Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): A Promising Source of Nutritional and Therapeutic Compounds.

BACKGROUND: Taraxacum officinale, commonly referred to as dandelion, is a selfgrowing plant/ weed in various parts of India and the rest of the world (particularly the northern hemisphere). The plant's chemical composition, including sesquiterpene lactones, saponins, flavonoids, phenols, and many other compounds, contributes positively to the human body, promoting overall health. AIM: This review aims to shed light on the therapeutic potential of dandelion by summarizing its nutritional benefits, phytochemical constituents, and effectiveness in addressing health conditions like diabetes, inflammation, and cancer. It also provides insights into the applications of this plant beyond the food industry to gain researchers' attention to unravel the unexplored aspects of this therapeutic plant. It will further help in laying specific considerations, which are required to be taken into account before the development of functional foods incorporated with dandelion. Scope and approach: Being rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and other phytoconstituents, dandelion is a natural remedy for various ailments. Whether consumed raw or cooked, the plant's inclusion in the diet poses potential therapeutic effects on conditions such as diabetes, inflammation, liver disease, and tumors. It also aids in immune system modulation and fights infections by targeting microbes at their root. Researchers have developed various value-added food products by incorporating different parts of dandelion. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the therapeutic potential of dandelion, emphasizing its effectiveness against various health conditions. Insights into dosage, toxicity, and diverse applications further underscore its role as a versatile and promising natural remedy.

Genetics, Nutrition, and Health: A New Frontier in Disease Prevention.

The field of nutrition research has traditionally focused on the effects of macronutrients and micronutrients on the body. However, it has become evident that individuals have unique genetic makeups that influence their response to food. Nutritional genomics, which includes nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics, explores the interaction between an individual's genetic makeup, diet, and health outcomes. Nutrigenetics studies the impact of genetic variation on an individual's response to dietary nutrients, while nutrigenomics investigates how dietary components affect gene regulation and expression. These disciplines seek to understand the impact of diet on the genome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome. It provides insights into the mechanisms underlying the effect of diet on gene expression. Nutrients can cause the modification of genetic expression through epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications. The aim of nutrigenomics is to create personalized diets based on the unique metabolic profile of an individual, gut microbiome, and genetic makeup to prevent diseases and promote health. Nutrigenomics has the potential to revolutionize the field of nutrition by combining the practicality of personalized nutrition with knowledge of genetic factors underlying health and disease. Thus, nutrigenomics offers a promising approach to improving health outcomes (in terms of disease prevention) through personalized nutrition strategies based on an individual's genetic and metabolic characteristics.

Genetic differences among individuals affect the metabolism, gene regulation, and sensitivity of disease in response to diet therefore traditional nutrition research expands to integrate the influence of genetics on the dietary response of an individual.Nutritional genomics which includes the reciprocal and complementary field of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics, studies the interactions between gene and dietary components.Nutrigenetics studies the genetic effect on the metabolism of nutrients while Nutrigenomics explores the impact of nutrients on genetic expression thus shaping personalized dietary requirements.A personalized dietary approach based on comprehensive genomic profiling (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics) can help to promote health and prevent illness.

Nutritional management and interventions in complications of pregnancy: A systematic review.

Background: Pregnancy, also known as the "gestation period" which lasts for 37-40 weeks, has been marked as the period of "physiological stress" in a woman's life. A wide range of symptoms, from nausea to ectopic pregnancy, are usually aligned with risk factors like abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, etc. An estimated total of 15% of total pregnant women face serious complications requiring urgent attention for safe pregnancy survival. Over the past decades, several changes in the environment and nutrition habits have increased the possibility of unfavourable changes during the gestation phase. The diagnostic factors, management and nutritional interventions are targeted and more emphasis has been laid on modifying or managing the nutritional factors in this physiologically stressed phase. Aims: This review focuses on dietary modifications and nutritional interventions for the treatment of complications of pregnancy. Nutritional management has been identified to be one of the primary necessities in addition to drug therapy. It is important to set a healthy diet pattern throughout the gestation phase or even before by incorporating key nutrients into the maternal diet. Methods: The published literature from various databases including PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect were used to establish the fact of management and treatment of complications of pregnancy. Results: The recommendations of dietary supplements have underlined the concept behind the eradication of maternal deficiencies and improving metabolic profiles. Conclusion: Therefore, the present review summarises the dietary recommendations to combat pregnancy-related complications which are necessary in order to prevent and manage the same.

Spirulina- An Edible Cyanobacterium with Potential Therapeutic Health Benefits and Toxicological Consequences.

Spirulina is a blue-green algae which is cultivated not only for its maximum protein content but also due to the presence of other essential nutrients such as carbohydrates and vitamins (A, C and E). It is also a storehouse of minerals including iron, calcium, chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Simultaneously, γ- linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid), as well as pigments such as chlorophyll A and phycobiliproteins (C-phycocyanin, allophycocyanin and ß-carotene), is also a major component of its rich nutritional profile. Spirulina is known to have various promising effects on the prevention of cancer, oxidative stress, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and anemia. Moreover, it also plays a positive role in treating muscular cramps. The safety recommended dosage of Spirulina is approximately 3-10 g/d for adults and it's biological value (BV) is 75 with a net protein utilization (NPU) of 62. Spirulina does not have pericardium due to which it does not hinder the absorption of iron by chelation with phytates or oxalates. On the contrasting note, it may have some adverse effects due to the toxins (microcystins, ß-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)) produced by Spirulina which might contribute to acute poisoning, cancer, liver damage as well as gastrointestinal disturbances. Its long-term consumption may also lead to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The current review focuses on the various aspects of spirulina including its cultivation, nutritional composition, extraction techniques, health benefits, adverse effects, industrial scope and market value which could be beneficial for its utilization in the development of value-added products and supplementary foods due to its high content of protein and bioavailability of nutrients.

• Spirulina is a nutrient-dense cyanobacterium which is composed of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and pigments including chlorophyll A and Phycocyanin.• To avoid the contamination of Spirulina species by other algae, the specific pH maintenance of the media around 9-11 (alkaline) is mandatory.• Positive effects were noticed on the yield and productivity of Spirulina after its biomass was grown in polybags and greenhouse.• Its beneficial effects have been identified in particular reference to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, anemia, cancer, oxidative stress, arthritis, immunity as well as muscular cramps.• The toxins such as microcystins and hepatotoxins, produced by Spirulina, are accountable to cause acute poisoning, liver damage, gastrointestinal disturbances and cancer.• The safe recommended dosage of Spirulina for adults accounts to approximately 3-10 g/d, with 30 g/d being the maximum limit for consumption.

Modulation of the autonomic nervous system by one session of spinal low-level laser therapy in patients with chronic colonic motility dysfunction.

Patients with a defecation disorder may not evoke a normal defecation reflex, or the reflex may be excessive, as a dysfunction of the spinal autonomic nervous system. Treatment with various forms of lumbar and sacral neuromodulation have shown symptom improvement, but potential changes in autonomic functioning are rarely studied. Here we evaluate the effects on autonomic function of a single session of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the lumbar and sacral spine in 41 patients with chronic gastrointestinal motor dysfunction. The LLLT protocol used red LED light at a wavelength of 660 nm for 10 min and infrared LED light at a wavelength of 840 nm for 10 min, followed by infrared laser light at a wavelength of 825 nm for 10 min. Effects on the autonomic nervous system were assessed by measuring heart rate variability (HRV) changes. Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) and Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) were used to quantify parasympathetic reactivity; the Baevsky's Stress Index (SI) reflected sympathetic activity while the ratios SI/RSA and SI/RMSSD were used to show shifts in autonomic dominance. The results indicate that lumbar and sacral neuromodulation using light arrays reduced, whereas stimulation by the laser probes significantly increased parasympathetic activity. The light arrays increased whereas the laser probes significantly decreased sympathetic activity (SI). The entire protocol shifted the autonomic balance toward parasympathetic activity. The comparison of actual vs. sham neuromodulation proved that the change in HRV parameters was due to actual light stimulation and not due to the arrays and probe touching the skin. In conclusion, a single session of LLLT markedly affects autonomic nervous system activity reflected in changes in HRV which is only possible by generating activity in the spinal autonomic nerves. These results warrant a study into the effects of LLLT on restoring autonomic dysfunction in chronic refractory colonic motility disorders.