Search Results (2,010)

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiometabolic disorders, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and is closely associated with oxidative stress. Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) cladodes are recognized as a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying their metabolic benefits remain incompletely understood. Objectives: This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective potential of a polyphenol-rich O. ficus-indica cladode extract (OCE) using an integrated approach combining in vivo evaluation, untargeted metabolomics (UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS), molecular docking, and ADMET prediction. Methods: Hyperlipidemic mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) were treated with OCE, while molecular docking was performed on ten major annotated phytochemicals against twelve key proteins involved in lipid metabolism and cholesterol homeostasis, including HMGCR, FAS, PPARα, PCSK9, and NPC1L1, using simvastatin as the reference compound. Results: OCE treatment significantly improved plasma and hepatic lipid profiles, improved glucose homeostasis, and markedly reduced hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, indicating attenuation of oxidative stress. Histopathological analysis further supported a pronounced hepatoprotective effect, with a substantial reduction in hepatic steatosis. Untargeted metabolomics enabled the annotation of 102 metabolites, putatively identifying piscidic acid as the predominant phenolic constituent together with a diverse profile of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Molecular docking supported the potential contribution of these phytochemicals to the regulation of lipid metabolism through favorable interactions with multiple therapeutic targets, while ADMET prediction suggested an overall favorable pharmacokinetic and toxicity profile despite the lower intestinal permeability predicted for glycosylated derivatives. Conclusions: Overall, these findings support O. ficus-indica cladodes as a promising source of dietary bioactive compounds with potential applications in the nutritional management and prevention of hyperlipidemia and related cardiometabolic disorders. Full article

Vernonia amygdalina Del. (bitter leaf) is a nutrient-rich indigenous leafy vegetable, but most research has examined raw material or laboratory extracts rather than the vegetable as consumed. This structured narrative review evaluates how household and food-processing methods affect nutrient retention, anti-nutritional factors, and bioaccessibility and distinguishes measured species-specific findings from extrapolated evidence. Boiling and aqueous debittering can reduce heat-sensitive nutrients, minerals, and anti-nutritional factors, but the heterogeneous primary studies do not permit a single quantitative estimate of these effects. Lactic acid fermentation is a potential research strategy: proposed reductions in anti-nutritional factors and bitterness are extrapolated from other fermented plant foods because no species-specific fermentation study was identified. Similarly, proposed gut-microbiome effects are inferred from general dietary-fibre and isolated-polyphenol literature, not from V. amygdalina feeding studies. No human study has directly measured nutrient absorption, systemic bioavailability, or clinical effects after consumption of processed bitter leaf. Hence, phytate-to-mineral ratios are interpreted only as indicators of predicted absorption, and proposed food formats and development pathways are identified as author-generated concepts rather than validated products. The review identifies priorities for species-specific processing studies, standardised in vitro digestion, product safety and acceptability testing, and ultimately human absorption and efficacy research. Full article

Background: Precision nutrition and nutrigenomics have emerged as promising strategies to personalize dietary interventions according to individual genetic, metabolic, and molecular characteristics. However, the potential of nutrigenomic-guided nutraceutical interventions to modulate biological aging pathways remains poorly characterized. Objective: This study aimed to map and synthesize the available evidence from human studies evaluating personalized nutraceutical interventions based on nutrigenomic approaches and their effects on biomarkers associated with biological aging. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between 2021 and 2026. Eligible studies included adults aged ≥18 years receiving personalized nutraceutical interventions informed by genetic, genomic, metabolomic, or other molecular data. Outcomes included biomarkers of cellular aging, inflammation, oxidative stress, immunometabolism, and related pathways. Results: Twenty-one studies were included. Interventions involved omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, Nigella sativa, vitamin D, methyl-donor micronutrients, fermented papaya preparation, and other nutraceutical preparations and functional food-based interventions. Four major themes emerged: multi-omic stratification approaches, biological aging biomarkers, redox-inflammatory modulation, and applications in metabolic disorders. Most studies demonstrated favorable effects on intermediate molecular biomarkers, including inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress markers, lipid metabolism, endothelial function, and DNA methylation signatures. However, evidence directly demonstrating slowing of biological aging through validated biomarkers such as epigenetic clocks or telomere dynamics remains limited. Conclusions: Personalized nutraceutical interventions exhibit biological plausibility for modulating pathways associated with healthy aging. Nevertheless, robust longitudinal studies incorporating validated biomarkers of biological aging and clinically meaningful outcomes are needed before their widespread implementation in precision medicine. Full article

(1) Background: Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), a persistent perfluoroalkyl obesogen, promotes adipogenesis, yet whether its effects can be pharmacologically opposed remains unknown. (2) Methods: We examined the interaction between PFDA (50, 75 μM) and the dietary polyphenol curcumin (20, 30 μM) throughout the 8-day 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation protocol, using cell-viability (WST-1) assays with a two-factor interaction analysis, Oil Red O lipid quantification and mRNA profiling of Pparg, Cebpa, Srebf1, and Fasn. (3) Results: PFDA alone increased lipid accumulation and upregulated Pparg, Cebpa, and Fasn, whereas Srebf1 was induced only weakly and only at the higher dose, a pattern compatible with preferential engagement of the PPARγ/C/EBPα program over the SREBP-1c lipogenic pathway at the mRNA level, although the transcripts were not formally compared and no protein-level data were obtained. At two sub-cytotoxic concentrations, curcumin preserved potent antiadipogenic activity, reducing lipid accumulation by up to 67.3% and reversing PFDA-induced gene upregulation. At the viability endpoint the two compounds acted independently: curcumin significantly reduced viability and PFDA significantly increased it, with no statistically detectable interaction between them (two-way ANOVA, interaction p = 0.85). (4) Conclusions: This dissociation shows that a chemical interaction defined at one biological endpoint does not predict its outcome at another, a principle with broad implications for mixture toxicology—and it establishes curcumin as a candidate dietary intervention that intercepts an obesogen’s transcriptional program against environmentally driven metabolic disruption. Full article

Dietary polyphenols are plant-derived secondary metabolites recognized as highly bioactive molecules. One of their most significant biological properties is their antioxidant potential. In the present study, the antioxidant capacities of commonly consumed dietary polyphenolic compounds were comparatively evaluated. Antioxidant activities were assessed using sing ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) radical scavenging assays. Twenty-three polyphenol standards were classified into two primary groups, phenolic acids and flavonoids, each further divided into their respective subclasses, and their antioxidant capacities were examined in relation to structural features. Among the phenolic acids, gallic acid (11.29 ± 0.05 µmol Trolox equivalents/mg), protocatechuic acid (6.69 ± 0.04), syringic acid (5.76 ± 0.03), caffeic acid (4.76 ± 0.02), and ellagic acid (4.65 ± 0.07) exhibited the highest FRAP activities. Among the flavonoids, quercetin (5.98 ± 0.03), epicatechin (2.69 ± 0.02), and resveratrol (2.59 ± 0.01) were the most potent antioxidants. Compounds such as chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), rutin, and luteolin displayed moderate antioxidant activity, whereas p-hydroxybenzoic acid, pinocembrin, chrysin, daidzein, hesperetin, t-cinnamic acid, and myricetin showed markedly low activity. These results indicate that antioxidant capacity of polyphenols is strongly influenced by both the number and the positions of hydroxyl groups on their aromatic rings, highlighting the critical role of structural features in determining their redox potential. Full article

This study aimed to illustrate the effects of plant-based yogurts made from bio-fermentative green rice milk yogurt (GRMY), enhanced with Wolffia globosa powder (WGP) and infused with Thai green tea. Different formulations (F1 to F4) were analyzed to assess the impact of varying weight ratios of WGP, ranging from 0% to 15%. The goal was to improve nutritional values and bioactive components. The F4 formulation of plant-based yogurt demonstrated enhanced nutritional values, including higher levels of dietary fiber, starch, protein, and fat contents, which were 42.45, 26.55, 22.48, and 2.29% DW, respectively. It was increased by bioactive compounds such as total phenolic content (52.99 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid content (60.45 mg QUE/g), and β-carotene (1.81 mg/g). Additionally, the F4 formulation exhibited the highest antioxidants in terms of DPPH activity (5.48 mg TROE/g), ABTS activity (424.15 mg TROE/g), and FRAP reducing capacity (106.35 mg TROE/g) and antidiabetic activity of α–glucosidase inhibition in IC₅₀ at 1.41 mg/mL. The yogurts were evaluated through metabolomic network analysis as a complex bioactive food system, wherein fermentation-derived metabolites synergistically interact with tea polyphenols, amino acids, phytosterols, and carotenoids. The prevailing metabolic profiles indicate an increase in antioxidant capacity, a reduction in inflammatory burden, enhanced glucose metabolism, alterations in gut microbiota, cardiovascular protection, and neuroprotective potential. These findings suggest that the product represents a promising plant-based functional food, offering numerous health benefits. This assertion is supported by a diverse metabolite network identified through UPLC–MS/MS metabolomic research. Full article

Advanced glycation end products arise during thermal processing and endogenous metabolism, contributing to oxidative stress, inflammation, and the progression of chronic diseases. Dietary polyphenols have emerged as promising advanced glycation end product (AGE) inhibitors through antioxidant activity, carbonyl trapping, metal chelation, and modulation of inflammatory pathways. This review summarizes current evidence on the effects of polyphenols in food systems and highlights how different polyphenol subclasses vary in their antiglycation potential depending on chemical structure, food matrix, and cooking conditions. Although experimental studies consistently demonstrate inhibitory effects, the translation to humans remains limited by low bioavailability, metabolic transformation, and heterogeneous analytical methods. Standardized AGE measurements are needed to improve mechanistic insight, and evaluations of dose–response relationships are needed to clarify their relevance in real-world diets. Future research should prioritize long-term human studies and practical culinary strategies to determine whether polyphenol-rich foods can meaningfully reduce dietary AGE exposure and support chronic disease prevention. Full article

Hypertension is the most common comorbidity in chronic kidney disease (CKD), affecting roughly 80–85% of patients overall and an even higher proportion in nondialysis CKD G3–G5. This narrative review examines whether, and under what clinical conditions, fruits, vegetables, and legumes can be used safely in adults with hypertensive CKD, especially nondialysis CKD G3–G5, as well as moderate to severe loss of kidney function, paying close attention to the gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, gut-derived uremic toxins, potassium bioavailability, and modifiable clinical risk factors. The clinical effect of plant foods on serum potassium cannot be predicted from total potassium content alone. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2024 guidelines explicitly advise individualized potassium management and emphasize limiting foods rich in bioavailable potassium, especially processed foods, rather than reflexively restricting fruits and vegetables. Across CKD studies, the association between dietary potassium and serum potassium is weak or inconsistent, and the risk of hyperkalemia is modified by kidney function, bowel function, metabolic acidosis, diabetes and hyperglycemia, medications, food processing, and the food matrix itself. Potassium bioavailability varies substantially according to the food matrix, preparation method, portion size, and processing method; some minimally processed plant foods may provide less readily absorbable potassium than potassium-rich processed foods, juices, or potassium additives. Fruits, vegetables, and legumes also provide fiber, resistant starch, and polyphenols that can support saccharolytic fermentation, short-chain fatty acid production, bowel transit, and lower concentrations of some gut-derived uremic toxins. However, blood-pressure and kidney-outcome benefits in CKD are supported more strongly by observational and selected alkali-diet trials than by large microbiome-focused randomized studies. In hypertensive CKD, fruits, vegetables, and legumes should not be universally restricted simply because they contain potassium. A safer and more evidence-aligned strategy is individualized, food-source-aware prescribing that prioritizes minimally processed plant foods, accounts for preparation method and portion size, corrects constipation and acidosis, reviews potassium-raising medications and additives, and monitors serum potassium according to baseline risk. Full article

For many types of cancer, pre-clinical studies have shown that dietary interventions and supplements can be effective in reducing the toxicity and increasing the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. In this context, the polyphenol curcumin is an attractive molecule. We have previously demonstrated that curcumin inhibits adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) cell growth, has an impact on ACC cell metabolism, decreasing cholesterol availability and promoting glucose and glutamine metabolism. In this study, we evidenced that curcumin downregulates the transcription factors SF-1 and SREBPs and their targets, while inducing a ROS-dependent, HIF1α- and NRF2-mediated metabolic rewiring. NRF2 sustained an adaptive antioxidant mechanism dependent on glutamine, cysteine, and glycine uptake to support glutathione synthesis and avoid lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, the combination of curcumin with mitotane demonstrated synergistic effects in inhibiting ACC cell viability and reducing steroidogenic gene expression. These synergistic effects were observed with sub-therapeutic doses of mitotane, which are reached by patients who fail to attain the therapeutic plasma concentrations of the drug. Crucially, in vivo, curcumin administration to tumor-free mice significantly upregulated NRF2 expression and preserved liver tissue integrity. These results warrant further preclinical evaluation of the proposed combination therapy, particularly for those patients who fail to achieve or maintain mitotane plasma concentrations in the therapeutic range. Full article

Background/Objectives: Aluminium is a widespread environmental element and food contaminant to which the general population is continuously exposed, primarily through diet and drinking water. Although gastrointestinal absorption is generally low, bioavailability varies according to chemical form, food matrix, and interactions with dietary components. Prolonged exposure can nevertheless result in gradual tissue accumulation. This review summarises current evidence on dietary aluminium exposure, factors influencing its bioavailability, toxicokinetics, biological effects, gut microbiota interactions, and population-level health risk. Methods: A comprehensive narrative literature review was conducted using publications retrieved from PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Original research articles, review papers, and reports issued by international organisations were critically evaluated with particular emphasis on dietary sources, drinking water, food additives, food contact materials, gastrointestinal absorption, toxicokinetics, biological mechanisms, gut microbiota, and health risk assessment. Results: Food represents the principal source of aluminium exposure in the general population, while drinking water usually contributes a smaller but continuous fraction of total oral intake. Dietary exposure varies substantially between populations and is influenced by food composition, processing practices, the use of aluminium-containing additives, and migration from food contact materials. Aluminium bioavailability is modified by chemical speciation and dietary constituents, including citrate, phosphates, silicates, phytates, polyphenols, and essential minerals. Despite limited absorption, prolonged exposure can lead to gradual aluminium accumulation, particularly in bone tissue and the central nervous system. Proposed biological mechanisms include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, disruption of mineral homeostasis, and inflammatory signalling. Emerging evidence also indicates that aluminium may alter the gut microbiota, impair intestinal barrier integrity, and influence the gut–brain axis. Population exposure assessments show considerable regional variation, with some groups approaching or exceeding established tolerable weekly intake values. Conclusions: Dietary aluminium exposure represents a relevant issue in nutritional toxicology and food safety. Although current evidence does not establish that typical dietary exposure directly causes chronic disease, long-term exposure, differences in bioavailability, and the possibility of elevated intake in selected population groups justify continued monitoring and further prospective human studies. Future research should integrate dietary intake, aluminium speciation, nutritional status, biomarkers of internal exposure, and long-term health outcomes to improve risk assessment and support effective exposure-reduction strategies. Full article

Compounds identified in plant foods are often not the species that reach human tissues. Glycosides, tannins and incompletely absorbed aglycones enter the colon, where gut microorganisms hydrolyse, reduce, cleave, demethylate or dehydroxylate them. This critical narrative review examines pathways resolved beyond taxonomic association: daidzein-to-S-equol conversion; cooperative urolithin and enterolignan formation; flavone reduction and C-ring cleavage; stereoselective catechin metabolism; glucosinolate activation; and transformations of resveratrol and hydroxycinnamate-derived metabolites. We distinguish enzyme and genetic evidence from findings in isolates, consortia, faecal communities, gnotobiotic models and human studies. Detecting a taxon or catalytic gene does not establish in vivo pathway flux. Substrate release, transcription, cofactor supply, cross-feeding, product consumption, absorption and host conjugation shape the metabolites detected in plasma and urine. Human studies identify distinct S-equol and urolithin phenotypes and show substantial exposure to phenyl-γ-valerolactones and smaller phenolic acids, although several high-flux reactions remain enzymatically unresolved. Biological relevance is most credible when tested with circulating conjugates at concentrations attained after food intake. Linking reaction-level microbiology to measured exposure may explain interindividual responses to phytonutrient-rich foods. We conclude that microbiota-dependent exposure should be claimed only when reaction-level evidence is connected to precursor-specific human metabolites. This framework separates established conversion from unresolved spontaneous and host processing and specifies the evidence needed to explain individual responses. Full article

Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MOLE), including polysaccharides, polyphenols, amino acids and other extracts, are increasingly being used as feed additives in ruminant nutrition due to their high profiles of bioactive compounds. This comprehensive narrative review aims to review current research on their use in ruminant production regarding their productive performance, immune status, rumen microbiota and fermentation. Dietary supplementation with MOLE enhances growth rates and feed conversion efficiency, as well as immune status, milk yield and rumen microbiology, in ruminants by improving nutrient digestibility and metabolic efficiency. Additionally, MOLE exerts significant immunomodulatory effects, and studies indicate that immunoglobulins, antioxidants, cytokines, and enzymes reduce oxidative stress markers and incidence of subclinical diseases in dairy animals. Furthermore, supplementation with MOLE often increases milk fat and protein content while reducing somatic cell counts (SCCs) in milk. MOLE enhance the function of the rumen fermentation profile by increasing volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, especially propionate, and also regulating the stability of rumen pH. Additionally, it also selectively promotes microbial community diversity, enhances the population of cellulolytic bacteria and has a suppression function in protozoa and methanogens. Moreover, MOLE also contributes to improving fiber degradation and reducing the emissions of methane. In conclusion, MOLE is considered as a viable natural strategy to promote productivity, immune function, health, and environmental sustainability while decreasing methane production in ruminant production. Full article

Background/Objectives: Obesity is paradoxically associated with iron deficiency despite adequate dietary intake, driven by chronic inflammation and elevated hepcidin. Different dietary patterns may differentially affect iron metabolism in obese individuals, yet comparative evidence remains limited. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Four databases (SciSpace, Google Scholar, PubMed) were searched through 2025 using terms related to obesity, iron deficiency, and three dietary patterns: Mediterranean diet, ketogenic diet, and intermittent fasting. Studies were screened using seven predefined criteria (three inclusion, four exclusion) with thresholds of ≥4.0/5.0 for abstract screening and ≥4.5/5.0 for full-text screening. Results: From 396 identified records (SciSpace n = 325, Google Scholar n = 57, PubMed n = 14), 38 studies were included after removing 62 duplicates and screening 334 unique records. Studies without accessible full text were excluded.The Mediterranean diet appears most protective for iron status due to its anti-inflammatory profile (omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, vitamin C) and bioavailable iron sources. Ketogenic diets may impair duodenal iron absorption through hepcidin-independent mechanisms and restrict dietary iron diversity. Intermittent fasting shows complex effects, remodeling iron metabolism with increased transferrin and decreased ferritin within physiological ranges. Weight loss per se consistently improves iron status by reducing adipose-driven inflammation and lowering hepcidin. Conclusions: Among the three dietary patterns examined, the Mediterranean diet appears most protective for iron status in obese individuals. The ketogenic diet may pose the highest risk due to restricted dietary iron diversity and potential hepcidin-independent absorption impairment. Direct comparative randomized controlled trials are urgently needed. Clinicians should routinely monitor iron biomarkers, including hepcidin, in obese patients undertaking any dietary intervention. Quantitative biomarker data from the 38 included studies showed serum ferritin reductions of 8–28%, hemoglobin levels remaining within clinically stable ranges, and IL-6 decreases of 15–42% across dietary patterns. Full article

Androgen dysregulation impairs the homeostasis of the prostate, hair follicles, and ovaries, driving the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (PCa), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), androgenetic alopecia (AGA), and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Current antiandrogen therapies are constrained by drug resistance, off-target toxicity, and limited long-term efficacy. Plant extracts, enriched with bioactive constituents such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and flavonoids, represent promising multi-target candidates. Therefore, focusing on plant extracts—particularly those of dietary origin—this review summarized the mechanisms by which they regulate androgen-dependent and androgen-independent signaling pathways, and recent advances in nutritional interventions targeting androgen-responsive organs. Furthermore, it discussed the multi-component combined effects and factors affecting in vivo exposure of plant extracts, including metabolic transformation and tissue distribution, which may influence the anti-androgenic activity. In summary, anti-androgenic plant extracts primarily target androgen synthesis and AR signaling across various androgen disorder models, with crosstalk into cell growth and cycle, anti-inflammatory pathways, and regulation of growth factors. This multi-target regulation relies on the mixture effects of plant extracts. Future research should focus on three directions: extract standardization, clinical validation, and advanced delivery systems. Full article

Obesity is a heterogeneous chronic disease for which safe, scalable adjuncts to lifestyle and clinical care remain needed. Tea derived from Camellia sinensis contains catechins, caffeine, theaflavins, thearubigins, theabrownins, polysaccharides, and other constituents whose abundance is shaped by withering, fixation, partial oxidation, full oxidation, and post-fermentation. This review integrates processing-dependent composition with molecular mechanisms, gut–liver signaling, human evidence, safety, and real-world preparation. Evidence is strongest for modest effects of green-tea catechin–caffeine preparations on energy metabolism and selected anthropometric or lipid outcomes, whereas inhibition of adipogenesis, activation of AMP-activated protein kinase, browning of white adipose tissue, and many appetite-related pathways remain supported mainly by cell and rodent studies. A recent meta-analysis in women with overweight or obesity estimated mean reductions of −1.23 kg in body weight and −3.46 cm in waist circumference, with intervention durations across the included trials typically ranging from 4 to 24 weeks, though most of the evidence derives from short- to medium-term interventions (generally ≤12 weeks); heterogeneity was moderate to high and the average weight effect remained below conventional clinical thresholds. Partially oxidized oolong tea and fully oxidized or post-fermented teas provide distinct profiles of caffeine, oxidized polyphenols, and microbial metabolites; their metabolic effects are promising but are less consistently tested in adequately powered human trials. Across tea types, convergent mechanisms include reduced digestive-enzyme activity, increased fatty-acid oxidation, modulation of thermogenesis, reinforcement of the intestinal barrier, and microbiota-dependent production of short-chain fatty acids and bile-acid signals. Translation is constrained by low systemic polyphenol exposure (i.e., limited bioavailability of intact catechins and their metabolites in circulation due to poor intestinal absorption, extensive phase-II metabolism, and rapid clearance), non-standardized doses and products, short intervention periods, interindividual variability, and limited direct comparisons among tea types. Available clinical data do not support tea as a primary treatment for obesity; rather, unsweetened tea or standardized preparations may serve as adjuncts to evidence-based dietary, physical activity, behavioral, and medical management. Priority areas include physiologically relevant dosing, standardized reporting of brewed-tea composition, long-term trials, and microbiome-informed personalization. Full article