Biology and Life Sciences Forum, Volume 12, 2022

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased levels of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the mechanism by which light radiation (e.g., ultraviolet, UV) has a damaging effect on cells. At the same time, regardless of the data on the negative...

The scarcity of natural resources and higher incidence of diseases related to inappropriate eating habits have prompted the search of food and nutraceutical products with functional properties that are also respectful of the environment. Agro-industr...

Sargassum muticum is an invasive brown macroalga in Galicia (Spain). Thus, exploitation of this biomass for the extraction of bioactive compounds could be an interesting strategy to add value to food supplements and functional foods. Among these comp...

Current research has shown that oily fish, specifically pelagic species such as blue shark (Prionace glauca), shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), are a rich source of essential nutrients,...

Exercise training (ET) is a natural activator of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a stress-sensor able to increase the endogenous antioxidant system. SIRT1 activators, including polyphenols and vitamins, can enhance the antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant supplement...

Objectives: Nowadays, the global population is moving towards herbal drugs, which contain bioactive compounds, to cure diseases. Rauwolfia serpentina is a medicinally important herb that is mainly effective in the treatment of hypertension and psycho...

The main purpose of this review is to analyze published data concerning the antioxidant properties of astaxanthin, a xanthophyll, produced by the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis in response to specific conditions of “environmental stress&rdqu...

Background: Evidence suggests that turmeric or curcumin intake can improve antioxidant defense, blood pressure, ageing and gut microbiota. The effects of turmeric concentrate (curcumin) intake on cardiovascular risk factors and exercise-induced oxida...

Natural products have been used for their healing properties for many centuries and have been of great interest in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Physical inactivity and the modern sedentary lifestyle, in which processed food has ta...

This umbrella review was aimed at understanding if the Mediterranean diet can have a protective role against the development of age-related cognitive disorders. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus and the DOAJ were systematically...

The plant hormones cytokinins play a major role in cell division and cell differentiation. They affect organogenesis in plant cell cultures and contribute to many other physiological and developmental processes in plants. Kinetin was first discovered...

Sulforaphane (1-isothiocyanato-4-(methylsulfinyl)-butane) and iberin (1-isothiocyanato-3-methylsulfinylpropane) have attracted widespread attention due to their anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventive properties. These isothiocyanates are products of...

Obesity is associated with a low-grade inflammation, characterized by the secretion of inflammatory mediators, that contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. Steatosis may be complicated by hepatocellular injury and liver i...

Plant-based (PB) diets typically result in a lowering of total and LDL cholesterol. Eggs could complement the PB diet by increasing HDL cholesterol. In this randomized, controlled crossover intervention, we recruited 30 participants (49.3 ± 8...

Agroindustry generates different types of waste every year, among which is food suitable for human consumption but without commercial value since it does not meet strict marketing parameters. In this sense, the Food and Agriculture Organization of th...

Background: The availability of characterized human adipocyte cell models for in vitro studies is currently limited. They may be useful to better understand the role of dysfunctional adipocytes in the pathophysiology of cardio-metabolic diseases and...

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors have been reported in Uganda, but the role of dietary risk factors of MetS is rarely reported. This study examined the association between fruit and/or vegetable (FV) intake and MetS risk factors in adults aged...

There is a close correlation between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive impairment leading to dementia. Lately, the incidence of T2DM-related dementia has increased with population aging. Factors such as oxidative stress and inflammatory r...

Vitamin E compounds are known for their antioxidant potential. Research indicates a more effective antioxidant effect of tocotrienols compared to tocopherols. The aim of this study was to develop an FFQ for evaluation of tocotrienols intake and compa...

Colonic mucosa exhibits numerous functional alterations associated to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Oxidative stress, a factor involved in T2DM pathogenesis and its complications, may contribute to some of the colonic alterations. Silicon (Si) is...

Purpose: Despite suggestive epidemiological findings and plausible mechanisms, data directly linking vitamin D supplementation with improvement in cardiovascular risk is limited. Moreover, little is known about the effect of vitamin D on cardiovascul...

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic on 11 March 2020. As COVID-19 has spread, lockdowns have been declared all over the world, including the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South Korea. Consequently, it has cha...

The aim of the present study was to explore links between dietary habits and biomarkers of systemic inflammation in older adults. In a sample of 233 community-dwelling older adults (65–70 years), dietary habits were assessed by a food-frequency...

Nutrition is a major contributing factor to immunocompetence. Bio-fortification is a feasible strategy from an environmental and economical point of view. It is considered the perfect strategy to combat human mineral malnourishment. Bio-fortified foo...

The current study examined changes in body composition and dietary intake of healthy Spanish postmenopausal before and after the COVID-19-related lockdown. Sixty-six women participated in the study (58.7 ± 5.4 years). Participants had a full b...

The immune system, inflammatory, and oxidative processes are involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of chronic diseases. Soybean lunasin has emerged as one of the most promising food-derived peptides with a positive impact on health. A soybean ext...

The current obesity pandemic and related health complications severely impair the quality of life and significantly increase the burden of health care costs. Obesity causes chronic low-grade inflammation, which may cause chronic metabolic disease and...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disease characterized by the excessive accumulation of lipids in the liver parenchyma. To date, there is no effective pharmacological treatment against NAFLD; however, lifestyle modifications, including...

Bladder cancer is one of the ten most common types of cancer diagnosed in the world. During this time, an unbalanced state of reactive oxygen species’ (ROS) production and antioxidant capacity occurs that causes oxidative damage, cell damage, a...

The aim of this review is to understand if Spirulina can significantly improve the CD4+ cell count in patients with HIV. PubMed was searched up to February 2022 for relevant trials, and seven studies were found to match our inclusion criteria. Overal...

Background: The sequential processes that lead to pathological cardiovascular remodeling are unclear. From the multiple components that constitute the cardiovascular system, it is believed that vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) play a central role....

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide. Consequently, many byproducts are generated during coffee processing, including the pulp, a source of antioxidant phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds and caffeine, reducing oxidativ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has been disruptive to people’s mental health and lifestyle, including dietary intakes. This study aimed to explore psychological distress, lifestyle, and demographic factors and the relationship to discretionary choices i...

Over the past two years, a significant number of studies and statistical reports have appeared that prove the relationship between the level of vitamin D in the body and the severity of COVID-19. The main sources of vitamin D in the human body are fo...

Introduction: Fruits and vegetables are sources of numerous nutrients and bioactive compounds [...]