Potential Beneficial Effects and Pharmacological Properties of Ergosterol, a Common Bioactive Compound in Edible Mushrooms.

Ergosterol is an important sterol commonly found in edible mushrooms, and it has important nutritional value and pharmacological activity. Ergosterol is a provitamin. It has been well established that edible mushrooms are an excellent food source of vitamin D2 because ergosterol is a precursor that is converted to vitamin D2 under ultraviolet radiation. The pharmacological effects of ergosterol, which include antimicrobial, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-neurodegenerative, and other activities, have also been reported. This review aims to provide an overview of the available evidence regarding the pharmacological effects of ergosterol and its underlying mechanisms of action. Their potential benefits and applications are also discussed.

Role of Herbal Teas in Regulating Cellular Homeostasis and Autophagy and Their Implications in Regulating Overall Health.

Tea is one of the most popular and widely consumed beverages worldwide, and possesses numerous potential health benefits. Herbal teas are well-known to contain an abundance of polyphenol antioxidants and other ingredients, thereby implicating protection and treatment against various ailments, and maintaining overall health in humans, although their mechanisms of action have not yet been fully identified. Autophagy is a conserved mechanism present in organisms that maintains basal cellular homeostasis and is essential in mediating the pathogenesis of several diseases, including cancer, type II diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer's disease. The increasing prevalence of these diseases, which could be attributed to the imbalance in the level of autophagy, presents a considerable challenge in the healthcare industry. Natural medicine stands as an effective, safe, and economical alternative in balancing autophagy and maintaining homeostasis. Tea is a part of the diet for many people, and it could mediate autophagy as well. Here, we aim to provide an updated overview of popular herbal teas' health-promoting and disease healing properties and in-depth information on their relation to autophagy and its related signaling molecules. The present review sheds more light on the significance of herbal teas in regulating autophagy, thereby improving overall health.

Neuroprotective Properties of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) in Parkinson's Disease: A Review.

Neurodegenerative disease is a collective term given for the clinical condition, which results in progressive degeneration of neurons and the loss of functions associated with the affected brain region. Apart from the increase in age, neurodegenerative diseases are also partly affected by diet and lifestyle practices. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a slow onset neurodegenerative disorder and the second most common neurodegenerative disease, which affects the motor system. Although there is no prescribed treatment method to prevent and cure PD, clinical procedures help manage the disease symptoms. Green tea polyphenols are known for several health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activity. The current manuscript summarizes the possible mechanisms of neuroprotective potential of green tea with a special focus on PD. Studies have suggested that the consumption of green tea protects against free-radicals, inflammation, and neuro-damages. Several in vivo studies aid in understanding the overall mechanism of green tea. However, the same dose may not be sufficient in humans to elicit similar effects due to complex physiological, social, and cultural development. Future research focused on more clinical trials could identify an optimum dose that could impart maximum health benefits to impart neuroprotection in PD.

Studies on reproductive stress caused by candidate Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria using model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans.

Microbial association with a host using model system C. elegans have been widely studied based on factors such as host survival, the mode of infection, disease pathogenesis and the role of various players regulated during infection. The influence of pathogenic microorganism on reproduction and associated issues has not been explored fully. The present study focuses on the impact of bacterial infection on male reproductive parameters such as spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis, including physiological aspects like tail morphology defect and underlying molecular mechanisms that have been perturbed. In order to compare the consequence of infection caused by Gram positive and negative bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio alginolyticus were chosen as candidate pathogens, respectively. Microscopic observations revealed notable changes in tail morphology during 24 h of infection, as along with change in sperm size and activation. The Real Time-PCR results suggest the plausible down regulation of DBL-1/TGF-ß pathway suggesting the morphological change in the tail. Shotgun proteomics further lead to the identification of MAG-1, Magonashi Protein a candidate regulatory player that affects spermatogenesis and HIF-1 that regulate during stress in both Gram positive and Gram negative infection. The protein-protein interaction with detected proteins revealed RACK-1 protein and mTOR pathway in S. aureus and V. alginolyticus respectively interacting with MAG-1 protein, which plays an important role in spermatogenesis termination in hermaphrodites during L4 to adult switch. This study paves a way to understand the candidate players that regulate reproduction during bacterial infection.