Activity

Salad vegetables are good sources of dietary fiber and are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. Therefore, these plants have the potential to be developed as functional foods.

Using an in vitro model, this study investigated the physical properties and intestinal glucose and lipid absorption capacities of dry dietary fiber from vegetables typically consumed in salads (types of lettuce, including red oak, red coral, green oak, butterhead, and cos).

Fiber was prepared from each type of lettuce using an enzymatic method and then characterized. Physical properties, including solubility and water-binding, swelling, cation-exchange, and oil-binding capacities, and antihyperglycemic and antihypercholesterolemic effects of fiber were investigated.

The hydration capacity of total dietary fiber and insoluble fiber from the majority of sources was significantly different from that of cellulose. Adsorption and diffusion of glucose were directly proportional to incubation time, and the diffusion rate was significantly lower in the treatments containing fiber compared to the cellulose control. Fiber from these vegetables also inhibited amylase and alpha-glucosidase activities. Moreover, fiber from all sources exhibited significantly higher sodium cholate and cholesterol-binding capacity compared to cellulose, and also retarded pancreatic cholesterol esterase activity in a concentration-dependent manner.

This study demonstrates that natural dietary fiber from salad vegetables can reduce glucose and lipid absorption and breakdown rates, thus preventing increases in postprandial blood glucose and cholesterol levels, which can be beneficial to human health.

This study demonstrates that natural dietary fiber from salad vegetables can reduce glucose and lipid absorption and breakdown rates, thus preventing increases in postprandial blood glucose and cholesterol levels, which can be beneficial to human health.Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. Though significant insights into the molecular-biochemical-cellular-behavioral basis of PD have been understood, there is no appreciable treatment available till date. Current therapies provide symptomatic relief without any influence on the progression of the disease. Stem cell therapy has been vigorously explored to treat PD. In this comprehensive review, we analyze various stem cell candidates for treating PD and discuss the possible mechanisms. We advocate the advantage of using neural crest originated dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) due to their predisposition towards neural differentiation and their potential to regenerate neurons far better than commonly used bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). Eventually, we highlight the current challenges in the field and the strategies which may be used for overcoming the impediments.

Marine actinomycetes are among indispensable sources of natural bioactive compounds with unique antimicrobial and anti-cancer activities.

Herein, it was aimed to elucidate bioactive potential of a marine-derived Streptomyces ovatisporus S4702T, isolated previously.

Streptomyces ovatisporus S4702T was cultured in N-Z Amine broth and extraction was carried out using different organic solvents. Bioassay guided purification was followed by chemical characterization using NMR and LC-MS/MS. The compound was then evaluated for its antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities.

Etyl acetate extracts gave the highest antibacterial activity and chemical characterization of this extract indicated the formula as C15H29O5N3 and the corresponding possible molecular structure as 4H-chromen-4-one derivative. It was found highly potent against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 (MIC 0.25 µg ml-1) and Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341 (MBC 0.5 µg ml-1). It has no remarkable antioxidant activity, but higher EC50 value and less cytotoxicity against normal cells. The EC50 values of this chromen derivative were found as 9.68 µg ml-1 for human colon carcinoma, 9.93 µg ml-1 for human prostate adenocarcinoma and 25.5 µg ml-1 for human embryonic kidney cells.

Overall, the presented 4H-chromen-4-one derivative is a remarkable bioactive compound with potent antibacterial and cytotoxic activity. With its high bioactive potential, it is proposed as a good candidate in medicine.

Overall, the presented 4H-chromen-4-one derivative is a remarkable bioactive compound with potent antibacterial and cytotoxic activity. With its high bioactive potential, it is proposed as a good candidate in medicine.Finding of spurious thrombocytopenia is a common occurrence in clinical practice whereas pseudothrombocytosis is very uncommon event. Despite several technical advancements in automated haematology analysers, a careful peripheral smear examination remains standard examination in cases of discrepancy of platelet counts. We are presenting a case of beta thalassaemia intermedia who had pseudothrombocytosis, which was falsely labelled as myeloproliferative neoplasm before the patient visited our haematology clinic.

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) can be life-threatening, and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI is routinely performed in patients undergoing pancreatic surgery. selleck chemicals However, previous reports have not investigated if gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI can be used to predict POPF risk.

This study aims to explore if gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI can predict pancreatic fibrosis and the need for POPF treatment before surgery.

We retrospectively analyzed gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR images from 142 patients who underwent pancreatic surgery between January 1, 2011, and April 30, 2018. Pre-dynamic signal intensity (SI) and values for portal, transitional, and hepatobiliary phase standardized based on pre-dynamic study values were analyzed. The diameter of the main pancreatic duct (DMPD) was measured, and the degree of pancreatic fibrosis was classified as F0-F3. We defined POPF higher than grade B as significant.

Odds ratios for combinations that led to any degree of fibrosis higher than grade B were defined as significanI.

The year 2020 will go down in modern history as the one ravaged by a pandemic, the one which humbled the entire world. From the richest and most advanced nations to the poorest and least developed it exposed all of our vulnerabilities. The loss of life, health disparities and economic adversities, aggravated by political and ideological tensions, added multiple layers of stress and anxieties to an already stressed American society.

The educational institutions in the United States from the central to the local units demonstrated coherence in leadership, guided with flexibility and compassion, which paved the way for smooth operations. However, the anxiety among students and faculty on university and college campuses, is undeniable. In-person instruction was haulted. Research labs and officeswere locked down or operating with limited personnel Thus, the challenges to have timely instruction and to move the research enterprise forward have been enormous. Provided here is a perspective gathered from a literature search using PubMed and google with search words “COVID-19, stress, college students”, “COVID-19, stress, US graduate students”, and “COVID-19, stress, postdoc researchers”.