Bioremediation for the recovery of oil polluted marine environment, opportunities and challenges approaching the Blue Growth.

The Blue Growth strategy promises a sustainable use of marine resources for the benefit of the society. However, oil pollution in the marine environment is still a serious issue for human, animal, and environmental health; in addition, it deprives citizens of the potential economic and recreational advantages in the affected areas. Bioremediation, that is the use of bio-resources for the degradation of pollutants, is one of the focal themes on which the Blue Growth aims to. A repertoire of marine-derived bio-products, biomaterials, processes, and services useful for efficient, economic, low impact, treatments for the recovery of oil-polluted areas has been demonstrated in many years of research around the world. Nonetheless, although bioremediation technology is routinely applied in soil, this is not still standardized in the marine environment and the potential market is almost underexploited. This review provides a summary of opportunities for the exploiting and addition of value to research products already validated. Moreover, the review discusses challenges that limit bioremediation in marine environment and actions that can facilitate the conveying of valuable products/processes towards the market.

Bioactivity Screening of Antarctic Sponges Reveals Anticancer Activity and Potential Cell Death via Ferroptosis by Mycalols.

Sponges are known to produce a series of compounds with bioactivities useful for human health. This study was conducted on four sponges collected in the framework of the XXXIV Italian National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA) in November-December 2018, i.e., Mycale (Oxymycale) acerata, Haliclona (Rhizoniera) dancoi, Hemimycale topsenti, and Hemigellius pilosus. Sponge extracts were fractioned and tested against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), lung carcinoma (A549), and melanoma cells (A2058), in order to screen for antiproliferative or cytotoxic activity. Two different chemical classes of compounds, belonging to mycalols and suberitenones, were identified in the active fractions. Mycalols were the most active compounds, and their mechanism of action was also investigated at the gene and protein levels in HepG2 cells. Of the differentially expressed genes, ULK1 and GALNT5 were the most down-regulated genes, while MAPK8 was one of the most up-regulated genes. These genes were previously associated with ferroptosis, a programmed cell death triggered by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, confirmed at the protein level by the down-regulation of GPX4, a key regulator of ferroptosis, and the up-regulation of NCOA4, involved in iron homeostasis. These data suggest, for the first time, that mycalols act by triggering ferroptosis in HepG2 cells.

Efficacy of lifestyle changes in subjects with non-alcoholic liver steatosis and metabolic syndrome may be improved with an antioxidant nutraceutical: a controlled clinical study.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of liver steatosis is particularly high in subjects with signs of the metabolic syndrome, and current therapeutic guidelines mostly rely on lifestyle changes alone, which rarely achieve significant objective improvements. In the present study, we evaluated the possibility of monitoring objective improvements in these subjects, before and after a dietary regimen. METHODS: Overall, 78 subjects with metabolic syndrome and ultrasound confirmation of liver steatosis were included in an open, controlled study; all of these subjects were treated for 90 days with the standard regimen of diet and exercise. One group of 43 subjects (Group A) also received a Eurosil 85(®)-based nutraceutical (silymarin + vitamin E) as a dietary adjunct, whereas the remaining 35 subjects (Group B) represented the control group. Changes from baseline values were recorded in biometric, biochemical, and ultrasound data. For assessments and monitoring of liver steatosis, two indexes were utilised-Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) and Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP) index. RESULTS: The absolute changes from baseline were significantly higher in Group A in biometric parameters (reduction of abdominal circumference, Body Mass Index, ultrasound measurement of right liver lobe) and in both the HSI and LAP indexes. Both treatments were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The results observed suggest that the use of a Eurosil 85(®)-based nutraceutical as a dietary adjunct with antioxidant properties potentially favours the efficacy of the dietary regimen alone and may possibly improve the subjects' motivation to sustain such lifestyle changes over time.