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Mediterranean Nutrients and Oils

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Lipids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2023) | Viewed by 28715

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Dr. Adil El Midaoui

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1. Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1A8, Canada
2. Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Errachidia, Moulay Ismail University of Meknes, Meknes 50050, Morocco
Interests: type 2 diabetes; hypertension; obesity; oxidative stress; anti-oxidants; argan oil
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Dr. Gérard Lizard

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Team "Biochemistry of the Peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism", Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
Interests: lipids; oxysterols; fatty acids; polyphenols; oils; oxidation; inflammation; mitochondria; peroxisomes; lysosomes; apoptosis; autophagy; natural products; synthethic molecules; biomarkers; neurodegeneration; neurodegenerative diseases; aging; age-related diseases; nanoparticles; targeted therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by high intake levels of fruit, vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, legumes, and blue fish, with restrictions on red meat and dairy intake, moderate but regular consumption of red wine, and low consumption of manufactured foods including sugar-sweetened foods and drinks. It is considered one of the healthiest diets for health and longevity.

Much evidence suggests that the Mediterranean-style diet provides several dietary compounds that have been reported to exert beneficial biological effects against a wide spectrum of chronic illnesses and age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, mental, eye, inflammatory, and infectious diseases. Among the bioactive nutrients identified as protective factors, natural polyphenols, carotenoids, retinoids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids have been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory, and anti-tumoral properties.

Although huge advances have been made in recent years in epidemiological research into the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet, especially in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, there is still insufficient scientific evidence on the molecular mechanisms by which its nutrients and compounds exert their beneficial effects on human health.

This Special Issue of Nutrients, entitled Mediterranean Nutrients and Oils, aims to provide the latest evidence regarding the impact of the Mediterranean diet and its nutrients and oils on human wellbeing and health. We hope to receive articles from outstanding experts on this topic. Both original epidemiological studies on humans and original articles on cell and animal models, as well as review articles providing insight into the physiology and molecular benefits of the Mediterranean diet and its bioactives, are welcome.

Dr. Adil El Midaoui
Dr. Gérard Lizard
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. Nutrients 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 2900 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

Mediterranean diet
dietary and essential oils
natural products
functional food

Related Special Issue

Mediterranean Nutrients and Oils: 2nd Edition in Nutrients

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2593 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agarwood Oil Nanoemulsion Attenuates Cigarette Smoke-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Markers in BCi-NS1.1 Airway Epithelial Cells

by Gabriele De Rubis, Keshav Raj Paudel, Bikash Manandhar, Sachin Kumar Singh, Gaurav Gupta, Raniya Malik, Jessie Shen, Aniss Chami, Ronan MacLoughlin, Dinesh Kumar Chellappan, Brian Gregory George Oliver, Philip Michael Hansbro and Kamal Dua

Nutrients 2023, 15(4), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15041019 - 17 Feb 2023

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3118

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an irreversible inflammatory respiratory disease characterized by frequent exacerbations and symptoms such as cough and wheezing that lead to irreversible airway damage and hyperresponsiveness. The primary risk factor for COPD is chronic cigarette smoke exposure, which promotes oxidative stress and a general pro-inflammatory condition by stimulating pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory pathways and, simultaneously, inactivating anti-inflammatory and antioxidant detoxification pathways. These events cause progressive damage resulting in impaired cell function and disease progression. Treatments available for COPD are generally aimed at reducing the symptoms of exacerbation. Failure to regulate oxidative stress and inflammation results in lung damage. In the quest for innovative treatment strategies, phytochemicals, and complex plant extracts such as agarwood essential oil are promising sources of molecules with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, their clinical use is limited by issues such as low solubility and poor pharmacokinetic properties. These can be overcome by encapsulating the therapeutic molecules using advanced drug delivery systems such as polymeric nanosystems and nanoemulsions. In this study, agarwood oil nanoemulsion (agarwood-NE) was formulated and tested for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential in cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-treated BCi-NS1.1 airway basal epithelial cells. The findings suggest successful counteractivity of agarwood-NE against CSE-mediated pro-inflammatory effects by reducing the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-8, and GDF-15. In addition, agarwood-NE induced the expression of the anti-inflammatory mediators IL-10, IL-18BP, TFF3, GH, VDBP, relaxin-2, IFN-γ, and PDGF. Furthermore, agarwood-NE also induced the expression of antioxidant genes such as GCLC and GSTP1, simultaneously activating the PI3K pro-survival signalling pathway. This study provides proof of the dual anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of agarwood-NE, highlighting its enormous potential for COPD treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mediterranean Nutrients and Oils)

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24 pages, 1518 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Validation of Vitamin D- Food Frequency Questionnaire for Moroccan Women of Reproductive Age: Use of the Sun Exposure Score and the Method of Triad’s Model

by Noura Zouine, Ilham Lhilali, Aziza Menouni, Lode Godderis, Adil El Midaoui, Samir El Jaafari and Younes Zegzouti Filali

Nutrients 2023, 15(4), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15040796 - 04 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2556

Abstract

This cross-sectional study aimed to develop and validate a vitamin D food frequency questionnaire (VitD-FFQ) to assess vitamin D intake in Moroccan women of reproductive age. Using the method of triads, the VitD-FFQ was validated against seven-day dietary records (7d-FR) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) as a biomarker of vitamin D status in 152 women (aged 18–45 years). Participants’ sun exposure scores (SES) were assessed using a specific questionnaire (SEQ). Predictors of vitamin D status were identified via linear regression models. Several statistical tests were applied to evaluate the criterion validity of the FFQ against two references methods (7d-FR and the biomarker-serum 25(OH)D). Median (Interquartile range) intakes were 7.10 ± 6.95 µg /day and 6.33 ± 5.02 µg/ day, respectively, for VitD-FFQ and 7d-FR. Vitamin D status was mainly determined by SES (R = 0.47) and vitamin D absolute food intakes derived by the VitD-FFQ (R = 0.56), which demonstrated a more significant prediction ability compared to 7d-FR (R = 0.36). An agreement was observed between the VitD-FFQ and 7d-FR (BA index of 3.29%) with no proportional bias (R² = 0.002, p = 0.54). <10% of participants were incorrectly classified, and weighted kappa statistics showed that VitD-FFQ had an acceptable ranking ability compared to the 7d-FR and the biomarker. The validity coefficient for the VitD-FFQ was high: ρQR = 0.90 (95%CI: 0.89–0.92), and a range from 0.46 to 0.90. Adjustment for the participants’ SES and BMI (body mass index) improved the biomarker’s validity coefficient (ρRB 0.63 (95% CI 0.39–0.82). Our results indicate that the VitD-FFQ is valid for estimating absolute vitamin D intake in Moroccan women of reproductive age. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mediterranean Nutrients and Oils)

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18 pages, 1364 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sun Exposure Score and Vitamin D Levels in Moroccan Women of Childbearing Age

by Ilham Lhilali, Noura Zouine, Aziza Menouni, Lode Godderis, Marie-Paule Kestemont, Adil El Midaoui, Samir El Jaafari and Younes Filali-Zegzouti

Nutrients 2023, 15(3), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030688 - 29 Jan 2023

Viewed by 2637

Abstract

Sunlight exposure is an essential source of vitamin D for many humans. However, hypovitaminosis D is a global public health problem. This study aimed to develop and validate a sun exposure score (SES) and correlate it with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in women of childbearing age. One hundred and sixty women aged 18 to 45 years residing in Meknes, Morocco, were included. A questionnaire estimating the sun exposure score and blood analysis of serum 25-OHD concentration were performed. The questionnaire’s reliability and construct validity were evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis. Spearman’s test was used to assess the correlation between SES and 25-OHD levels. The score’s reliability and construct validity were good, with Cronbach’s alpha values >0.70 and factorial saturation ranging from 0.696 to 0.948. Serum 25-OHD levels were significantly associated with the total sun exposure score, and all SES domains (Rho was 0.615 (p < 0.0001), 0.307 (p < 0.0001), 0.605 (p < 0.0001), and 0.424 (p < 0.0001) for total SES, indoor exposure domain, outdoor exposure domain, and sun protection practice domain, respectively). In addition, median 25-OHD levels increased significantly when sun exposure was changed from insufficient to sufficient (p < 0.0001). The results suggest that the sun exposure score could be used as a clinical tool to assess vitamin D levels in women of childbearing age. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mediterranean Nutrients and Oils)

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Review

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29 pages, 1448 KiB

Open AccessReview

Role of Diet and Nutrients in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Incidence on Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory Status and Viral Production

by Fatiha Brahmi, Anne Vejux, Imen Ghzaiel, Mohamed Ksila, Amira Zarrouk, Taoufik Ghrairi, Soukena Essadek, Stéphane Mandard, Valerio Leoni, Giuseppe Poli, Dominique Vervandier-Fasseur, Omar Kharoubi, Adil El Midaoui, Atanas G. Atanasov, Smail Meziane, Norbert Latruffe, Boubker Nasser, Balkiss Bouhaouala-Zahar, Olfa Masmoudi-Kouki, Khodir Madani, Lila Boulekbache-Makhlouf and Gérard Lizard Show full author list Hide full author list

Nutrients 2022, 14(11), 2194; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14112194 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6459

Abstract

Coronavirus illness (COVID-19) is an infectious pathology generated by intense severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This infectious disease has emerged in 2019. The COVID-19-associated pandemic has considerably affected the way of life and the economy in the world. It is consequently crucial to find solutions allowing remedying or alleviating the effects of this infectious disease. Natural products have been in perpetual application from immemorial time given that they are attested to be efficient towards several illnesses without major side effects. Various studies have shown that plant extracts or purified molecules have a promising inhibiting impact towards coronavirus. In addition, it is substantial to understand the characteristics, susceptibility and impact of diet on patients infected with COVID-19. In this review, we recapitulate the influence of extracts or pure molecules from medicinal plants on COVID-19. We approach the possibilities of plant treatment/co-treatment and feeding applied to COVID-19. We also show coronavirus susceptibility and complications associated with nutrient deficiencies and then discuss the major food groups efficient on COVID-19 pathogenesis. Then, we covered emerging technologies using plant-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. We conclude by giving nutrient and plants curative therapy recommendations which are of potential interest in the COVID-19 infection and could pave the way for pharmacological treatments or co-treatments of COVID-19. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mediterranean Nutrients and Oils)

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20 pages, 1837 KiB

Open AccessReview

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.): A Source of Nutrients for Health and for the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric and Age-Related Diseases

by Adil El Midaoui, Imen Ghzaiel, Dominique Vervandier-Fasseur, Mohamed Ksila, Amira Zarrouk, Thomas Nury, Farid Khallouki, Aboubaker El Hessni, Salama Ouazzani Ibrahimi, Norbert Latruffe, Réjean Couture, Omar Kharoubi, Fatiha Brahmi, Sonia Hammami, Olfa Masmoudi-Kouki, Mohamed Hammami, Taoufik Ghrairi, Anne Vejux and Gérard Lizard

Nutrients 2022, 14(3), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030597 - 29 Jan 2022

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 11558

Abstract

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a medicinal plant, originally cultivated in the East and Middle East, and later in some Mediterranean countries. Saffron is obtained from the stigmas of the plant. Currently, the use of saffron is undergoing a revival. The medicinal virtues of saffron, its culinary use and its high added value have led to the clarification of its phytochemical profile and its biological and therapeutic characteristics. Saffron is rich in carotenoids and terpenes. The major products of saffron are crocins and crocetin (carotenoids) deriving from zeaxanthin, pirocrocin and safranal, which give it its taste and aroma, respectively. Saffron and its major compounds have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in vivo. Anti-tumor properties have also been described. The goal of this review is to present the beneficial effects of saffron and its main constituent molecules on neuropsychiatric diseases (depression, anxiety and schizophrenia) as well as on the most frequent age-related diseases (cardiovascular, ocular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as sarcopenia). Overall, the phytochemical profile of saffron confers many beneficial virtues on human health and, in particular, on the prevention of age-related diseases, which is a major asset reinforcing the interest for this medicinal plant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mediterranean Nutrients and Oils)

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