Sagan Dalya Tea, a New “Old” Probable Adaptogenic Drug: Metabolic Characterization and Bioactivity Potentials of Rhododendron adamsii Leaves

Adams’ rhododendron (Rhododendron adamsii Rehder) or Sagan Dalya tea is a famous Siberian evergreen medical plant of the Ericaceae family used in traditional medicines of Buryats, Yakuts, and Mongols as a tonic, stimulant, and adaptogenic drug. The high popularity of R. adamsii coupled with poor scientific knowledge prompted the addressing of gaps related to metabolic and biomedical data of Sagan Dalya tea. The application of solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric techniques for the metabolomic study of R. adamsii leaf extracts resulted in the identification of more than 170 compounds, including carbohydrates, organic acids, simple phenol glycosides, triterpene glycosides, flavonoids, prenylated phenols, benzoic acid derivatives, hydroxycinnamates, dihydrochalcones, catechins, and procyanidins, most of which were identified for the first time in the plant. Extended surveys of the seasonal content of all detected compounds prove that specific metabolite variations reflect the bioactivity of R. adamsii extracts. Regarding in vitro methods, the expressed antioxidant potential of R. adamsii extracts was investigated via radical-scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, and ferrous (II) ion chelating assays. The animal-based swimming to exhaustion test demonstrates the stimulating influence of R. adamsii extract on physical performance and endurance, concluding that the drug could act as an adaptogen. Thus, Sagan Dalya tea (R. adamsii) has confirmed its “old” application as a tonic remedy and requires further precise study as a novel adaptogenic plant.

Au/CeO2/g-C3N4 Nanocomposite Modified Electrode as Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Phenol

A convenient and simple phenol electrochemical sensor was constructed based on the Au/CeO2/ g-C3N4 nanocomposites, which were obtained by loading the gold–cerium oxide (Au/CeO2) nanoparticle on graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4) through precipitation–reduction methods. The microstructure and morphology of Au/CeO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite were verified using different techniques such as XRD, TEM, and HRTEM. Voltammetry and amperometry methods were used to study the electrochemical performance of the constructed phenol electrochemical sensors. The results demonstrated evidently that the combination of Au/CeO2 and g-C3N4 may improve sensing performances of phenol determination. The detection linear range of the sensor was 10–90 μM under the optimum parameters. The Au/CeO2/g-C3N4 based electrochemical sensor also has low detection limits (2.33 μM) and high sensitivities (0.1080 mA/μM) for phenol detection. In addition, the sensor also had considerably favorable anti-interference performance. As a consequence, the sensor demonstrated that the electrochemical system provided a promising effective strategy for detection of phenol.

Generation of the Antioxidant Hydroxytyrosol from Tyrosol Present in Beer and Red Wine in a Randomized Clinical Trial

Beer and wine contains the simple phenol tyrosol (TYR) which is endogenously converted into hydroxytyrosol (HT), one of the strongest dietary antioxidants, by CYP2A6 and CYP2D6 polymorphic enzymes. We investigated in humans the rate of this bioconversion after beer and red wine (RW) intake. In a single blind, randomized, crossover, controlled clinical trial (n = 20 healthy subjects), we evaluated TYR absorption and biotransformation into HT following a single dose of (i) RW, (ii) Indian pale ale beer (IPA), (iii) blonde beer, and (iv) non-alcoholic beer (free). Individuals were genotyped for CYP2A6 and CYP2D6, and a polygenic activity score (PAS) was derived. RW triggered the highest increase in total TYR recovered, followed by IPA, blonde, and free beers. Although the HT content in beer was minimal, an increase in HT production was observed in all beers following TYR in a dose-response manner, confirming TYR to HT biotransformation. Sex differences were identified in the rate of the conversion following RW. PAS scores correlated linearly with the recoveries of HT (HT:TYR ratios) after RW intake. In conclusion, after beer and RW consumption, TYR is absorbed and endogenously biotransformed into HT. This mechanism could be modulated by sex, genetics, and matrix components.

Phenolic compounds in agri-food by-products, their bioavailability and health effects

Phenolic compounds constitute a large and diverse group of secondary metabolites derived from phenylalanine and tyrosine and are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom. They could be divided into different classes such as simple phenol, phenyl acetic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, and other phenylpropanoids as well as condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins) and hydrolysable tannins, among others, depending on their basic carbon skeleton structure. Phenolic compounds in plant-based foods have been suggested to have a number of beneficial health effects including prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, immune disorders, neurogenerative disease and others. These properties are largely attributable to the antioxidant activity of the phenolic compounds as well as other mechanisms of action. Therefore, nutraceuticals of plant origin may evolve to be considered a vital aspect of dietary-disease preventive food components. Agri-food industries generate substantial quantities of phenolic rich by-products, which could serve as an attractive and commercially viable source of nutraceuticals. This contribution mainly summarizes the occurrence of phenolic compounds and some other bioactives in various Agri-food by-products, their bioavailability and health benefits.

ORAL HIV-ASSOCIATED KAPOSI SARCOMA: A COMPARISON BETWEEN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY AND qPCR TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTION OF HHV8

<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To compare the diagnostic accuracy of immunohistochemistry compared to real-time PCR (using a simple phenol-chloroform DNA extraction protocol) in the detection of HHV8 in small oral biopsies of Kaposi sarcoma. Also to validate the use of this DNA extraction protocol to extract HHV8 DNA.</p><p><strong>Material and methods:</strong> Seventeen cases of oral KS were examined. Data including gender, age, and anatomic location were obtained from patient´s records and histological sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E) were reviewed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect HHV8 in lesions of interest, as well as real-time PCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All the patients were HIV positive, the mean age was 35.5 years old, and the affected oral sites were palate (47%), gingiva (29.4%), tongue (11.8%), lip (5.9%), and oral floor (5.9%). Fifteen samples showed positive staining for HHV8 and only two samples were negative. The same results were observed using real-time PCR HHV8-DNA detection.</p><p><strong>Relevance: </strong>Our findings suggest that immunohistochemistry is faster and cheaper to perform than real-time PCR and was shown to have similar levels of sensitivity and accuracy for detection of HHV8 even in small biopsies. Additionally DNA extraction using a non-commercial kit, as done in this study can further reduce the costs to a pathology service.</p>