Can the phenolic compounds of Manuka honey chemosensitize colon cancer stem cells? A deep insight into the effect on chemoresistance and self-renewal.

Manuka honey, which is rich in pinocembrin, quercetin, naringenin, salicylic, p-coumaric, ferulic, syringic and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acids, has been shown to have pleiotropic effects against colon cancer cells. In this study, potential chemosensitizing effects of Manuka honey against 5-Fluorouracil were investigated in colonspheres enriched with cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are responsible for chemoresistance. Results showed that 5-Fluorouracil increased when it was combined with Manuka honey by downregulating the gene expression of both ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2, an efflux pump and thymidylate synthase, the main target of 5-Fluorouracil which regulates the ex novo DNA synthesis. Manuka honey was associated with decreased self-renewal ability by CSCs, regulating expression of several genes in Wnt/ß-catenin, Hedgehog and Notch pathways. This preliminary study opens new areas of research into the effects of natural compounds in combination with pharmaceuticals and, potentially, increase efficacy or reduce adverse effects.

[Changes in the eating behavior of highly educated adults during the different stages of home confinement by COVID-19 in Iberoamerica]. / Cambios en el comportamiento alimentario de personas adultas con elevado nivel académico durante las diferentes etapas del confinamiento domiciliario por COVID-19 en Iberoamérica.

Introduction: Introduction: the COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments of affected countries to implement preventive measures including quarantine or house confinement. This situation has generally been seen to have affected the dietary patterns of the population. Objective: to evaluate changes in dietary habits and food acquisition during the different stages of home confinement caused by COVID-19 in the highly educated adult population in different Latin American countries. Methods: an observational and cross-sectional study was carried out in which 9,572 people from 58 different countries and with university studies participated. The instrument used for data collection was a survey designed by the International Ibero-American University of Mexico (UNINI-México) to study food habits during home confinement due to COVID-19 as part of the HALCON-COVID-19 study. Results: most of the respondents indicated having maintained their weight during quarantine (57.3 %), although they reported having reduced their physical activity (23.9 %) and eliminated the consumption of ultra-processed foods (53.4 %), alcoholic beverages (43.3 %), chocolates and sweets (41.1 %), while including vegetables (37.7 %), fruits (37 %) and eggs (30.6 %) in their diet. Conclusions: people who usually do not eat healthily have been even more affected in the way they eat during confinement, reducing their physical activity and increasing their body weight, while those with healthier lifestyles have not changed their habits or even maintained their healthy lifestyles during the pandemic.

Introducción: Introducción: la pandemia por COVID-19 ha obligado a los gobiernos de los países afectados a aplicar medidas preventivas que incluyen la cuarentena o el confinamiento domiciliario. Se ha visto que, en general, esta situación ha afectado los patrones alimentarios de la población. Objetivo: evaluar los cambios en los hábitos alimentarios y en la adquisición de los alimentos durante las diferentes etapas del confinamiento domiciliario ocasionado por COVID-19 en la población adulta de alto nivel educativo en diferentes países de Iberoamérica. Métodos: se realizó un estudio observacional y transversal en el que participaron 9.572 personas de 58 países diferentes con estudios universitarios. El instrumento utilizado para la recolección de datos fue una encuesta diseñada por la Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana de México (UNINI-México) para estudiar los hábitos alimentarios durante el confinamiento domiciliario por COVID-19 como parte del estudio HALCON-COVID-19. Resultados: la mayoría de los encuestados indicaron haber mantenido su peso durante la cuarentena (57,3 %), aunque reportaron haber reducido su actividad física (23,9 %)y repecto al consumo de alimentos, reportaron haber disminuido el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados (53,4 %), de bebidas alcohólicas (43,3 %) y de chocolates y golosinas (41,1 %), mientras que aumentaron en su dieta el consumo de vegetales (37,7 %), frutas (37 %) y huevos (30,6 %). Conclusiones: las personas que no comían de forma saludable previamente, han empeorado la calidad de su dieta durante el periodo de confinamiento además de haber reducido su actividad física, sin embargo, aquellos que tenían un estilo de vida más sano lo han mantenido durante este el periodo.