounds, since understanding flavor stability is crucial to creating greater awareness of dietary flavor application. This review presents a variety of factors that are thought to be involved in the stability of several selected important flavor compounds and the approach to improve the stability of different flavors. Some mechanisms of chemical degradation of flavor compounds were also provided.

In recent decades, cancer has been one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite advances in understanding the molecular basis of tumorigenesis, diagnosis, and clinical therapies, the discovery and development of effective drugs is an active and vital field in cancer research. Tetrahydrocurcumin is a major curcuminoid metabolite of curcumin, naturally occurring in turmeric. The interest in tetrahydrocurcumin research is increasing because it is superior to curcumin in its solubility in water, chemical stability, bioavailability, and anti-oxidative activity. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed that tetrahydrocurcumin exerts anti-cancer effects through various mechanisms, including modulation of oxidative stress, xenobiotic detoxification, inflammation, proliferation, metastasis, programmed cell death, and immunity. Despite the pharmacological similarities between tetrahydrocurcumin and curcumin, the structure of tetrahydrocurcumin determines its distinct and specific molecular mechanism, thus making it a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of cancers. However, the utility of tetrahydrocurcumin is yet to be evaluated as only limited pharmacokinetic and oral bioavailability studies have been performed. This review summarizes research on the anti-cancer properties of tetrahydrocurcumin and describes its mechanisms of action.

Crude rice bran oils from different rice cultivars and extraction methods bear different contents of nutraceuticals. The health benefits of lowering cholesterol activity of rice bran oil being confirmed by many reports are partly attributed to non-nutrient nutraceuticals, especially γ-oryzanol, phytosterols, and policosanols. As the world has been facing the global warming crisis, green extraction technology is gaining attention from many sectors. The current study aims to compare the nutraceutical composition with respect to γ-oryzanol, phytosterol, and policosanol content as well as the antioxidant properties of crude rice bran oils extracted from white and red rice bran using three green technologies, comparing with conventional hexane extraction. The data show that the traditional solvent extraction gave the highest oil yield percentage (26%), but it was not significantly different from subcritical liquefied dimethyl ether extraction (24.6%). Subcritical liquefied dimethyl ether extraction gave higher oil yield than supercritical CO2 extraction (15.5–16.2%). The crude rice bran oil extracted using subcritical liquefied dimethyl ether extraction produced the highest total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities. The highest γ-oryzanol content of the crude rice bran oil was found in oil extracted by conventional cold press (1370.43 mg/100 g). The γ-oryzanol content of the oil obtained via subcritical liquefied dimethyl ether extraction was high (1213.64 mg/100 g) compared with supercritical CO2 extraction. The red rice bran yielded the crude rice bran oil with the highest total phytosterol content compared with the white bran, and the oil from red rice bran extracted with subcritical liquefied dimethyl ether generated the highest total phytosterol content (1784.17 mg/100 g). The highest policosanol content (274.40 mg/100 g) was also found in oil obtained via subcritical liquefied dimethyl ether extraction.

Obesity is a global health concern. Piceatannol (Pic), an analog of resveratrol (Res), has many reported biological activities. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of Pic in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese animal model. The results showed that Pic significantly reduced mouse body weight in a dose-dependent manner without affecting food intake. Serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, and blood glucose (GLU) were significantly lowered in Pic-treated groups. Pic significantly decreased the weight of liver, spleen, perigonadal and retroperitoneal fat compared with the HFD group. Pic significantly reduced the adipocyte cell size of perigonadal fat and decreased the weight of liver. Pic-treated mice showed higher phosphorylated adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (pAMPK) and phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase (pACC) protein levels and decreased protein levels of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein C/EBPα, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor PPARγ and fatty acid synthase (FAS), resulting in decreased lipid accumulation in adipocytes and the liver. Pic altered the composition of the gut microbiota by increasing Firmicutes and Lactobacillus and decreasing Bacteroidetes compared with the HFD group. Collectively, these results suggest that Pic may be a candidate for obesity treatment.

Background/Objectives: Cinnamon leaves, an important source of the functional compound cinnamaldehyde (CA), have been shown to be effective in improving type II diabetes and Parkinson’s disease (PD) in rats following the incorporation of cinnamon leaf extract into a nanoemulsion. However, the effect of a cinnamon leaf extract nanoemulsion (CLEN) on improving Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent type of dementia, remains unexplored. The objectives of this study were to determine functional compounds in cinnamon leaves by UPLC-MS/MS, followed by the preparation of a nanoemulsion and its byproducts to study their effects on AD and PD in rats. Methods: Oven-dried (60 °C for 2 h) cinnamon leaf powder and hydrosol, obtained by steam distillation of cinnamon leaf powder, were stored at 4 °C. After determination of basic composition (crude protein, crude fat, carbohydrate, moisture and ash) of cinnamon leaf powder, it was extracted with 80% ethanol with sonication at 60 °C for 2 h and analyzed for bioactive compounds by UPLC-MS/MS. Then, the CLEN was prepared by mixing cinnamon leaf extract rich in CA with lecithin, soybean oil, tween 80 and ethanol in an optimal ratio, followed by evaporation to form thin-film and redissolving in deionized water. For characterization, mean particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, and surface morphology were determined. Animal experiments were done by dividing 90 male rats into 10 groups (n = 9), with groups 2–8 being subjected to mini-osmotic pump implantation surgery in brain to infuse Amyloid-beta 40 (Aβ40) solution in groups 2–8 for induction of AD, while groups 9 and 10 were pre-fed respectively with cinnamon powder in water (0.5 g/10 mL) and in hydrosol for 4 weeks, followed by induction of AD as shown above. Different treatments for a period of 4 weeks included groups 1–9, with group 1 (control) and group 2 feeding with sterilized water, while groups 3, 4 and 5 were fed respectively with high (90 mg/kg), medium (60 mg/kg) and low (30 mg/kg) doses of cinnamon leaf extracts, groups 6, 7 and 8 fed respectively with high (90 mg/kg), medium (60 mg/kg) and low (30 mg/kg) doses of nanoemulsions, groups 9 and 10 fed respectively with 10 mL/kg of cinnamon powder in water and hydrosol (0.5 g/10 mL). Morris water maze test was conducted to determine short-term memory, long-term memory and space probing of rats. After sacrificing of rats, brain and liver tissues were collected for determination of Aβ40, BACE1 and 8-oxodG in hippocampi, and AchE and malondialdehyde (MDA) in cortices, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px) and MDA in both cortices and livers, and dopamine in brain striata by using commercial kits. Results: The results showed that the highest level of CA (18,250.7 μg/g) was in the cinnamon leaf powder. The CLEN was prepared successfully, with an average particle size of 17.1 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.236, a zeta potential of −42.68 mV, and high stability over a 90-day storage period at 4 °C. The Morris water maze test revealed that the CLEN treatment was the most effective in improving short-term memory, long-term memory, and spatial probe test results in AD rats, followed by the cinnamon leaf extract (CLE), powder in hydrosol (PH), and powder in water (PW). Additionally, both CLEN and CLE treatments indicated a dose-dependent improvement in AD rats, while PH and PW were effective in preventing AD occurrence. Furthermore, AD occurrence accompanied by PD development was demonstrated in this study. With the exception of the induction group, declines in Aβ40, BACE1, and 8-oxodG in the hippocampi and AchE and MDA in the cortices of rats were observed for all the treatments, with the high-dose CLEN (90 mg/kg bw) exhibiting the highest efficiency. The antioxidant enzyme activity, including that of SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, in the cortices of rats increased. In addition, dopamine content, a vital index of PD, was increased in the striata of rats, accompanied by elevations in SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px and decreased MDA in rat livers. Conclusions: These outcomes suggest that the CLEN possesses significant potential for formulation into a functional food or botanical drug for the prevention and treatment of AD and/or PD in the future.

The treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a huge challenge, because pro-survival signaling pathways—such as the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway—are overexpressed in PDAC cells. Moreover, PDAC cells are highly resistant to chemotherapeutic agents because of autophagy induction. Therefore, autophagy and its modulated signaling pathways are attractive targets for developing novel therapeutic strategies for PDAC. Pterostilbene is a stilbenoid chemically related to resveratrol, and has potential for the treatment of cancers. Accordingly, we investigated whether the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine could potentiate the anticancer effect of pterostilbene in the PDAC cell lines MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3, as well as in an orthotopic animal model. The results indicated that pterostilbene combined with chloroquine significantly inhibited autophagy, decreased cell viability, and sensitized the cells to pterostilbene-induced apoptosis via downregulation of the RAGE/STAT3 and protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways in PDAC cells. The results of the orthotopic animal model showed that pterostilbene combined with chloroquine significantly inhibited pancreatic cancer growth, delayed tumor quadrupling times, and inhibited autophagy and STAT3 in pancreatic tumors. In summary, the present study suggested the novel therapeutic strategy of pterostilbene combined with chloroquine against the growth of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by inhibiting autophagy and downregulating the RAGE/STAT3 signaling pathways.