Berry-derived polyphenols are bioactive compounds synthesized and secreted by several berry fruits. These polyphenols feature a diversity of chemical compounds, including phenolic acids and ...flavonoids. Here, we report the beneficial health effects of berry-derived polyphenols and their therapeutical application on gut-microbiota-related diseases, including inflammation and cancer. Pharmacokinetic investigations have confirmed the absorption, availability, and metabolism of berry-derived polyphenols. In vitro and in vivo tests, as well as clinical trials, showed that berry-derived polyphenols can positively modulate the gut microbiota, inhibiting inflammation and cancer development. Indeed, these compounds inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and also promote beneficial bacteria. Moreover, berry-derived polyphenols exhibit therapeutic effects against different gut-microbiota-related disorders such as inflammation, cancer, and metabolic disorders. Moreover, these polyphenols can manage the inflammation via various mechanisms, in particular the inhibition of the transcriptional factor Nf-κB. Berry-derived polyphenols have also shown remarkable effects on different types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, esophageal, and prostate cancer. Moreover, certain metabolic disorders such as diabetes and atherosclerosis were also managed by berry-derived polyphenols through different mechanisms. These data showed that polyphenols from berries are a promising source of bioactive compounds capable of modulating the intestinal microbiota, and therefore managing cancer and associated metabolic diseases. However, further investigations should be carried out to determine the mechanisms of action of berry-derived polyphenol bioactive compounds to validate their safety and examinate their clinical uses.
Wild edible plants, once consumed in times of famine or for health purposes, today represent an interesting dietary supplement, aimed at enriching local dishes and/or formulating healthy ...nutraceutical products. In fact, the broad content of different, and diversely bioactive, specialized metabolites therein suggests new scenarios of use which, in order to be as functional as possible, must maximize the bioactivity of these compounds while preserving their chemistry. In this context, based on a recent investigation on the metabolic profile of the organs of
that highlighted that florets are abundant in flavonol glycosides and triterpene saponins, the freeze-drying encapsulation of their alcoholic extract (FE) into maltodextrin (MD) was investigated. FE-MD chemical composition was evaluated using Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR), while ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) techniques were employed to unravel FE compound preservation also during in vitro simulated digestion. The establishment of H-bonds between FE compounds and MD hydroxyl groups was in line with FE-MD biocompatibility in Caco-2 cells, while in vitro digestion mostly affected structural integrity and/or diversity. Flavonol compounds underwent deglycosylation and demethylation, while deacylation, beyond oxidation, involved triterpene saponins, which massively preserve their aglycone core.
The use of oral iron integration is commonly recommended for the treatment of iron deficiency, nevertheless the diagnosis and treatment of this disease could clearly be improved. The aim of this work ...was the synthesis of therapeutic systems, iron (II) based, by sol-gel method. In an SiO₂ matrix, we embedded different weight percentages of polyethylene glycol (PEG
) and ferrous citrate (Fe(II)C
) for drug delivery applications. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to study the interactions among different components in the hybrid materials. Release kinetics in a simulated body fluid (SBF) were investigated and the amount of Fe
released was detected by Ultraviolet⁻Visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS) after reaction with ortho-phenantroline. Furthermore, the biological characterization was carried out. The bioactivity of the synthesized hybrid materials was evaluated by the formation of a layer of hydroxyapatite on the surface of samples soaked in SBF using FTIR spectroscopy. Finally, also, the potential antibacterial properties of the different materials against two different bacteria,
and
, were investigated.
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•Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D Printed artefacts were designed with different multi-scale configurations of the internal conductive pathways.•Electrothermal conduction paths ...through the sample were controlled by changing the printing parameters.•Tunneling Atomic Force Microscope (TUNA) provides direct information on the electrically conductive paths essentially composed of aligned Carbon Nanotubes.•The raster angle affects the electrical conductivity of the artefact printed parts and their heating.
This study proposes a simple method to produce three-dimensional (3D) manufacts with multiscale configurations and controlled electrical resistivity. 3D printed artefacts, based on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), are obtained by fused filament fabrication. Highly orientated conductive pathways are achieved in the sample by selecting appropriate printing parameters. Scanning electron microscopy and tunnelling atomic force microscopy confirm that the conductive traces are essentially composed of aligned CNTs. The printing process determines an increase in the electrical conductivity from 6.88 × 10-2 (spooled filament) to 11.9 S/m (printed filament). The orientation of the spatial domains from the macro- to nanoscale is responsible for a decrease in the electrical resistance from 7782 (90° raster angle sample) tο 478 Ω (0° raster angle sample). Appropriate selection of the configuration and dimensions of electrical contacts confers the ability to selectively heat the part when subjected to an electric source. Temperature differences up to 55 °C were obtained in samples printed with a double-angle raster combination by changing the applied voltage from 20 to 40 V. This strategy can be used to fabricate electronic devices, thermistors capable of converting electrical energy to thermal energy, heat exchangers, and shielding for electromagnetic interference in a single step.
In this work, new phenol-based materials have been synthesized by the sol-gel method, in which different amounts of the phenolic antioxidant chlorogenic acid (CGA) (from 5 wt % to 20 wt %) were ...embedded in two different silica matrices: pure silica and silica-based hybrids materials, containing 50 wt % of polyethylene glycol (PEG). The incorporation of CGA in different sol-gel matrices might protect them from degradation, which could cause the loss of their properties. The two series of materials were chemically characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In addition, the thermal behavior of both series of materials containing CGA was studied by thermogravimetry under both air and inert N₂ flowing gas atmosphere. The bioactivity was evaluated by soaking the synthesized hybrids in a simulated body fluid, showing that the bioactivity of the silica matrix is not modified by the presence of PEG and CGA.
This paper aims to synthesize, via the sol-gel method, a biomaterial usable in the medical field. Here, the silica-PEG-quercetin system was evaluated in relation to the different concentrations of ...PEG (0, 6, 12, 24, 50 wt%) and quercetin (0, 5, 10, 15 wt%), respectively. In addition, Fourier Transform-Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Kirby-Bauer analyses were performed. FT-IR was used to evaluate the hybrid formation and the influence of both PEG and Quercetin in the hybrid synthesized materials, SEM was used to evaluate the morphological properties, while the Kirby-Bauer test was used to understand the ability of the materials to inhibit the growth of the assayed bacterial strains
,
,
, and
).
Reuse of waste glass can significantly decrease the quantity of waste to be treated or disposed of in landfills, allowing to both diminish the ecological damage and to reduce the costs of ...transportation for removal. Geopolymer mixes with diverse percentages (20, 50 and 60 wt%) and with different grain size ranges (37 μm < diam < 53 μm; 75 μm < diam < 105 μm) of waste glass and the residual part of pure metakaolin were prepared by addition of NaOH and sodium silicate as alkaline activator solutions. The effect of waste glass on the mechanical and microstructure of new geopolymers has been explored in this study. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) evidenced the reactivity of waste glass in terms of Si-O and Si-O-Al bonds, more evident for the finer waste glass powder. The consolidation of the materials has been established by reduced weight loss in water and decreased pH and ionic conductivity of the eluate after 7, 14 and 28 days of curing at room temperature. The decrease of the mechanical properties with waste glass content was less evident for the finer glassy powders, yet the value of about 4-5 MPa indicates their potential use as non-structural materials. The consolidated final materials were tested for their effects on the microbial growth of
and
after 24 and 48 h, respectively. The samples showed a very limited and absent inhibition zone, for fine and coarse grain size ranges, respectively. Finally, the cytotoxicity tests accomplished the ecological valuation of the final consolidated products.
The sol–gel process was used to synthesize four organic/inorganic hybrid materials by entrapping different amounts of quercetin (Q), namely 5, 10, 15 and 20 mass%, in a silica (S) matrix. A detailed ...characterization focused on revealing the nature of the bonds between the inorganic and organic components was performed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Silica/quercetin (SQ) hybrid materials showed an increase in the mass loss percentages of the first decomposition step with increasing the amount of Q, thus suggesting the incorporation of Q in the hybrid materials and a stabilization of the structure by hydrogen bonds. The morphology of the SQ hybrids investigated by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) confirmed a regular size distribution of the particles and a homogeneous distribution of quercetin in the silica matrix in the suitable expected ratio. Furthermore, the SEM images confirmed the absence of contaminants during the sol–gel synthesis. Finally, the antibacterial properties of the SQ hybrid materials were tested using four (two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative) bacteria strains. The results demonstrated that they can be proposed as valuable antibacterial agents against
Escherichia coli
and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
as Gram-negative bacteria and
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Enterococcus faecalis
as Gram-positive for amounts above 50 mg.
Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a very common dietary polyphenolic compound. CGA is becoming very attractive due to its potential use as preventive and therapeutic agent in many diseases, including cancer. ...Inorganic/organic hybrid materials are gaining considerable attention in the biomedical field. The sol-gel process provides a useful way to obtain functional organic/inorganic hybrids. The aim of this study was to synthesize silica/polyethylene glycol (PEG) hybrids with different percentages of CGA by sol-gel technique and to investigate their impact on the cancer cell proliferation. Synthesized materials have been chemically characterized through the FTIR spectroscopy and their bioactivity evaluated looking by SEM at their ability to produce a hydroxyapatite layer on their surface upon incubation with simulated body fluid (SBF). Finally, their effects on cell proliferation were studied in cell lines by direct cell number counting, MTT, flow cytometry-based cell-cycle and cell death assays, and immunoblotting experiments. Notably, we found that SiO₂/PEG/CGA hybrids exhibit clear antiproliferative effects in different tumor, including breast cancer and osteosarcoma, cell lines in a CGA dependent manner, but not in normal cells. Overall, our results increase the evidence of CGA as a possible anticancer agent and illustrate the potential for clinical applications of sol-gel synthesized SiO₂/PEG/CGA materials.
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