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1.
Occurrence of Bisphenol A and its analogues in some foodstuff marketed in Europe.
Russo, G, Barbato, F, Mita, DG, Grumetto, L
Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. 2019;:110575
Abstract
Bisphenol A and its analogues belong to the class of endocrine disrupting chemicals, massively employed by industries to produce polycarbonate and epoxy resins, designed to be in direct contact with foodstuffs. Their leaching from the canned packaging into its content results in food contamination. This review aims at offering a country-specific overview of the occurrence of bisphenols in six main categories of foodstuff marketed in the EU, based on monitoring studies performed in the 27 EU countries for which data are available and prevalently published in the last five years. The general overview of the literature data shows that concentration values of BPs detected into foodstuff is lower in Northern Europe than Southern Europe. A probable daily intake was hypothesized for some countries to provide an EU population exposure assessment. The consumption of canned meat and vegetables is responsible of PDI values higher than those of other food categories. These data emphasize that food and beverage monitoring should deserve greater attention especially by European countries for which no studies are available and especially with regards to bisphenols other than BPA whose limits are not set by the European regulations and whose toxicity has not been fully established.
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2.
The phenolic interactome and gut microbiota: opportunities and challenges in developing applications for schizophrenia and autism.
Jaskiw, GE, Obrenovich, ME, Donskey, CJ
Psychopharmacology. 2019;(5):1471-1489
Abstract
Schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder have long been associated with elevated levels of various small phenolic molecules (SPMs). In turn, the gut microbiota (GMB) has been implicated in the kinetics of many of these analytes. Unfortunately, research into the possible relevance of GMB-mediated SPMs to neuropsychiatry continues to be limited by heterogeneous study design, numerous sources of variance and technical challenges. Some SPMs have multiple structural isomers and most have conjugates. Without specialized approaches, SPMs can be incorrectly assigned or inaccurately quantified. In addition, SPM levels can be affected by dietary polyphenol or protein consumption and by various medications and diseases. Nonetheless, heterotypical excretion of various SPMs in association with schizophrenia or autism continues to be reported in independent samples. Recent studies in human cerebrospinal fluid demonstrate the presence of many SPMs A large number of these are bioactive in experimental models. Whether such mechanisms are relevant to the human brain in health or disease is not known. Systematic metabolomic and microbiome studies of well-characterized populations, an appreciation of multiple confounds, and implementation of standardized approaches across platforms and sites are needed to delineate the potential utility of the phenolic interactome in neuropsychiatry.
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3.
Plant phenolics as functional food ingredients.
Santos-Buelga, C, González-Paramás, AM, Oludemi, T, Ayuda-Durán, B, González-Manzano, S
Advances in food and nutrition research. 2019;:183-257
Abstract
Phenolic compounds have attracted much attention in recent times as their dietary intake has been associated with the prevention of some chronic and degenerative diseases that constitute major causes of death and incapacity in developed countries, such as cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, some types of cancers or neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Nowadays it is considered that these compounds contribute, at least in part, for the protective effects of fruit and vegetable-rich diets, so that the study of their role in human nutrition has become a central issue in food research. This chapter reviews the current knowledge on the phenolic compounds as food components, namely their occurrence in the diet, bioavailability and metabolism, biological activities and mechanisms of action. Besides, the approaches for their extraction from plant matrices and technological improvements regarding their preparation, stability and bioavailability in order to be used as functional food ingredients are also reviewed, as well as their legal situation regarding the possibility of making "health claims" based on their presence in food and beverages.
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4.
An overview of physicochemical characteristics and health-promoting properties of honeydew honey.
Seraglio, SKT, Silva, B, Bergamo, G, Brugnerotto, P, Gonzaga, LV, Fett, R, Costa, ACO
Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.). 2019;:44-66
Abstract
Honeydew honey has differentiated chemical and physicochemical characteristics besides potential functional properties such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. In this sense, the interest and consumption of this honey as a functional product by the food industry and consumers have increased. Honeydew honeys usually present dark color, a lower content of monosaccharides and higher values of pH, acidity, electric conductivity, proteins, minerals, phenolic compounds, and oligosaccharides compared to blossom honeys, which contribute to its outstanding biological activities. Consequently, contaminations and adulterations of this honey can occur and compromise the quality, safety and authenticity of honeydew honey. Thus, detailed knowledge of the composition and properties of honeydew honeys is of great importance, especially considering that honeydew honeys are still few studied and therefore underestimated. Therefore, in this review, the physicochemical characteristics, chemical and bioactive composition, functional and health-promoting properties of honeydew honey as well as contamination, adulteration and authenticity of this honey are summarized.
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5.
Dietary Predictors of Phthalate and Bisphenol Exposures in Pregnant Women.
Pacyga, DC, Sathyanarayana, S, Strakovsky, RS
Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.). 2019;(5):803-815
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Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can disrupt fetal developmental processes during pregnancy, leading to long-term adverse outcomes in humans. A major source of exposure to EDCs, such as phthalates and bisphenols, is the food supply, primarily due to contamination from processing and packaging. Therefore, this review aimed to 1) review food-monitoring sources of phthalates and bisphenols, and 2) evaluate methodologies and provide future directions needed to establish EDC-limiting dietary recommendations in pregnancy. Using PubMed, 10 peer-reviewed studies were found on dietary predictors of EDC exposure in pregnancy, and all were selected for review. Use of plastic containers in pregnancy was associated with higher urinary phthalate metabolites, whereas canned food consumption was associated with higher urinary bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations. Foods and dietary patterns associated with healthier food choices (e.g., organic/grown/raised/caught foods, folic acid supplements, vegetarianism) were generally associated with lower urinary phthalate metabolite and BPA concentrations. Despite the many food-monitoring studies reporting high BPA and phthalate concentrations in various foods, the designs of most studies described here were not sufficiently robust to consistently detect associations of specific foods/food groups with phthalates and BPA. Given the limitations of currently available research, future studies should incorporate more valid questionnaires to accurately assess dietary EDC exposure, strive for concurrent diet and exposure assessment, and assess whether geographical and cultural differences modify associations of diet with gestational EDC exposures. Such progress will be critical for developing dietary recommendations that ensure the safety and health of pregnant women.
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Put "gender glasses" on the effects of phenolic compounds on cardiovascular function and diseases.
Campesi, I, Marino, M, Cipolletti, M, Romani, A, Franconi, F
European journal of nutrition. 2018;(8):2677-2691
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The influence of sex and gender is particularly relevant in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) as well as in several aspects of drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Anatomical and physiological differences between the sexes may influence the activity of many drugs, including the possibility of their interaction with other drugs, bioactive compounds, foods and beverages. Phenolic compounds could interact with our organism at organ, cellular, and molecular levels triggering a preventive action against chronic diseases, including CVD. RESULTS This article will review the role of sex on the activity of these bioactive molecules, considering the existence of sex differences in oxidative stress. It describes the pharmacokinetics of phenolic compounds, their effects on vessels, on cardiovascular system, and during development, including the role of nuclear receptors and microbiota. CONCLUSIONS Although there is a large gap between the knowledge of the sex differences in the phenolic compounds' activity and safety, and the urgent need for more research, available data underlie the possibility that plant-derived phenolic compounds could differently influence the health of male and female subjects.
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Nonribosomal peptides for iron acquisition: pyochelin biosynthesis as a case study.
Ronnebaum, TA, Lamb, AL
Current opinion in structural biology. 2018;:1-11
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Abstract
Microbes synthesize small, iron-chelating molecules known as siderophores to acquire iron from the environment. One way siderophores are generated is by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). The bioactive peptides generated by NRPS enzymes have unique chemical features, which are incorporated by accessory and tailoring domains or proteins. The first part of this review summarizes recent progress in NRPS structural biology. The second part uses the biosynthesis of pyochelin, a siderophore from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as a case study to examine enzymatic methods for generating the observed diversity in NRPS-derived natural products.
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Introduction: Novel hybrid combinations containing synthetic or antibiotic drugs with plant-derived phenolic or terpenoid compounds.
Wagner, H, Efferth, T
Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2017;:1-3
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a paradigm shift in chemotherapy from mono-drug therapy towards multidrug combination regimens. Natural products from medicinal plants may play an important role for the design of novel combination therapy protocols. HYPOTHESIS We introduce the novel term "hybrid combination" for the therapeutic combination of chemically defined plant-derived constituents (e.g. phenolic or terpenoid compounds with synthetic or antibiotic drugs to increase pharmacological activity and simultaneously toxic side effects. STUDY DESIGN Several literature databases were screened on the combination of phenolic/terpenoid compounds with synthetic/antibiotic drugs. RESULTS Phenolic compounds are water soluble and interact with target proteins due to their OH-groups. They reveal antioxident, antiinflammatory and sometimes apoptotic activities whereas the terpenoids possess due to their lipophilic nature together with the phenolics amphiphilic properties and thereby good cell-penetrating features. They reveal antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory and sometimes apoptotic activities as well as cell-penetrating features due to their amphiphilicity. Synergistic or antagonistic interactions with synthetic or antibiotic drugs have to be demonstrated by using suitable methods (e.g. isobologram analysis). The molecular modes of action may be elucidated by approaches of network pharmacology (e.g. protein-protein interaction networks). CONCLUSION There is convincing evidence for the improvement of pharmacological activity at reduced side effects by hybrid combinations. Future efforts should focus on clinical trials with hybrid combinations to treat a broad range of diverse diseases such as cardiometabolic and neurotropic syndromes, drug resistance phenotypes, and so-called neglected infectious diseases.
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In vitro Metabolomic Approaches to Investigating the Potential Biological Effects of Phenolic Compounds: An Update.
Catalán, Ú, Barrubés, L, Valls, RM, Solà, R, Rubió, L
Genomics, proteomics & bioinformatics. 2017;(4):236-245
Abstract
Dietary phenolic compounds (PCs) have been receiving interest for their presumed roles in disease prevention. However, there is a lack of studies on the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this regard, in vitrometabolomic approaches are suitable for the investigation of the molecular changes in response to PC exposure. Up to date, the biological effects of PCs have only been examined for PCs from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), olive oil, and resveratrol using cell-based metabolomic approach, although transcriptomic and/or proteomic studies have also been conducted in the same in vitro cell experiment in some cases. Our integral analysis of the reviewed studies suggest that PCs may be involved not only in basic cellular processes or macro- and micro-nutrient metabolism, but also in specific metabolic pathways that have been thoroughly investigated. These modulated pathways could have a clinical impact on neurodegenerative diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. In conclusion, the in vitro metabolomic approaches provide additional information of the molecular mechanisms involved in disease risk reduction of dietary PCs. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of action of PCs, more metabolomic cell-based studies are needed and testing the physiological conjugated forms of PCs in these cell systems could be of special interest.
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Antimicrobial activity of Olea europaea Linné extracts and their applicability as natural food preservative agents.
Thielmann, J, Kohnen, S, Hauser, C
International journal of food microbiology. 2017;:48-66
Abstract
The antimicrobial activity of phenolic compounds from Olea (O.) europaea Linné (L.) is part of the scientific discussion regarding the use of natural plant extracts as alternative food preservative agents. Although, the basic knowledge on the antimicrobial potential of certain molecules such as oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol or elenolic acid derivatives is given, there is still little information regarding their applicability for food preservation. This might be primarily due to the lack of information regarding the full antimicrobial spectrum of the compounds, their synergisms in natural or artificial combinations and their interaction with food ingredients. The present review accumulates available literature from the past 40 years, investigating the antimicrobial activity of O. europaea L. derived extracts and compounds in vitro and in food matrices, in order to evaluate their food applicability. In summary, defined extracts from olive fruit or leaves, containing the strongest antimicrobial compounds hydroxytyrosol, oleacein or oleacanthal in considerable concentrations, appear to be suitable for food preservation. Nonetheless there is still need for consequent research on the compounds activity in food matrices, their effect on the natural microbiota of certain foods and their influence on the sensorial properties of the targeted products.