Multitargeted molecular docking and dynamics simulation studies of flavonoids and volatile components from the peel of Citrus sinensis L. (Osbeck) against specific tumor protein markers.

Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (Rutaceae), commonly known as the sweet orange, is a popular and widely consumed fruit with several medicinal properties. The present study aimed to perform the in silico screening of 18 flavonoids and eight volatile components from the peel of C. sinensis against apoptotic and inflammatory proteins, metalloprotease, and tumor suppressor markers. Flavonoids obtained higher probabilities than volatile components against selected anti-cancer drug targets. Hence, the data from the binding energies against the essential apoptotic and cell proliferation proteins substantiate that they may be promising compounds in developing effective candidates to block cell growth, proliferation, and induced cell death by activating the apoptotic pathway. Further, the binding stability of the selected targets and the corresponding molecules were analyzed by 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Chlorogenic acid has the most binding affinity against the important anti-cancer targets iNOS, MMP-9, and p53. The congruent binding mode to different drug targets focused on cancer shown by chlorogenic acid suggests that it may be a compound with significant therapeutic potential. Moreover, the binding energy predictions indicated that the compound had stable electrostatic and van der Waal energies. Thus, our data reinforce the medicinal importance of flavonoids from C. sinensis and expand the need for more studies, seeking to optimize results and amplify the impacts of further in vitro and in vivo studies. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The Efficacy of Functional and Traditional Exercise on the Body Composition and Determinants of Physical Fitness of Older Women: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

AIM: To analyze the efficacy of functional training (FT) and traditional training (TT) in body composition and determinants of physical fitness in older women. METHODS: This is a randomized clinical trial in which participants performed two 12-week periods of different training methods, separated by eight weeks of washout. Forty-eight physically active older women (≥60 years of age) completed the intervention in three groups: (i) program that started with FT and ended with TT (FT ⟶ TT: n = 19), (ii) program that started with TT and ended with FT (TT ⟶ FT: n = 13), and (iii) stretching group (SG: n = 16). Before and after the interventions, the body composition was evaluated by bioimpedance, the physical fitness by battery of the Senior Fitness Test, and the quality of movement by Functional Movement Screen®. RESULTS: Compared with SG, TT ⟶ FT and FT ⟶ TT promoted significant improvements in balance/agility (13.60 and 13.06%, respectively) and upper limb strength (24.91 and 16.18%). Only FT showed a statistically significant improvement in the strength of the lower limbs, cardiorespiratory capacity, and movement patterns when compared with SG considering the adaptations of methods separately. CONCLUSION: The programs used are equally effective in increasing physical fitness for daily activities in physically active older women, and therefore, they may be complementary to combat some of the deleterious effects of senescence.