A Comprehensive Review on Therapeutic Potentials of Natural Cyclic Peptides

Cyclic peptides have emerged as a promising class of organic compounds that possess polypeptide chains with a cyclic ring structure. There is a circular sequence of bonds in which the ring structure is formed via linkage between one end of the peptide bond and the other end with an amide bond or any other chemically stable bonds like ether, thioether, lactone, and disulfide. Generally, the cyclic peptides are isolated from natural resources like invertebrate animals, micro-organisms of marine habitats, and higher plants. These cyclic peptides possess unique structures with diverse pharmacological activities. Now a day, cyclic peptides possess superior therapeutic value due to several reasons such as greater resistance to enzymatic degradation (in vivo) and higher bio-availability. Some of these cyclic peptides are rich in leucine, proline while some have other amino acids as their major constituents. Numerous novel cyclic peptides isolated from natural sources are successfully developed as bioactive products. Recently, cyclic peptides derived from natural resources have attracted attention for exploring their numerous beneficial effects. Moreover, it is reported that natural cyclic peptides exhibit various therapeutic activities like an anthelmintic, ACE inhibitor, anti-tumor, microtubule inhibitor, anti-fungal, anti-malarial, and platelet aggregation inhibiting activity. In this review, various cyclic peptides are reported with structures and biological activities that are isolated from various natural sources. The natural cyclic peptides possess a wide spectrum of biological activities and can become a drug of the future for replacing the existing drugs which develop resistance

Benefits of coffee consumption for human health: an overview

Background: Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide and is popular for its characteristic flavor and rich organoleptic properties. Aim: Based on published articles, the aims of this review are i) study the association between coffee consumption and benefits to human health; ii) the effects of coffee consumption on some pathologies; and iii) provide a description of coffee’s bioactive compounds. Discussion: Coffee presents bioactive compounds, which include phenolic compounds, especially chlorogenic acid (caffeoylquinic acid), trigonelline, and diterpenes, such as cafestol and kahweol. These compounds are related to the beneficial effects for human health, including high antioxidant activity, antimutagenic activity, hepatoprotective action, reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, decreased incidence of inflammatory diseases, reduced menopausal symptoms, and others. Coffee’s bioactive compounds are caffeine, chlorogenic acid, trigonelline, cafestol and kahweol, which are closely related to coffee’s beneficial effects. Conclusion: The present review clarified that the benefits of moderate coffee consumption outweigh the associated risks.

Review on Acrylamide: A Hidden Hazard in Fried Carbohydrate-Rich Food

Acrylamide is classified as a hazard whose formation in carbohydrate-rich food cooked at a high temperature has created much interest in the scientific community. The review attempts to comprehend the chemistry and mechanisms of formation of acrylamide and its levels in popular foods. A detailed study of the toxicokinetic and biochemistry, carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, interaction with biomolecules, and its effects on reproductive health has been presented. The review outlines the various novel and low-cost conventional as well as newer analytical techniques for the detection of acrylamide in foods with the maximum permissible limits. Various effective approaches that can be undertaken in industries and households for the mitigation of levels of acrylamide in foods have also been discussed. This review will assist to provide in depth understanding about acrylamide that will make it simpler to assess the risk to human health from the consumption of foods containing low amounts of acrylamide.

Protecting Superfood Olive Crop from Pests and Pathogen Using Image Processing Techniques: A Review

Background: Olive (Oleo europaea L.) cultivars are widely cultivated all over the world. But it is often attacked by pests and pathogens. This deteriorates the quality of the crop leading to less yield of olive oil. Image processing techniques can be used to classify the different pathogens causing similar disease symptoms on olive leaves Objective: With the rapid increase in the availability of data in the field of nutrigenomics, the olive has established itself as a superfood and a potential source of therapeutics. The objective of this review is to emphasize the early detection and classification of the disease using image processing techniques Method: A systematic literature search using keywords, Olive oil, pest and pathogen of olives, metabolic profiling were done on PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. Results: Disease infection often led to huge losses and poor quality of olive oil yield. Early understanding of disease infestations can safeguard the olive plant and the olive oil yield Results: Disease infection often led to huge losses and poor quality of olive oil yield. Early understanding of disease infestations can safeguard the olive plant and the olive oil yield

Comparison of the General Dietary Habits and Lifestyle between Before and During COVID-19 among the Saudi Adult's Population in Riyadh

Background: The global outbreak of COVID-19, for which there is few evidence-based effective vaccines or treatments available yet, has led to many attempts to find alternative options. Objective: This study aimed to compare the general dietary habits and lifestyle between before and during COVID-19 among the Saudi adult population in Riyadh Methods: It was a cross-sectional study, targeting the Riyadh population, from 16 May 2020 to 16 June 2020. The study comprised a structured questionnaire design that inquired demographic information examples include:(age, gender, place of residence, and health status); dietary habits information (daily intake of certain foods, food frequency, number of meals/days, and number of times drinking the tea and coffee); lifestyle habits information (physical activity, sleep quality, time that spend using the internet, social media and electronic devices for fun daily and stresses) using Google form. A total of 1,193 participants have been included in the study aged over 18 years. Results: During the COVID-19 period, a significant increase in the number of meals eaten daily, the number of times of fruits and vegetable intake, the number of sweets, cakes, and biscuits, the number of hours of sleep per day, the time using the internet and social media were observed more than at in the before COVID-19 pandemic period. However, the number of running exercise or physical activity were significantly reduced. Conclusion: In this study, the dietary and lifestyle habits have changed among the Saudis during the COVID-19 period. Future large-scale similar studies should be undertaken to confirm the results of the study.

Phycocyanin: A Natural Antioxidant to Combat Free Radicals

: Various research showed that antioxidants can effectively overcome the damage caused by free radicals to the human health. Therefore, antioxidants are identified as one of the main directions in the development of health care and cosmetics products due to high demand in the market. This review mainly focuses on the phycocyanin, a type of natural antioxidant mainly found in cyanobacteria. This mini review summarizes the phycocyanin sources and numerous extraction methods of phycocyanin along with the analytical methods in determining its ability to suppress free radicals. Phycocyanin has been proven to play an important role in scavenging free radicals and enhancing the body’s antioxidant capacity. However, there are lack of long-term randomized clinical trial results that can be used as evidence in showing the benefits of phycocyanin. The existing phycocyanin extraction methods using solvents, ultrasonic-assisted, freeze-thaw and etc. can extract high-quality phycocyanin efficiently and quickly. Scientists are also trying to incorporate advanced technologies such as "Industry 4.0" to optimize and enhance the industrial production of phycocyanin. Lastly, this review also describes the difficulties faced during the phycocyanin production or extraction process and financial obstacles in order to achieve the popularization of phycocyanin.

Evaluation of Nutritional Value, Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Content of Protium serratum Engl and Artocarpus chama Buch.-Ham, Wild Edible Fruits Available in Tripura, a North- Eastern State of India

Background: Protium serratum Engl (Indian red peer) and Artocarpus chama Buch.-Ham (wild jackfruit) are typical wild edible fruits, which have a wide range of folk medicinal properties. Objectives: Our present study deals with the exploration of nutritional value, antioxidant activity and total phenolic content present in Protium serratum Engl and Artocarpus chama Buch.-Ham fruits. Methods: Soxhlet apparatus was used to extract crude samples. The quantitative analysis of the wild edible fruits was broadly done by proximate and ultimate analysis techniques. Results: The results showed that the moisture contents in P. serratum and A. chama Buch. are 78.53% and 74.23%, respectively. The obtained ash (8.59%), fiber (3.17%), total sugar (5.495 mg/100g), and fat (0.66%) contents are high in P. serratum. Whereas, A. chama Buch. has high content of protein (0.52%). Vitamin C content has higher in P. serratum (550 mg/100g) than that of A. chama Buch. (350 mg/100g). The result shows that the Ca and Mg contents have higher in P. serratum compared to A. chama Buch. Indian red peer shows good antioxidant property and has high total phenolic content as compared to wild jackfruit and some commercial fruits. Conclusion: The study establishes that further investigation must be done to find out new products development, processing and preservation techniques so that two underutilized fruits can get into our regular dietary habits. By doing so, we can enrich the fruit basket of the country.

Comprehensive Review: Miracle Tree Moringa oleifera Lam

: From ancient times, humans have depended on plants as a source of medicines. The interest in plants is as old as mankind itself. For novel agents to heal various disorders and improve health, the plant kingdom represents a rich store of folk traditional medicines and organic compounds. Various plants with medicinal properties are used as traditional medicines; M. oleifera Lam. (family Moringaceae) is one of them. M. oleifera Lam. drumstick tree is a tropical species known by various regional names as kelor, saguna, sahjan, sajiwan, sajna, Subhanjana, and suragavo. M. oleifera occurs naturally and is also cultivated throughout India. It is a small to medium-sized tree known as an admirable source of nutrition and a natural energy booster. Primary and secondary metabolites such as minerals, protein, vitamins, and various phenolic compounds are present in different parts of the plant. Most parts of this plant (bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, pods, roots, and seeds) show various pharmacological activities such as analgesic, anti-atherogenic, anti-cancer, antidiabetic, anti-fertility, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidative, anti-pyretic, etc. M. oleifera has the potential to improve nutrition and to reduce malnutrition, especially among infants and nursing mothers as well as boost food security in developing countries.

Oilseed Cakes in the Food Industry: A Review on Applications, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

: By-products from the food sector now have a wide range of applications. Low-cost raw materials, followed by low-cost goods, are regarded as one of the sectors’ top goals. Because of its economic relevance, reduced price, and nutrients such as protein, fiber, carbs, and antioxidants, oilseed cakes (OCs) have found a desirable place in livestock and poultry feed. Furthermore, because the cake has the same desirable nutrients, its usage in the food business is unavoidable. However, its use in this sector is not simply for nutritious purposes and has it has different impacts on flavor, texture, color, and antioxidant qualities. Therefore, as a result of its desirable qualities, the cake can be more useful in extensive applications in the food business, as well as in the manufacture of supplements and novel foods. The current review looks at the reapplications of byproducts obtained from oilseeds (soybean, sunflower, sesame, canola, palm kernel, peanut, mustard, and almond) in the food sector in the future. Furthermore, allergenicity, toxicity, antinutritional compounds, and techniques of extracting cakes from oilseeds have been discussed.

Is Sunflower Cooking Oil Desirable for Colorectal Cancer? In Vivo Studies on Azoxymethane-Induced Colon Cancer in Rats

Background: The incorporation of oils in the diet may have promoting or inhibitory effects on Colorectal Cancer (CRC). In this study, azoxymethane (AOM) was used to mimic CRC in rats and the effect of sunflower oil on cancer progression in the colon of the rats was tested. Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of sunflower oil on preneoplastic cancer properties on the colonic mucosal surface for tumors and the aberrant crypt foci (ACF). Methods: Six weeks old Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomized into 4 groups of 6 rats each, namely naïve, positive control, negative control and sunflower oil-fed. CRC was induced by AOM by subcutaneous injection of 20 mg/kg. After CRC induction, the rats were given respective treatment of either basal diet (naïve group), 10 mg/kg indomethacin (positive control), 0.9% saline (negative control), and 7% sunflower oil (experimental group) daily by oral gavage for 42 days. Rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation; colon samples were visually observed for any tumors on the colonic mucosal surface and evaluated for ACF; histopathological examinations were also performed. Results: The mean body weights of the rats were similar in all groups as per one-way ANOVA. A total of 3 ACF were found in the negative group while none were observed in others. The crypts appeared regular with circular luminal openings and were arranged closely packed together in the naïve group. Crypts in the positive and treated group had a similar appearance like naïve group. Conclusion: Sunflower oil inhibition of the preneoplastic cancer ACF properties were tested but were found to be insignificant when administered during CRC treatment or management. However long-term experiment with a greater number of days will yield better development of tumor and ACF development and will be useful identifying the molecular mechanism.