A concise review of the nutritional profiles, microbial dynamics, and health impacts of fermented mushrooms.

Mushrooms have garnered significant attention for their nutritional composition and potential health benefits, including antioxidant, antihypertensive, and cholesterol-lowering properties. This review explores the nutritional composition of edible mushrooms, including their high protein content, essential amino acids, low fat, cholesterol levels, and bioactive compounds with medicinal value. Moreover, the study analyzes the microbiology of mushroom fermentation, focusing on the diverse microbial ecosystem involved in the transformation of raw mushrooms and the preservation methods employed to extend their shelf life. Special emphasis is placed on lactic acid fermentation as a cost-effective and efficient preservation technique. It involves controlling the growth of lactic acid bacteria to enhance the microbial stability and nutritional quality of mushrooms. Furthermore, the bioactivities of fermented mushrooms are elucidated, which are antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-glycemic, immune modulatory, and other biological activities. The mechanisms underlying these bioactivities are explored, emphasizing the role of fermented mushrooms in suppressing free radicals, enhancing antioxidant defenses, and modulating immune responses. Overall, this review provides comprehensive insights into the nutritional composition, microbiology, bioactivities, and underlying mechanisms of fermented mushrooms, highlighting their potential as functional foods with significant health-promoting properties.

Influence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus Supplementation on the Glycaemic Index, Lipid Profile, and Microbiome of Healthy Elderly Subjects: A Preliminary Randomized Clinical Trial.

Aging is a time-dependent complex biological process of organisms with gradual deterioration of the anatomical and physiological functions. The role of gut microbiota is inevitable in the aging process. Probiotic interventions improve gut homeostasis and support healthy aging by enhancing beneficial species and microbial biodiversity in older adults. The present preliminary clinical trial delves into the impact of an 8-week Lactobacillus rhamnosus intervention (10 × 109 CFU per day) on the glycaemic index, lipid profile, and microbiome of elderly subjects. Body weight, body fat, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) are assessed at baseline (Week 0) and after treatment (Week 8) in placebo and probiotic groups. Gaussian regression analysis highlights a significant improvement in LDL cholesterol in the probiotic group (p = 0.045). Microbiome analysis reveals numeric changes in taxonomic abundance at various levels. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria increases its relative frequency (RF) from 14.79 ± 5.58 at baseline to 23.46 ± 8.02 at 8 weeks, though statistically insignificant (p = 0.100). Compared to the placebo group, probiotic supplementations significantly increased the proteobacteria abundance. Genus-level analysis indicates changes in the abundance of several microbes, including Escherichia-Shigella, Akkermansia, and Bacteroides, but only Butyricimonas showed a statistically significant level of reduction in its abundance. Probiotic supplementations significantly altered the Escherichia-Shigella and Sutterella abundance compared to the placebo group. At the species level, Bacteroides vulgatus substantially increases after probiotic treatment (p = 0.021). Alpha and beta diversity assessments depict subtle shifts in microbial composition. The study has limitations, including a small sample size, short study duration, single-strain probiotic use, and lack of long-term follow-up. Despite these constraints, the study provides valuable preliminary insights into the multifaceted impact of L. rhamnosus on elderly subjects. Further detailed studies are required to define the beneficial effect of L. rhamnosus on the health status of elderly subjects.

The Role of the Nuclear Factor-Kappa B (NF-κB) Pathway in SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

COVID-19 is a global health threat caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and is associated with a significant increase in morbidity and mortality. The present review discusses nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation and its potential therapeutical role in treating COVID-19. COVID-19 pathogenesis, the major NF-κB pathways, and the involvement of NF-κB in SARS-CoV-2 have been detailed. Specifically, NF-κB activation and its impact on managing COVID-19 has been discussed. As a central player in the immune and inflammatory responses, modulating NF-κB activation could offer a strategic avenue for managing SARS-CoV-2 infection. Understanding the NF-κB pathway's role could aid in developing treatments against SARS-CoV-2. Further investigations into the intricacies of NF-κB activation are required to reveal effective therapeutic strategies for managing and combating the SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19.

Recent advances in nanomaterials for neural applications: opportunities and challenges.

Nanomedicines are promising for delivering drugs to the central nervous system, though their precision is still being improved. Fortifying nanoparticles with vital molecules can interact with the blood-brain barrier, enabling access to brain tissue. This study summarizes recent advances in nanomedicine to treat neurological complications. The integration of nanotechnology into cell biology aids in the study of brain cells' interactions. Magnetic microhydrogels have exhibited superior neuron activation compared with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and hold promise for neuropsychiatric disorders. Nanomaterials have shown notable results, such as tackling neurodegenerative diseases by hindering harmful protein buildup and regulating cellular processes. However, further studies of the safety and effectiveness of nanoparticles in managing neurological diseases and disorders are still required.

Recent advances in green synthesized nanoparticles for bactericidal and wound healing applications.

Nanotechnology has become an exciting area of research in diverse fields, such as: healthcare, food, agriculture, cosmetics, paints, lubricants, fuel additives and other fields. This review is a novel effort to update the practioneers about the most current developments in the widespread use of green synthesized nanoparticles in medicine. Biosynthesis is widely preferred among different modes of nanoparticle synthesis since they do not require toxic chemical usage and they are environment-friendly. In the green bioprocess, plant, algal, fungal and cyanobacterial extract solutions have been utilized as nucleation/capping agents to develop effective nanomaterials for advanced medical applications. Several metal salts, such as silver, zinc, titanium and other inorganic salts, were utilized to fabricate innovative nanoparticles for healthcare applications. Irrespective of the type of wound, infection in the wound area is a widespread problem. Micro-organisms, the prime reason for wound complications, are gradually gaining resistance against the commonly used antimicrobial drugs. This necessitates the need to generate nanoparticles with efficient antimicrobial potential to keep the pathogenic microbes under control. These nanoparticles can be topically applied as an ointment and also be used by incorporating them into hydrogels, sponges or electrospun nanofibers. The main aim of this review is to highlight the recent advances in the Ag, ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles with possible wound healing applications, coupled with the bactericidal ability of a green synthesis process.

Biocidal chitosan-magnesium oxide nanoparticles via a green precipitation process.

In the present scenario, the development of eco-friendly multifunctional biocidal substances with low cost and high efficiency, has become the center of focus. This study is, focused on the synthesis of magnesium oxide (MgO) and chitosan-modified magnesium oxide (CMgO) nanoparticles (NPs), via a green precipitation process. In this process, leaves extract of Plumbago zeylanica L was, used as a nucleating agent. The MgO and CMgO NPs exhibit face-centered cubic structures, as confirmed by XRD studies. Morphologically, the FESEM and TEM images showed that the MgO and CMgO NPs were spherical, with an average particle size of ~40±2 and ~37±2 nm, respectively. EDX spectra were used to identify the elemental compositions of the nanoparticles. By using FTIR spectra, the Mg-O stretching frequency of MgO and CMgO NPs were observed at 431 and 435 cm-1, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of MgO and CMgO NPs, revealed oxygen vacancies at 499 nm and 519 nm, respectively, due to the active radicals generated, which were responsible for their biocidal activities. The toxicity effects of the nanoparticles developed, on cell viability (antibacterial and anticancer), were measured on the MCF-7 cell line and six different types of gram-negative bacteria. The antibacterial activities of the nanoparticles on: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Vibrio cholerae bacteria, were studied with the well diffusion method. The MgO and CMgO NPs were tested on breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) via an MTT assay and it proved that CMgO NPs possess higher anticancer properties than MgO NPs. Overall, CMgO NPs showed a higher amount of cytotoxicity for both the bacterial and cancer cells when compared to the MgO NPs. Toxicity studies of fibroblast L929 cells revealed that the CMgO NPs were less harmful to the healthy cells when compared to the MgO NPs. These results suggest that biopolymer chitosan-modified MgO NPs can be used for healthcare industrial applications in order to improve human health conditions.

Biocidal activity of Ba2+-doped CeO2 NPs against Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains.

Mishandling of antibiotics often leads to the development of multiple drug resistance (MDR) among microbes, resulting in the failure of infection treatments and putting human health at great risk. As a response, unique nanomaterials with superior bioactivity must be developed to combat bacterial infections. Herein, CeO2-based nanomaterials (NMs) were synthesized by employing cerium(iii) nitrate and selective alkaline ions. Moreover, the influence of alkaline ions on CeO2 was investigated, and their characteristics, viz.: biochemical, structural, and optical properties, were altered. The size of nano Ba-doped CeO2 (BCO) was ∼2.3 nm, relatively smaller than other NMs and the antibacterial potential of CeO2, Mg-doped CeO2 (MCO), Ca-doped CeO2 (CCO), Sr-doped CeO2 (SCO), and Ba-doped CeO2 (BCO) NMs against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains was assessed. BCO outperformed all NMs in terms of antibacterial efficacy. In addition, achieving the enhanced bioactivity of BCO due to reduced particle size facilitated the easy penetration into the bacterial membrane and the presence of a sizeable interfacial surface. In this study, the minimum quantity of BCO required to achieve the complete inhibition of bacteria was determined to be 1000 µg mL-1 and 1500 µg mL-1 for S. mutans and S. aureus, respectively. The cytotoxicity test with L929 fibroblast cells demonstrated that BCO was less toxic to healthy cells. Furthermore, BCO did not show any toxicity and cell morphological changes in the L929 fibroblast cells, which is similar to the control cell morphology. Overall, the results suggest that nano BCO can be used in biomedical applications, which can potentially help improve human health conditions.

ROS-mediated cytotoxic activity of ZnO and CeO2 nanoparticles synthesized using the Rubia cordifolia L. leaf extract on MG-63 human osteosarcoma cell lines.

In the present scenario, the synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide (ZnO) and cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles (NPs) through biological routes using green reducing agents are quite interesting to explore various biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, particularly for the treatment of cancer. This study was focused on the phytosynthesis of ZnO and CeO2 NPs using the leaf extract of Rubia cordifolia L. The active principles present in the plant extract were liable for rapid reduction of Zn and Ce ions to metallic nanocrystals. ZnO and CeO2 NPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. ZnO and CeO2 NPs were partially agglomerated with a net-like structure. Biomedical activities of ZnO and CeO2 NPs were tested against MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells using MTT and reactive oxygen species (ROS) quantification assays. In treated cells, loss of cell membrane integrity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis was observed and it is well correlated with cellular damage immediately after induction. Overall, this study shed light on the anti-cancer potential of ZnO and CeO2 NPs on MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells through differential ROS production pathways, describing the potential role of greener synthesis.