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Nutraceuticals and Their Medicinal Importance 2020-2022

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 15877

Special Issue Editors

1. Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche ed Odontostomatologiche—Sez, Biochimica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, 60131 Ancona, Italy
2. Research Group on Foods, Nutritional Biochemistry and Health, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, Isabel Torres 21, 39011 Santander, Spain
Interests: phytochemicals; antioxidants; natural product chemistry; food chemistry; reactive oxygen species; chromatography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Nutrition and Food Science Group, Dept. of Analytical and Food Chemistry, CITACA, CACTI, University of Vigo - Vigo Campus, 36310 Vigo, Spain
Interests: bioactive compounds; by-products; obesity; lipid metabolism; oxidative stress; obesity and cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Various economic, social and environmental factors have drastically changed our lifestyle with a consequent increase in the onset of many diseases related to our uncorrected habits, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular pathologies and some cancers. On one hand, in recent years natural products and nutraceuticals have gained extensive attention from the scientific community for their health-promoting and disease-preventing effects. On the other hand, the general public has started to search for and buy more foods enriched in bioactive compounds, such as fruits, vegetables, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals and phytonutrients, as demonstrated by the global annual increase of the nutraceutical market of about 15%. In addition, these natural substances are used for many therapeutic outcomes.

The main purpose of the Third Edition of the Special Issue on "Nutraceuticals and Their Medicinal Importance" is to be an open forum where researchers have the chance to share their investigations and findings in this promising field and, thanks to the open access platform, increase their visibility and opportunities to interact with industries and production systems. Contributions to this issue, either in the form of original research or review articles, may cover all aspects of nutraceuticals, from their natural sources to health effects to legislation and commercialization; studies with multidisciplinary input, offering new methodologies or insights, are particularly welcome.

Dr. Francesca Giampieri
Dr. Tamara Forbes-Hernandez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Nutraceuticals
  • Bioactive compounds
  • Functional foods
  • Medicinal products
  • Health
  • Disease prevention
  • Bioavailability
  • Metabolism
  • Gut microbiota
  • Genetic modulation
  • Epigenetic modulation Quality control
  • Food processing techniques
  • Safety and efficacy
  • Bioavailability
  • Dietary supplements
  • Commercialization of nutraceuticals and functional foods
  • Economic and industrial opportunities
  • Labeling and health claims

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2582 KiB  
Article
Anti-Inflammatory and Antiproliferative Properties of Sweet Cherry Phenolic-Rich Extracts
by Ana C. Gonçalves, Ana R. Costa, José D. Flores-Félix, Amílcar Falcão, Gilberto Alves and Luís R. Silva
Molecules 2022, 27(1), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010268 - 02 Jan 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2553
Abstract
Cherries have largely been investigated due to their high content in phenolics in order to fully explore their health-promoting properties. Therefore, this work aimed to assess, for the first time, the anti-inflammatory potential of phenolic-targeted fractions of the Saco cherry, using RAW 264.7 [...] Read more.
Cherries have largely been investigated due to their high content in phenolics in order to fully explore their health-promoting properties. Therefore, this work aimed to assess, for the first time, the anti-inflammatory potential of phenolic-targeted fractions of the Saco cherry, using RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Additionally, the cytotoxic effects on gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS), neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells were evaluated, as well as the ability to protect these cellular models against induced oxidative stress. The obtained data revealed that cherry fractions can interfere with cellular nitric oxide (NO) levels by capturing NO radicals and decreasing inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. Furthermore, it was observed that all cherry fractions exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against AGS cells, presenting cytotoxic selectivity for these cancer cells when compared to SH-SY5Y and NHDF cells. Regarding their capacity to protect cancer cells against oxidative injury, in most assays, the total cherry extract was the most effective. Overall, this study reinforces the idea that sweet cherries can be incorporated into new pharmaceutical products, smart foods and nutraceuticals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutraceuticals and Their Medicinal Importance 2020-2022)
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20 pages, 6949 KiB  
Article
Natural Compound 3β,7β,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,23(E)-dien-19-al from Momordica charantia Acts as PPARγ Ligand
by Nur Adelina Ahmad Noruddin, Mohamad Faiz Hamzah, Zulfadli Rosman, Nurul Hanim Salin, Alexander Chong Shu-Chien and Tengku Sifzizul Tengku Muhammad
Molecules 2021, 26(9), 2682; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092682 - 03 May 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2567
Abstract
Momordica charantia is a popular vegetable associated with effective complementary and alternative diabetes management in some parts of the world. However, the molecular mechanism is less commonly investigated. In this study, we investigated the association between a major cucurbitane triterpenoid isolated from M. [...] Read more.
Momordica charantia is a popular vegetable associated with effective complementary and alternative diabetes management in some parts of the world. However, the molecular mechanism is less commonly investigated. In this study, we investigated the association between a major cucurbitane triterpenoid isolated from M. charantia, 3β,7β,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,23(E)-dien-19-al (THCB) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) activation and its related activities using cell culture and molecular biology techniques. In this study, we report on both M. charantia fruit crude extract and THCB in driving the luciferase activity of Peroxisome Proliferator Response Element, associated with PPARγ activation. Other than that, THCB also induced adipocyte differentiation at far less intensity as compared to the full agonist rosiglitazone. In conjunction, THCB treatment on adipocytes also resulted in upregulation of PPAR gamma target genes expression; AP2, adiponectin, LPL and CD34 at a lower magnitude compared to rosiglitazone’s induction. THCB also induced glucose uptake into muscle cells and the mechanism is via Glut4 translocation to the cell membrane. In conclusion, THCB acts as one of the many components in M. charantia to induce hypoglycaemic effect by acting as PPARγ ligand and inducing glucose uptake activity in the muscles by means of Glut4 translocation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutraceuticals and Their Medicinal Importance 2020-2022)
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17 pages, 3291 KiB  
Article
Caryocar brasiliense Cambess. Pulp Oil Supplementation Reduces Total Cholesterol, LDL-c, and Non-HDL-c in Animals
by Gabriela Torres Silva, Carolina Di Pietro Fernandes, Priscila Aiko Hiane, Karine de Cássia Freitas, Priscila Silva Figueiredo, Aline Carla Inada, Wander Fernando Filiú, Iriani Rodrigues Maldonade, Ângela Alves Nunes, Lincoln Carlos Silva de Oliveira, Anderson Rodrigues Lima Caires, Flavio Michels, Camila Jordão Candido, Leandro Fontoura Cavalheiro, Marcel Arakaki Asato, Juliana Rodrigues Donadon, Bernardo Bacelar de Faria, Mariana Bento Tatara, Julio Henrique Rosa Croda, Arnildo Pott, Carlos Eduardo Domingues Nazário and Rita de Cássia Avellaneda Guimarãesadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Molecules 2020, 25(19), 4530; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25194530 - 03 Oct 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2711
Abstract
The fruit of Caryocar brasiliense Cambess. is a source of oil with active compounds that are protective to the organism. In our work, we analyzed the physicochemical characteristics and evaluated the effects of supplementation with C. brasiliense oil in an animal model. We [...] Read more.
The fruit of Caryocar brasiliense Cambess. is a source of oil with active compounds that are protective to the organism. In our work, we analyzed the physicochemical characteristics and evaluated the effects of supplementation with C. brasiliense oil in an animal model. We characterized the oil by indices of quality and identity, optical techniques of absorption spectroscopy in the UV–Vis region and fluorescence, and thermogravimetry/derived thermogravimetry (TG/DTG). For the animal experiment, we utilized mice (Mus musculus) supplemented with lipidic source in different dosages. The results demonstrated that C. brasiliense oil is an alternative source for human consumption and presents excellent oxidative stability. Primarily, it exhibited oleic MFA (53.56%) and palmitic SFA (37.78%). The oil level of tocopherols and tocotrienols was superior to the carotenoids. The supplementation with C. brasiliense oil reduced the levels of total cholesterol, LDL-c, and non-HDL-c. Regarding visceral fats and adiposity index, the treatment synergically supplemented with olive oil and C. brasiliense oil (OO + CO) obtained the best result. Therefore, C. brasiliense oil is a high quality product for consumption. Its supplementation promotes beneficial effects mainly on the lipidic profile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutraceuticals and Their Medicinal Importance 2020-2022)
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Review

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55 pages, 38862 KiB  
Review
The Hallmarks of Flavonoids in Cancer
by Luis Gustavo Saboia Ponte, Isadora Carolina Betim Pavan, Mariana Camargo Silva Mancini, Luiz Guilherme Salvino da Silva, Ana Paula Morelli, Matheus Brandemarte Severino, Rosangela Maria Neves Bezerra and Fernando Moreira Simabuco
Molecules 2021, 26(7), 2029; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26072029 - 02 Apr 2021
Cited by 82 | Viewed by 7101
Abstract
Flavonoids represent an important group of bioactive compounds derived from plant-based foods and beverages with known biological activity in cells. From the modulation of inflammation to the inhibition of cell proliferation, flavonoids have been described as important therapeutic adjuvants against several diseases, including [...] Read more.
Flavonoids represent an important group of bioactive compounds derived from plant-based foods and beverages with known biological activity in cells. From the modulation of inflammation to the inhibition of cell proliferation, flavonoids have been described as important therapeutic adjuvants against several diseases, including diabetes, arteriosclerosis, neurological disorders, and cancer. Cancer is a complex and multifactor disease that has been studied for years however, its prevention is still one of the best known and efficient factors impacting the epidemiology of the disease. In the molecular and cellular context, some of the mechanisms underlying the oncogenesis and the progression of the disease are understood, known as the hallmarks of cancer. In this text, we review important molecular signaling pathways, including inflammation, immunity, redox metabolism, cell growth, autophagy, apoptosis, and cell cycle, and analyze the known mechanisms of action of flavonoids in cancer. The current literature provides enough evidence supporting that flavonoids may be important adjuvants in cancer therapy, highlighting the importance of healthy and balanced diets to prevent the onset and progression of the disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutraceuticals and Their Medicinal Importance 2020-2022)
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