Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Properties of Ipomoea batatas Flour and Extracts Obtained by Green Extraction.

Sweet potato (SP), Ipomoea batatas Lam, belongs to the Convolvulaceae family. It produces edible storage roots. Currently, orange varieties contribute to improving food systems and managing vitamin A deficiency. Processing of this food crop into flour allows better conservation. However, nutrition health data regarding SP flour obtained by green extraction remains scarce. In this study, we therefore explored its phytochemistry and its associated bioactivity potential for human health. We analyzed the nutritional composition of orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP) flour and assessed the antioxidant (free radical scavenging) and immunomodulatory (on inflammatory murine macrophages) properties of the extract. More specifically, we measured the impact of OFSP flour extract on mediators such as Nitric Oxide (NO) and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-alpha), Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1), and Prostaglandin-E2 (PGE-2). Our results indicated significant fiber, mineral, beta-carotene, and polyphenols content in the extracts, and antioxidant and immunomodulatory bioactivities were also demonstrated with a concentration-dependent inhibition of cytokine production. Taken together, our results suggest that Ipomoea batatas flour could, in addition to being a good source of energy and beta-carotene provitamin A, constitute a food of interest for the prophylaxis of metabolic diseases associated with an underlying low-grade inflammatory state.

The Impact of Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Exposure on Magic Tomatoes' Nutrition-Health Properties.

The release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere has accelerated during the last two decades. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (eCO2) is known as an agent that improves plant photosynthesis. However, eCO2 was also correlated with alterations in the macronutrient and micronutrient compositions of various dietary crops. In order to explore the effect of eCO2 on the nutritional and health properties of tomatoes, three parental lines of the Magic population, which includes a large part of the genetic diversity present in large fruit varieties, were used as models. The plants were grown in growth chambers under ambient (400 ppm) or eCO2 (900 ppm) conditions. The macronutrient and micronutrient contents were measured. The anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities were assessed in vitro on activated macrophages. These analyses highlighted that the carbohydrate content was not affected by the eCO2, whereas the protein, carotenoid, lycopene, and mineral contents decreased. Regarding the anti-oxidant properties, no influence of eCO2 exposure was observed. Similarly, the anti-inflammatory properties were not affected by the eCO2. These data are in contrast with previous studies conducted on different plant species or accessions, indicating that the effect of eCO2 on crops' nutrition and health properties is based on complex mechanisms in which growth conditions and genetic backgrounds play a central role.

Effect of Elevated Carbon Dioxide Exposure on Nutrition-Health Properties of Micro-Tom Tomatoes.

(1) Background: The anthropogenically induced rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and associated climate change are considered a potential threat to human nutrition. Indeed, an elevated CO2 concentration was associated with significant alterations in macronutrient and micronutrient content in various dietary crops. (2) Method: In order to explore the impact of elevated CO2 on the nutritional-health properties of tomato, we used the dwarf tomato variety Micro-Tom plant model. Micro-Toms were grown in culture chambers under 400 ppm (ambient) or 900 ppm (elevated) carbon dioxide. Macronutrients, carotenoids, and mineral contents were analyzed. Biological anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities were assessed in vitro on activated macrophages. (3) Results: Micro-Tom exposure to 900 ppm carbon dioxide was associated with an increased carbohydrate content whereas protein, minerals, and total carotenoids content were decreased. These modifications of composition were associated with an altered bioactivity profile. Indeed, antioxidant anti-inflammatory potential were altered by 900 ppm CO2 exposure. (4) Conclusions: Taken together, our results suggest that (i) the Micro-Tom is a laboratory model of interest to study elevated CO2 effects on crops and (ii) exposure to 900 ppm CO2 led to the decrease of nutritional potential and an increase of health beneficial properties of tomatoes for human health.

Excess mortality of people living with a mental disorder: lessons from literature and perspectives / Surmortalité des personnes vivant avec un trouble psychique : enseignements de la littérature et perspectives

AIM: Considering the persistent excess mortality of people living with a mental disorder, this article provides an overview of potential causes to identify relevant research perspectives and to support the development of short-term measures in the French context. METHODS: We rely on a narrative review of the literature, both quantitative and qualitative, to define a conceptual framework of the different factors which could contribute to this excess mortality. Particular attention is given to research carried out in France to identify possible measures to implement in line with the specificities of the national context. RESULTS: The excess mortality of people living with a mental disorder represents a health inequality resulting from a combination of factors, which are not only linked to individual behaviors and living conditions detrimental to health but also to the health system – both in terms of its organization and of the health professionals involved. Questions relating to the extent of the role played by the different factors and to the way they interact (specific social processes, combination of inequalities or a particular convergence at the crossing of all these factors…) remain. CONCLUSION: These findings support the development of complementary research, relying on mixed methodologies, as well as of measures promoting access to somatic care for people living with a mental disorder throughout their care pathways (stronger development of prevention and patient education, better integration of somatic and psychiatric care teams, alternative modes of funding supporting a holistic approach to health…).

Objectif: Face au constat d'une surmortalité persistante des personnes vivant avec un trouble psychique, cet article dresse un état des lieux de ses causes potentielles afin d'identifier des perspectives de recherche et d'étayer la mise en place d'actions à court terme dans le contexte français. Méthodes: Nous nous appuyons sur une revue narrative de la littérature, quantitative et qualitative, mobilisée pour proposer un cadre conceptuel des différents facteurs pouvant jouer un rôle dans cette surmortalité. Une attention particulière est portée aux recherches françaises afin d'identifier des pistes d'actions adaptées aux spécificités de ce contexte national. Résultats: La surmortalité des personnes vivant avec un trouble psychique constitue une inégalité de santé résultant d'une combinaison de facteurs qui ne sont pas uniquement liés à des comportements individuels et des conditions de vie défavorables à la santé, mais également au système de santé ­ tant du point de vue de son organisation que des professionnels y intervenant. Des interrogations, relatives à l'ampleur du rôle joué par les différents facteurs et à la façon dont ils interagissent (traitement social spécifique, cumul d'inégalités ou conjonction singulière au croisement de ces facteurs…), demeurent. Conclusions: Ces résultats appellent la mise en œuvre de recherches complémentaires, mobilisant des schémas d'études mixtes, ainsi que de mesures favorisant l'accès aux soins somatiques des personnes vivant avec un trouble psychique, tout au long des parcours de soins (prévention, éducation thérapeutique, meilleure intégration des services somatiques et psychiatriques, modes de financement des soins encourageant une prise en charge globale de la santé…).

Identification of a Sesquiterpene Lactone from Arctium lappa Leaves with Antioxidant Activity in Primary Human Muscle Cells.

Many pathologies affecting muscles (muscular dystrophies, sarcopenia, cachexia, renal insufficiency, obesity, diabetes type 2, etc.) are now clearly linked to mechanisms involving oxidative stress. In this context, there is a growing interest in exploring plants to find new natural antioxidants to prevent the appearance and the development of these muscle disorders. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant properties of Arctium lappa leaves in a model of primary human muscle cells exposed to H2O2 oxidative stress. We identified using bioassay-guided purification, onopordopicrin, a sesquiterpene lactone as the main molecule responsible for the antioxidant activity of A. lappa leaf extract. According to our findings, onopordopicrin inhibited the H2O2-mediated loss of muscle cell viability, by limiting the production of free radicals and abolishing DNA cellular damages. Moreover, we showed that onopordopicrin promoted the expression of the nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) downstream target protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in muscle cells. By using siRNA, we demonstrated that the inhibition of the expression of Nrf2 reduced the protective effect of onopordopicrin, indicating that the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway mediates the antioxidant effect of onopordopicrin in primary human muscle cells. Therefore, our results suggest that onopordopicrin may be a potential therapeutic molecule to fight against oxidative stress in pathological specific muscle disorders.

Tuning a 96-well microtiter plate fluorescence-based assay to identify AGE inhibitors in crude plant extracts.

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. Among them, cellular accumulation of AGEs contributes to vascular complications in diabetes. Besides using drugs to lower blood sugar, a balanced diet and the intake of herbal products potentially limiting AGE formation could be considered beneficial for patients' health. The current paper presents a simple and cheap high-throughput screening (HTS) assay based on AGE fluorescence and suitable for plant extract screening. We have already implemented an HTS assay based on vesperlysines-like fluorescing AGEs quickly (24 h) formed from BSA and ribose under physiological conditions. However, interference was noted when fluorescent compounds and/or complex mixtures were tested. To overcome these problems and apply this HTS assay to plant extracts, we developed a technique for systematic quantification of both vesperlysines (λ(exc) 370 nm; λ(em) 440 nm) and pentosidine-like (λ(exc) 335 nm; λ(em) 385 nm) AGEs. In a batch of medicinal and food plant extracts, hits were selected as soon as fluorescence decreased under a fixed threshold for at least one wavelength. Hits revealed during this study appeared to contain well-known and powerful anti-AGE substances, thus demonstrating the suitability of this assay for screening crude extracts (0.1 mg/mL). Finally, quercetin was found to be a more powerful reference compound than aminoguanidine in such assay.

Antioxidant Potential of Several Polypores Mushrooms from the South of France.

We selected polypore mushrooms growing in the Mediterranean area of France to screen their antioxidant activity: Ganoderma applanatum, G. lucidum, Inonotus cuticularis, I. hispidus, Trametes hirsuta, and T. versicolor. Our work also evaluated antioxidant capacity from wild and cultivated G. lucidum fruiting bodies to optimize this biological property on human health. Dried fungal materials were sequentially extracted using cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethanol, and water. Folin-Ciocalteu assay, oxygen radical absorbance capacity using DPPH and ORAC tests of the polypore extracts were assessed and compared. Among the 28 mushroom extracts tested, four exhibited significant antioxidant activity as ethanol extracts of I. cuticularis, T. hirsuta and wild and cultivated G. lucidum. The ethanol extracts of I. cuticularis and T. hirsuta revealed the highest values for the ORAC test, while the highest values for the Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH tests were found for the ethanol extracts of cultivated G. lucidum and I. cuticularis. Further studies are needed to identify potential bioactive compounds, especially from I. cuticularis and G. lucidum grown under selected conditions and explore their benefits in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Preparative isolation, fast centrifugal partition chromatography purification and biological activity of cajaflavanone from Derris ferruginea stems.

INTRODUCTION: The Derris genus is known to contain flavonoid derivatives, including prenylated flavanones and isoflavonoids such as rotenoids, which are generally associated with significant biological activity. OBJECTIVE: To develop an efficient preparative isolation procedure for bioactive cajaflavanone. METHODOLOGY: Fast centrifugal partition chromatography (FCPC) was optimised to purify cajaflavanone from Derris ferruginea stems in a single step as compared to fractionation from the cyclohexane extract by successive conventional solid-liquid chromatography procedures. The purification yield, purity, time and solvent consumption per procedure are described. The anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-leishmanial, anti-plasmodial, anti-oxidant activities and the inhibition of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) by cajaflavanone accumulation are described. RESULTS: FCPC enabled cajaflavanone purification in a single separation step, yielding sufficient quantities to perform in vitro biological screening. Interestingly, cajaflavanone had an inhibitory effect on the formation of AGEs, without displaying any in vitro anti-oxidant activity. CONCLUSION: A simple and efficient procedure, in comparison with other preparative methods, for bioactive cajaflavone purification has been developed using FCPC.

Nutrition, Healthcare Benefits and Phytochemical Properties of Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Leaves Sourced from Three Countries (Reunion, Guinea, and Costa Rica).

(1) Background: Manihot esculenta, cassava, is an essential food crop for human consumption in many parts of the world. Besides the wide use of its roots, cassava leaves have been used locally as green vegetables and for medicinal purposes. However, nutritional health data regarding cassava leaves is limited, therefore we investigated its composition and associated potential bioactivity interest for human health. (2) Methods: Cassava leaf bioactivity investigations focused on antioxidant properties (free radical scavenging) in association with immunomodulatory activities on inflammatory murine macrophages to measure the impact of cassava extract on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha, Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1, Prostaglandin-E2 and mediators such as nitric oxide. (3) Results: Antioxidant and immunomodulatory bioactivities were significant, with a concentration-dependent inhibition of cytokines production by inflammatory macrophages; (4) Conclusions: Taken together, our results tend to suggest that Manihot esculenta leaves might be underrated regarding the potential nutrition-health interest of this vegetal matrix for both human nutrition and prophylaxis of metabolic disease with underlying low grade inflammation status.

Differential Nutrition-Health Properties of Ocimum basilicum Leaf and Stem Extracts.

(1) Background: Ocimum basilicum L. is an aromatic medicinal plant of the Lamiaceae family known as sweet basil. It is used in traditional medicine for its beneficial effects on gastrointestinal disorders, inflammation, immune system, pyrexia or cancer among others. Ocimum basilicum (OB) leaf extracts contain many phytochemicals bearing the plant health effects but no reports is available on the potential bioactivity of stem extracts. Our investigation aimed at assessing the differential biological activity between basil leaf and stem to promote this co-product valorization. (2) Method: For this purpose we explored phytochemical composition of both parts of the plant. Antioxidant activity was evaluated through total polyphenol content measure, DPPH and ORAC tests. Anti-inflammatory markers on stimulated macrophages, including NO (nitric oxide), TNFa (tumor necrosis factor alpha), IL-6 (interleukin 6), MCP1 (monocyte attractant protein 1) and PGE-2 (prostaglandin E2), were evaluated. In addition, we investigated OB effects on jejunum smooth muscle contractility. (3) Results: OB extracts from leaves and stems demonstrated a different biological activity profile at the level of both antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and smooth muscle relaxation effects. (4) Conclusion: Taken together our results suggest that Ocimum basilicum extracts from co-product stems, in addition to leaves, may be of interest at the nutrition-health level with specific therapeutic potential.

Amanita Section Phalloideae Species in the Mediterranean Basin: Destroying Angels Reviewed.

In Europe, amatoxin-containing mushrooms are responsible for most of the deadly poisonings caused by macrofungi. The present work presents a multidisciplinary revision of the European species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae based on morphology, phylogeny, epidemiology, and biochemistry of amatoxins and phallotoxins. Five distinct species of this section have been identified in Europe to date: A. phalloides, A. virosa, A. verna, the recently introduced North American species A. amerivirosa, and A. vidua sp. nov., which is a new name proposed for the KOH-negative Mediterranean species previously described as A. verna or A. decipiens by various authors. Epitypes or neotypes are selected for species lacking suitable reference collections, namely A. verna and A. virosa. Three additional taxa, Amanita decipiens, A. porrinensis, and A. virosa var. levipes are here considered later heterotypic synonyms of A. verna, A. phalloides, and A. amerivirosa, respectively.

A Bioassay-Guided Fractionation of Rosemary Leaf Extract Identifies Carnosol as a Major Hypertrophy Inducer in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells.

A good quality of life requires maintaining adequate skeletal muscle mass and strength, but therapeutic agents are lacking for this. We developed a bioassay-guided fractionation approach to identify molecules with hypertrophy-promoting effect in human skeletal muscle cells. We found that extracts from rosemary leaves induce muscle cell hypertrophy. By bioassay-guided purification we identified the phenolic diterpene carnosol as the compound responsible for the hypertrophy-promoting activity of rosemary leaf extracts. We then evaluated the impact of carnosol on the different signaling pathways involved in the control of muscle cell size. We found that activation of the NRF2 signaling pathway by carnosol is not sufficient to mediate its hypertrophy-promoting effect. Moreover, carnosol inhibits the expression of the ubiquitin ligase E3 Muscle RING Finger protein-1 that plays an important role in muscle remodeling, but has no effect on the protein synthesis pathway controlled by the protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway. By measuring the chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome, we found that proteasome activity was significantly decreased by carnosol and Muscle RING Finger 1 inactivation. These results strongly suggest that carnosol can induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy by repressing the ubiquitin-proteasome system-dependent protein degradation pathway through inhibition of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Muscle RING Finger protein-1.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Shiitake Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Lentinus edodes (Agaricomycetes), Sporophores from Various Culture Conditions.

Lentinus edodes (= Lentinula edodes) is an edible mushroom grown and marketed for centuries due to its nutritional and medicinal properties. L. edodes has multiple pharmacological activities as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Few studies were performed taking into account the influence of culture conditions to optimize the biological properties of L. edodes on human health. Our work focused on the comparison of antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory activity of L. edodes fruit bodies cultivated by three mushroom producers in the French Occitanie region using the same strain in various growing conditions (organic and nonorganic). Sequential extraction was performed on freeze-dried fungal materials. All extracts have a quantifiable but moderate antioxidant activity measured via DPPH and ORAC tests. The anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol and aqueous extracts was evaluated on a model of inflammatory macrophages. The ethanol extracts inhibit NO production in a dose-dependent manner when the cells are pretreated for 4 h with a 24 h stimulation time.

Inequality and discrimination in access to urgent care in France Ethnographies of three healthcare structures and their audiences.

In the social imagination, there is no wait for a so-called "medical emergency," because it seems obvious to everyone that "saving lives" is not up for discussion. In the context of such social consensus, it is unthinkable to question access to emergency healthcare through the prism of discrimination and social inequality. Yet these social representations of emergency do not withstand ethnographic inquiry. Several years spent behind the scenes in this world revealed that there do in fact exist social selection practices in the realm of emergency care in France. More specifically, this study shows that medical interests and the interests of both public and private institutions have led to the production of socially differentiated pathways of access to emergency care. The first pathway is through private, for-profit clinics, the second is through public hospitals, a third occurs by "bypassing" the emergency department, and a final one groups the non-governmental social and health assistance structures. In this article, we discuss the specific mechanisms they have for selecting patients, and show how the organization of emergency care in France contributes to reproducing or even aggravating inequalities in health and access to healthcare.

Antiproliferative and Antioxidant Activities of Wild Boletales Mushrooms from France.

We selected edible and inedible mushrooms growing in the Mediterranean area of France to screen their biological activity: Caloboletus calopus, Rubroboletus lupinus, R. pulchrotinctus, R. satanas, Gyroporus castaneus, Suillus luteus, and Omphalotus olearius. Mushrooms were sequentially extracted using cyclohexane, chloroform, ethanol, and water. The antiproliferative activity against the HCT116 colon adenocarcinoma cell line and the antioxidant properties (DPPH radical scavenging assay, Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity) of the Boletales extracts were evaluated and compared. Among the 28 mushroom extracts evaluated, 11 presented antiproliferative activity against HCT116 cells. These activities were not linked to antioxidant capacity. Among the antioxidant extracts, most were aqueous extracts in the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, whereas the highest values on the Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH assays were noted for chloroform, ethanol, or aqueous extracts, depending on the mushroom species. Further studies are necessary to identify bioactive compounds and to valorize the mushrooms-for edible species, directly as health foods, or, for inedible mushrooms, as ingredients in the pharmaceutical and food industries.