Age-Stratified Assessment of the Impact of Breast Cancer Knowledge on the Lifestyle and Dietary Patterns Among Nigerian Females.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer (BC) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality in Nigeria, which is exacerbated by a lack of understanding of how knowledge of BC risk factors influences the lifestyle and dietary patterns of Nigerians across age groups. This study evaluated the influence of knowledge of BC risks on lifestyle and dietary patterns across age groups, aiming to inform early management, prevention, and survival rates. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Ota, Ado-odo, Ogun State, Nigeria, involving participants from six educational institutions. The study assessed knowledge of BC risks factors and lifestyle/dietary habits using questionnaires. Results were analyzed using Epi Info software and SPSS version 20. RESULTS: The participants' age ranged from 13 to 60 years, with a mean of 21 years. The age categories of the participants were 75.24% adolescents (13-19), 18.68% young adults (20-40), and 6.08% middle-aged (41-60). Middle-aged individuals had the least knowledge about smoking (7.58%), alcohol (26.09%), antibiotics (7.25%), and red meat/smoked foods (20.09%), which translated into their poor dietary/lifestyle patterns. Young adults showed profound physical inactivity (71.00%), while adolescents consumed more carbonated drinks (71.53%), which corresponded to lack of knowledge about the effects of physical inactivity (10.85%) and consumption of carbonated drinks (13.70%) on BC risk. CONCLUSION: The study found that understanding BC risk factors directly affects lifestyle and dietary patterns. Age groups with higher knowledge had better lifestyle/dietary patterns. This highlights the need for a tailored intervention on lifestyle and dietary education across all age groups, especially the middle-aged, so as to inform a deliberate adjustment in lifestyle and dietary habits, which play crucial roles in BC incidence, survival, and prevention.

In silico evaluation of potential breast cancer receptor antagonists from GC-MS and HPLC identified compounds in Pleurotus ostreatus extracts.

Introduction: Pharmacotherapeutic targets for breast cancer include the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Inhibitors of these receptors could be interesting therapeutic candidates for the treatment and management of breast cancer (BC). Aim: This study used GC-MS and HPLC to identify bioactive compounds in Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) extracts and applied in silico methods to identify potent EGFR, ER, and PR inhibitors from the compounds as potential drug candidates. Method: GC-MS and HPLC were used to identify bioactive chemicals in P. ostreatus extracts of aqueous (PO-A), methanol (PO-M), ethanol (PO-E), chloroform (PO-C), and n-hexane (PO-H). The ER, PR, and EGFR model optimization and molecular docking of compounds/control inhibitors in the binding pocket were simulated using AutoDock Vina in PyRx. The drug-likeness, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic features of prospective docking leads were all anticipated. Result: The results indicated the existence of 29 compounds in PO-A, 36 compounds in PO-M and PO-E, 42 compounds in PO-C, and 22 compounds in PO-H extracts. With ER, only o-tolylamino-acetic acid (4-nitro-benzylidene)-hydrazide (-7.5 kcal mol-1) from the ethanolic extract could bind to the receptor. PR and EGFR, on the other hand, identified several compounds with higher binding affinities than the control. Ergotaman-3',6',18-trione (-8.1 kcal mol-1), 5,10-diethoxy-2,3,7,8-tetrahydro-1H,6H-dipyrrolo[1,2-a:1',2'-d]pyrazine (-7.8 kcal mol-1) from the aqueous extract; o-tolylamino-acetic acid (4-nitro-benzylidene)-hydrazide (-8.4 kcal mol-1) from the ethanolic extract had better binding affinity compared to progesterone (-7.7 kcal mol-1). Likewise, ergotaman-3',6',18-trione (-9.7 kcal mol-1) from the aqueous extract and phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethyl ethyl) (-8.2 kcal mol-1) from the chloroform extract had better binding affinities compared to the control, gefitinib (-7.9 kcal mol-1) with regards to EGFR. None of the PO-H or PO-M extracts outperformed the control for any of the proteins. Phenols and flavonoids such as quercetin, luteolin, rutin, chrysin, apigenin, ellagic acid, and naringenin had better binding affinity to PR and EGFR compared to their control. Conclusion: The identified compounds in the class of phenols and flavonoids were better lead molecules due to their ability to strongly bind to the proteins' receptors. These compounds showed promising drug-like properties; they could be safe and new leads for creating anticancer medicines.

Molecular mechanisms of mitochondria-mediated ferroptosis: a potential target for antimalarial interventions.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death characterized by glutathione (GSH) depletion, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) inactivation, and the build-up of lipotoxic reactive species. Ferroptosis-targeted induction is a promising therapeutic approach for addressing antimalarial drug resistance. In addition to being the primary source of intracellular energy supply and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondria actively participate in diverse forms of regulated cell death, including ferroptosis. Altered mitochondrial morphology and functionality are attributed to ferroptosis. Diverse mitochondria-related proteins and metabolic activities have been implicated in fine-tuning the action of ferroptosis inducers. Herein, we review recent progress in this evolving field, elucidating the numerous mechanisms by which mitochondria regulate ferroptosis and giving an insight into the role of the organelle in ferroptosis. Additionally, we present an overview of how mitochondria contribute to ferroptosis in malaria. Furthermore, we attempt to shed light on an inclusive perspective on how targeting malaria parasites' mitochondrion and attacking redox homeostasis is anticipated to induce ferroptosis-mediated antiparasitic effects.

Comparative antioxidant activity and phytochemical content of five extracts of Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom).

Reactive oxygen species reacts with numerous molecules in the body system causing oxidative damage, which requires antioxidants to ameliorate. Pleurotus ostreatus, a highly nutritious edible mushroom, has been reported to be rich in bioactive compounds. This study evaluated the comparative antioxidant activity and phytochemical contents of five extracts of P. ostreatus: aqueous (AE), chloroform (CE), ethanol (EE), methanol (ME) and n-hexane (HE). The phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of the extracts were determined using standard in-vitro antioxidant assay methods. Results showed that the extracts contained alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolics, cardiac glycosides, carbohydrates, anthrocyanins, and betacyanins in varied amounts. CE had the highest flavonoid content (104.83 ± 29.46 mg/100 g); AE gave the highest phenol content of 24.14 ± 0.02 mg/100 g; tannin was highest in EE (25.12 ± 0.06 mg/100 g); HE had highest amounts of alkaloids (187.60 ± 0.28 mg/100 g) and saponins (0.16 ± 0.00 mg/100 g). Antioxidant analyses revealed that CE had the best hydroxyl radical activity of 250% at 100 µg/ml and ferric cyanide reducing power of 8495 µg/ml; ME gave the maximum DPPH activity (87.67%) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (65.58%) at 500 µg/ml; EE had the highest nitric oxide radical inhibition of 65.81% at 500 µg/ml and ascorbate peroxidase activity of 1.60 (iU/l). AE had the best total antioxidant capacity (5.27 µg/ml GAE at 500 µg/ml) and ferrous iron chelating activity (99.23% at 100 µg/ml) while HE gave the highest guaiacol peroxidase activity of 0.20(iU/l). The comparative phytochemical and antioxidant characteristics (IC50) of the extracts followed the order: CE > AE > EE > ME > HE. Overall, chloroform was the best extraction solvent for P. ostreatus. The high content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and alkaloids in P. ostreatus makes it a rich source of antioxidants and potential candidate for the development of new therapies for a variety of oxidative stress-related disorders.

Assessing the nutritional quality of Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom).

There is a huge gap between food production and the exploding population demands in various parts of the world, especially developing countries. This increases the chances of malnutrition, leading to increased disease incidence and the need for functional foods to reduce mortality. Pleurotus ostreatus are edible mushrooms that are cheaply sourced and rich in nutrient with the potential to be harnessed toward addressing the present and future food crisis while serving as functional foods for disease prevention and treatment. This study evaluated the nutritional, proximate, vitamins and amino acids contents of Pleurotus ostreatus. The proximate composition of Pleurotus ostreatus in this study revealed that it contains 43.42% carbohydrate, 23.63% crude fiber, 17.06% crude protein, 8.22% ash, 1.21% lipid and a moisture content of 91.01 and 6.46% for fresh and dry samples of Pleurotus ostreatus, respectively. The monosaccharide and disaccharide profile of Pleurotus ostreatus revealed the presence of glucose (55.08 g/100 g), xylose (7.19 g/100 g), fructose (19.70 g/100 g), galactose (17.47 g/100 g), trehalose (7.37 g/100 g), chitobiose (11.79 g/100 g), maltose (29.21 g/100 g), sucrose (51.60 g/100 g) and lower amounts of cellobiose (0.01 g/100 g), erythrose (0.48 g/100 g) and other unidentified sugars. Potassium, Iron and Magnesium were the highest minerals present with 12.25 mg, 9.66 mg and 7.00 mg amounts, respectively. The vitamin profile revealed the presence of vitamin A (2.93 IU/100 g), C (16.46 mg/100 g), E (21.50 mg/100 g) and B vitamins with vitamin B2 having the highest concentration of 92.97 mg/kg. The amino acid scores showed that Pleurotus ostreatus had more non-essential amino acids (564.17 mg/100 g) than essential amino acids (67.83 mg/100 g) with a ratio of 0.11. Lysine (23.18 mg/100 g) was the highest essential amino acid while aspartic acid (492.12 mg/kg) was the highest non-essential amino acid present in Pleurotus ostreatus. It had a higher concentration of acidic amino acids, 492.12 mg/100 g (77.87%), followed by neutral amino acids, 106.66 mg/100 g (16.88%) and least were the basic amino acids, 23.18 mg/100 g (3.67%). Based on the nutritional assessment of the Pleurotus ostreatus analyzed in this study, it can be concluded that it can serve as an important functional food source that can be exploited to meet the increasing food demands and reduce micronutrient deficiencies in many parts of the world, especially developing countries.

Preadministration of Fermented Sorghum Diet Provides Protection against Hyperglycemia-Induced Oxidative Stress and Suppressed Glucose Utilization in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats.

Sorghum bicolor grains are rich in phytochemicals known to considerably impact human health. Several health-promoting products such as flour, staple food, and beverages have been produced from sorghum grains. This study investigated the protective and modulatory effects of a sorghum diet on the genes of some antioxidant and glycolytic enzymes in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The rats were randomly distributed into six groups: the control group received normal diet, while the other groups were pretreated with 12.5, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the sorghum diets daily for 8 weeks before the administration of a dose of alloxan (100 mg/kg BW), after which blood was collected and the liver was excised. The effects of the diets on blood glucose levels, liver dysfunction indices, and markers of oxidative stress were assessed spectrophotometrically, while the gene expressions of key glycolytic enzymes and enzymatic antioxidants were assayed using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. It was observed that the pretreatment of the experimental animals with the diets normalized the blood glucose before and after the administration of alloxan. The sorghum-treated groups also showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease in liver dysfunction indices and markers of oxidative damage compared with the control. In addition, statistically the diets significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the relative expression of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glucokinase, phosphofructokinase, and hexokinase genes in the experimental animals compared with the control. Overall, this study showed that the preadministration of fermented sorghum diet significantly protected against hyperglycemia and suppressed glucose utilization via glycolysis in the liver of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Thus, the consumption of sorghum diet may protect against hyperglycemia and oxidative damage and may therefore serve as functional food for management of diabetic mellitus.

Production of a New Plant-Based Milk from Adenanthera pavonina Seed and Evaluation of Its Nutritional and Health Benefits.

A new plant milk was discovered from the seed of Adenanthera pavonina. The physicochemical and nutritional properties of the new pro-milk extract were assessed, and their biochemical effects were compared with those of soy bean extracts. Eleven groups of three albino rats each were used to assess the health benefits of the pro-milk. Groups were separately administered 3.1, 6.1, and 9.2 µl/g animal wt. pro-milk extract from A. pavonina seed, 6.1 µl/g animal wt. milk extract from soybean, and 6.1 µl/g animal wt. normal saline for 7 or 14 days. The "baseline" group consisted of those sacrificed on day 0. Among the physical properties considered, the pro-milk from A. pavonina had significantly higher (P < 0.05) hue color value and significantly lower (P < 0.05) L* than that from soy bean did. The pro-milk from A. pavonina had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) level of protein (36.14 ± 0.12%), Ca (440.99 ± 0.93 mg/l), Mg (96.69 ± 0.03 mg/l), K (190.41 ± 0.11 mg/l), Na (64.24 ± 0.24 mg/l), and Cu (0.55 ± 0.24 mg/l), and a significantly lower (P < 0.05) level of Mn (0.04 ± 0.01 mg/l) and vitamins A (undetectable), C (1.87 ± 0.01 mg/100 g), and E (0.12 ± 0.01 mg/100 g) compared to those of soy milk. The daily consumption of the pro-milk extract from A. pavonina for 14 days significantly reduced (P < 0.05) Ca2+-adenosine triphosphate synthase (Ca2+-ATPase) at low dose (3.1 µl/g animal wt.), but significantly increased (P < 0.05) Mg2+-ATPase at high dose (9.2 µl/g animal wt.). Daily administration of the A. pavonina extract for 14 days caused a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in acetylcholinesterase activity in the liver, intestine, heart, and kidney, suggesting that the pro-milk may facilitate ions transportation across the membrane. The pro-milk offers promising beneficial effects for patients with neurological diseases, as well as supporting general health owing to the high protein and mineral content. Vitamins fortification is recommended during production.

Radiations and biodegradation techniques for detoxifying Carica papaya seed oil for effective dietary and industrial use.

Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) is toxic in high concentration. The capacity of Aspergillus niger, microwave and ultraviolet radiations to reduce the BITC levels in Carica papaya Linn seed oil were assessed in vitro. BITC at different concentrations were periodically exposed to microwave and ultraviolet radiations for 30 min and 10 h, respectively; and to identify Aspergillus niger for 4 days. Microwave radiation significantly reduced (p < 0.05) BITC levels (0.0272, 0.0544, and 0.0816 µmol) to 12.19, 8.99 and 27.5 % respectively within 15 min. Ultraviolet radiation significantly reduced (p < 0.05) BITC levels at all the concentrations. A. niger significantly increased (p < 0.05) BITC degradation on days 2 and 4 at 0.816, 1.36 and 2.72 nmol. Glutathione activity was significantly increased (p < 0.05) while glutathione S-transferase activity significantly reduced (p < 0.05) at all concentrations on days 3 and 4 respectively. The three techniques are possible models for improving the dietary consumption of the oil.

Solenostemon monostachyus, Ipomoea involucrata and Carica papaya seed oil versus Glutathione, or Vernonia amygdalina: methanolic extracts of novel plants for the management of sickle cell anemia disease.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disease caused by an individual inheriting an allele for sickle cell hemoglobin from both parents and is associated with unusually large numbers of immature blood cells, containing many long, thin, crescent-shaped erythrocytes. It is a disease prevalent throughout many populations. The use of medicinal plants and nutrition in managing SCD is gaining increasing attention. METHODS: The antisickling effects of Solenostemon monostachyus (SolMon), Carica papaya seed oil (Cari-oil) and Ipomoea involucrata (Ipocrata) in male (HbSSM) and female (HbSSF) human sickle cell blood was examined in vitro and compared with controls, or cells treated with glutathione or an antisickling plant (Vernonia amygdalina; VerMyg). RESULTS: Levels of sickle blood cells were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in all the plant-extract treated SCD patients' blood compared with that of untreated SCD patients. RBCs in SolMon, Ipocrata, and Cari-oil treated samples were significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared with VerMyg-treated samples. The Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) ratio was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in all plant extract-treated HbSSM samples compared with controls. Hemoglobin concentration was significantly increased (P < 0.05) by SolMon treatment in HbSSF compared with VerMyg. Sickle cell polymerization inhibition exhibited by SolMon was significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared with that of VerMyg in HbSSF blood. Sickle cell polymerization inhibition in SolMon and Ipocrata were significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared with VerMyg in HbSSM blood. All plant extracts significantly reduced (P < 0.05) lactate dehydrogenase activity in both HbSSM and HbSSF-treated blood. Catalase activity was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in HbSSF blood treated with Ipocrata compared with glutathione. Cari-oil treated HbSSM and HbSSF blood had significantly increased (P < 0.05) peroxidase activity compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Methanolic extracts from S. monostachyus, C. papaya seed oil and I. involucrata exhibited particular antisickling properties coupled with the potential to reduce stress in sickle cell patients. Each plant individually or in combination may be useful for the management of sickle cell disease.