Exploring the preservation efficiency of cured betel leaf essential oil in augmenting the quality of fruit juice: a comprehensive evaluation of physicochemical, microbial, and sensory parameters.

Betel leaves have deep roots in India's cultural heritage and have long been known for their use in traditional diets as a masticatory agent. These leaves contain beneficial compounds like antimicrobials, antioxidants, and anticancer properties. This study aims to investigate how betel leaf essential oil (BLEO) can act as a preservative for orange, grape, watermelon, and sugarcane juices. To make sure BLEO doesn't affect the taste, a sensory study was done using fuzzy logic analysis to determine the right concentration. Physicochemical and microbial properties in control and BLEO-treated juices were evaluated at weeks 0 and 2. Results showed that the addition of BLEO in fruit juices yielded a significant reduction in microbial populations, in total plate count and yeast and mold count. The decrease in free radical scavenging activity observed in BLEO-treated juices was comparatively less pronounced than in the control. GC-MS analysis has identified the bioactive compounds present in BLEO, revealing high concentrations of bioactive compounds. The observation of the study demonstrates the remarkable potential of BLEO to serve as a natural preservative in a diverse range of fruit juices. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-024-05963-9.

Antibiotic resistance profiling and valorization of food waste streams to starter culture biomass and exopolysaccharides through fed-batch fermentations.

The present study evaluated antibiotic resistance (ABR) in bacteria isolated from different food wastes viz., meat slaughterhouses, dairy and restaurants. About 120 strains isolated from the food waste were subjected to ABR screening. More than 50% of all the strains were resistant to Vancomycin, Neomycin and Methicilin, which belong to third-generation antibiotics. Two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) free of ABR were chosen to be used as starter cultures in media formulated from food waste. Food waste combination (FWC-4) was found to be on par with the nutrient broth in biomass production. The non-ABR LAB strains showed excellent probiotic properties, and in the fed-batch fermentation process, adding a nitrogen source (soya protein) enhanced the microbial biomass (3.7 g/l). Additionally, exopolysaccharide production was found to be 2.3 g/l. This study highlights the ABR incidence in food waste medium and its economic advantage for starter culture biomass production. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01222-9.

Effect of ultrasonic cavitation on the formation of soy protein isolate - rice starch complexes, and the characterization and prediction of interaction sites using molecular techniques.

Protein-carbohydrate interactions occur naturally in glycoproteins which are highly stable in nature and are involved in various food complexes and can enhance the quality and functional properties of foods. In the current study, we characterized the protein-carbohydrate complex formed between commercial soy protein isolate and rice starch using different treatments namely heat treatment alone, ultrasound treatment alone, combination of ultrasound and heat treatment and mixing alone. The structural data obtained using circular dichroism indicated that during the complex formation, the α-helix values were reduced by a maximum of 67% compared to soy protein isolate alone. The crystalline nature of the complexes formed by ultrasound treatment preserved the techno-functional properties as compared to complexes formed by heat treatments. The FTIR analysis of the complexes formed indicated the formation of glycosidic bond. Molecular docking analysis revealed the interaction between the complexes occurred due to hydrogen bonds which make the proteins more stable in nature thus enhancing their denaturation temperature. Glutamine, Proline and Arginine present in the D subunit of 7S 3AUP interacts with the starch molecule. The obtained results suggest that sonication combined with heat treatment led to higher interaction between the soy proteins isolate and rice starch.

Comprehensive Review on Banana Fruit Allergy: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, Management, and Potential Modification of Allergens through Food Processing.

The pulp of the banana fruit is rich in bioactive compounds like dietary fibers, low glycemic carbohydrates, natural sugars, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These beneficial compounds are responsible for the proper functioning of immune system and enhance prevention against various deadly diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. Despite having, positive effects, the fruit are recognized as an important source for causing allergy to 0.6% of people in general population and up to 67 and 46% for people with asthma or atopic dermatitis. Fruit allergy is one of the most common food allergies witnessed worldwide. Banana fruit allergy results from the abnormal immune response to the banana proteins soon after its consumption. Symptoms range from oral allergy syndrome (OAS) to the life-threatening anaphylaxis. IgE reactivity of banana is associated with different proteins of which six proteins have been identified as major allergens, viz., Mus a1 (Profilin-actin binding protein), Mus a 2 (Class 1 chitinase), Mus a 3 (Nonspecific lipid transfer protein), Mus a 4 (Thaumatin like protein), Mus a 5 (Beta 1,3 glucanase) and Mus a 6 (Ascorbate peroxidase). This review focuses on pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, and different food processing methods to mitigate the allergenicity of banana fruit.

A Molecular Approach for the Detection and Quantification of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) Infestation in Stored Wheat Flour.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: The presence of insect fragments is one of the major constrains in stored food commodities and it causes considerable loss in the quality of the produce. The management of the pest is viewed as a huge challenge in foodprocessingindustry. Conventionally, the detection of Tribolium castenaum in the food processing industry is carried out by acid hydrolysis and staining methods that are time consuming and lack precision. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Considering the importance of a quick and effective method, a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based approach was developed and elucidated in this study. The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene was identified as a target due to its abundance in the pest. Specific primers were designed against the target gene by Primer Premier software and amplified in a qPCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: This method is capable of detecting all the ontogenic stages of T. castaneum in stored wheat flour. Earlier experiments had demonstrated that about 20 µg of DNA can be obtained from 2.2 mg of insects. To quantify the infestation levels, the cycle threshold (Ct) values obtained from known samples were subjected to regression analysis and expressed as adult equivalents. In the unknown samples, the infestation was calculated as 1.74 and 0.046 adult insects in 5 g of wheat flour. The maximum permissible limit of insect fragments in flour is 75 insect fragments or approx. 3 adults per 50 g of flour as per the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hence, by adopting this new method, it is possible for the warehouse operators to arrive at a decision to proceed with efficient management practices where wheat flour is stored. Also, this method can be ratified by government agencies associated with international business to ascertain whether the wheat flour meets the standards set by the respective country before subjecting to foreign trade. NOVELTY AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: This study is the first of its kind in the detection and quantification of T. castaneum in milled products. So far, only conventional methods have been employed to assess the presence of the pests and manual counting of fragments are practiced to quantify the infestation levels. The developed qPCR method is faster, reliable and can be employed in milling industries, bakery industries, food processing plants and foreign trade units for critical detection and quantification of T. castaneum pest infestation.

Role of Nrf2 in MALAT1/ HIF-1α loop on the regulation of angiogenesis in diabetic foot ulcer.

Diabetic non healing wounds often result in significant morbidity and mortality. The number of effective targets to detect these wounds are meagre. Slow lymphangiogenesis is one of the complex processes involved in impaired healing of wounds. Long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been importantly recognized for their role in pathological conditions. Multiple studies highlighting the role of lncRNAs in the regulation of several biological processes and complex diseases. Herein, we investigated the role of lncRNA Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in the progression of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). We report a significant reduction in the expression of lncRNA MALAT1 in the infected DFU subjects which was positively correlated with the expression of angiogenic factors such as Nrf2, HIF-1α and VEGF. Further, expression of pro-inflammatory markers TNF-α and IL-6 were found to be increased while, the expression of anti-inflammatory marker IL-10 was decreased in infected DFU tissues. Involvement of lncRNA MALAT1 in angiogenesis in EA.hy926 cells was demonstrated by silencing the expression of Nrf2, HIF-1α, and VEGF through interference mediated by MALAT1. In addition, its inflammatory role was demonstrated by decreased expression of TNF-α, IL-6 and not affecting the expression of IL-10. Further, CRISPR-Cas9 knock out of Nrf2 decreased the expression of lncRNA MALAT1, HIF-1α and VEGF which revealed the association of Nrf2 in regulating MALAT1/HIF-1α loop through positive feedback mechanism. Collectively, our results suggested the role of Nrf2 on MALAT1/HIF-1α loop in the regulation of angiogenesis, which could act as a novel target in the treatment of diabetic wounds.

Potassium bromate: Effects on bread components, health, environment and method of analysis: A review.

Potassium bromate, is an oxidizing agent and one of the best and cheapest dough improvers in the baking industry. Due to its positive effects it plays a major role in the bread-making industry. Potassium bromate has significant effect on food biomolecules, such as starch and protein, as it affects the extent of gelatinization, viscosity, swelling characteristics as well as gluten proteins; it removes the sulfhydryl group and leads to the formation of disulfide linkages and thus improves the bread properties. However, there are many reports elucidating its negative impact on human health. It is deemed as a potential human carcinogen by IARC and classified under class 2B. Due to this, countries across world have either partially or completely banned it. Numerous techniques have evolved to determine the concentration of potassium bromate in bread. This review explains in detail, the effects of potassium bromate on biomolecules, human health, environment and various methods of analysis.

miR-23c regulates wound healing by targeting stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α/CXCL12) among patients with diabetic foot ulcer.

Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) is the most common in patients who have diabetic peripheral neuropathy and angiopathy as well as a foot deformity. The delayed process of wound healing in diabetic condition is mainly due to reduced expression of the growth factors, persistent inflammatory response and endothelial dysfunction. Emerging evidence indicate that miRNAs play a crucial role in regulating angiogenesis, collectively called as "angiomiRs". The present study aimed to screen the expressions of angiomiRs particularly miR23 family and its association with the various angiogenic factors including SDF-1α in the tissue biopsies isolated from DFU patients. Among the 40 enrolled subjects for this study, 10 were subjected in each group as healthy controls, type 2 diabetic subjects (T2DM), T2DM subjects with uninfected DFU, and T2DM subjects with infected DFU. The expression of both the miR23 family such as hsa-miR-23a, hsa-miR-23b, hsa-miR-23c and angiogenic factors such as SDF-1α, HIF-1α, VEGF, eNOS were investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and tissue biopsy samples using qPCR. We found that the angiogenic factor SDF-1α was significantly decreased in both the circulation and tissue biopsies of patients with T2DM and infected DFU. The SDF-1α at the 3'-untranslated region pairs with target miRNAs namely hsa-miR-23a-3p, hsa-miR-23b-3p and hsa-miR-23c as established using miRNA target prediction algorithm. Further, the tissue-specific expressions of miR-23a and miR-23b were found to be low whereas miR-23c was increased in patients with infected DFU. Moreover, correlation analysis showed that SDF-1α was found to have a significant inverse association with miR-23c. In conclusion, miR-23c may function as a new regulator to inhibit angiogenesis by targeting SDF-1α.

Triptolide suppresses the in vitro and in vivo growth of lung cancer cells by targeting hyaluronan-CD44/RHAMM signaling.

Higher levels of hyaluronan (HA) and its receptors CD44 and RHAMM have been associated with poor prognosis and metastasis in NSCLC. In the current study, our goal was to define, using cellular and orthotopic lung tumor models, the role of HA-CD44/RHAMM signaling in lung carcinogenesis and to assess the potential of triptolide to block HA-CD44/RHAMM signaling and thereby suppress the development and progression of lung cancer. Triptolide reduced the viability of five non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, the proliferation and self-renewal of pulmospheres, and levels of HA synthase 2 (HAS2), HAS3, HA, CD44, RHAMM, EGFR, Akt and ERK, but increased the cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP. Silencing of HAS2, CD44 or RHAMM induced similar effects. Addition of excess HA to the culture media completely abrogated the effects of triptolide and siRNAs targeting HAS2, CD44, or RHAMM. In an orthotopic lung cancer model in nude rats, intranasal administration of liposomal triptolide (400 µg/kg) for 8 weeks significantly reduced lung tumor growth as determined by bioluminescence imaging, lung weight measurements and gross and histopathological analysis of tumor burden. Also, triptolide suppressed expressions of Ki-67, a marker for cell proliferation, HAS2, HAS3, HA, CD44, and RHAMM in lung tumors. Overall, our results provide a strong rationale for mitigating lung cancer by targeting the HA-CD44/RHAMM signaling axis.

Honokiol suppresses lung tumorigenesis by targeting EGFR and its downstream effectors.

Since epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is commonly deregulated in pre-malignant lung epithelium, targeting EGFR may arrest the development of lung cancer. Here, we showed that honokiol (2.5-7.5 µM), a bioactive compound of Magnolia officinalis, differentially suppressed proliferation (up to 93%) and induced apoptosis (up to 61%) of EGFR overexpressing tumorigenic bronchial cells and these effects were paralleled by downregulation of phospho-EGFR, phospho-Akt, phospho-STAT3 and cell cycle-related proteins as early as 6-12 h post-treatment. Autocrine secretion of EGF sensitized 1170 cells to the effects of honokiol. Molecular docking studies indicated that honokiol binds to the tyrosine kinase domain of EGFR although it was less efficient than erlotinib. However, the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities of honokiol were stronger than those of erlotinib. Upon combinatory treatment, honokiol sensitized bronchial cells and erlotinib resistant H1650 and H1975 cells to erlotinib. Furthermore, in a mouse lung tumor bioassay, intranasal instillation of liposomal honokiol (5 mg/kg) for 14 weeks reduced the size and multiplicity (49%) of lung tumors and the level of total- and phospho-EGFR, phospho-Akt and phospho-STAT3. Overall, our results indicate that honokiol is a promising candidate to suppress the development and even progression of lung tumors driven by EGFR deregulation.

Transcriptome profiling in oral cavity and esophagus tissues from (S)-N'-nitrosonornicotine-treated rats reveals candidate genes involved in human oral cavity and esophageal carcinogenesis.

Recently, we have shown that (S)-N'-Nitrosonornicotine [(S)-NNN], the major form of NNN in tobacco products, is a potent oral cavity and esophageal carcinogen in rats. To determine the early molecular alterations induced by (S)-NNN in the oral and esophageal mucosa, we administered the carcinogen to rats in the drinking water for 10 wk and global gene expression alterations were analyzed by RNA sequencing. At a false discovery rate P-value < 0.05 and fold-change ≥2, we found alterations in the level of 39 genes in the oral cavity and 69 genes in the esophagus. Validation of RNA sequencing results by qRT-PCR assays revealed a high cross-platform concordance. The most significant impact of exposure to (S)-NNN was alteration of genes involved in immune regulation (Aire, Ctla4, and CD80), inflammation (Ephx2 and Inpp5d) and cancer (Cdkn2a, Dhh, Fetub B, Inpp5d, Ly6E, Nr1d1, and Wnt6). Consistent with the findings in rat tissues, most of the genes were deregulated, albeit to different degrees, in immortalized oral keratinocytes treated with (S)-NNN and in non-treated premalignant oral cells and malignant oral and head and neck squamous cells. Furthermore, interrogation of TCGA data sets showed that genes deregulated by (S)-NNN in rat tissues (Fetub, Ly6e, Nr1d1, Cacna1c, Cd80, and Dgkg) are also altered in esophageal and head and neck tumors. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into early molecular changes induced by (S)-NNN and, therefore, could contribute to the development of biomarkers for the early detection and prevention of (S)-NNN-associated oral and esophageal cancers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

EBV and not HPV sensitizes tobacco-associated head and neck cancer cell line FaDu to radiotherapy.

Conclusion EBV radiosensitized the p53 mutant tobacco associated head and neck cell line, FaDu. Objectives In the head and neck, HPV is a major risk factor associated with tonsil and base of tongue cancers, while a majority of undifferentiated nasopharyngeal cancers are positive for EBV. Clinically, head and neck tumors positive for HPV or EBV are more radiosensitive than tumors associated with tobacco and alcohol. This study aimed to evaluate whether viral infections can sensitize tobacco-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line that harbors multiple mutations, especially TP53, to radiotherapy. Method Four FaDu cell lines (vector control - FaDu-DN; FaDu expressing HPV16 E6/E7 - FaDu-HPV; FaDu infected with EBV - FaDu-EBV; and FaDu-HPV infected with EBV - FaDu-HE) were evaluated for their radiation sensitivity using clonogenic assay. Cell cycle, protein expression, apoptosis, and cellular senescence were analyzed. Results FaDu-EBV and FaDu-HE exhibited significantly increased radiosensitivity in comparison with the control cell line. Radiation-induced cell cycle arrest was altered in all cell lines expressing viral genes. The observed distribution of cells at G1 and S phases was associated with a significant increase in expression of p21 protein along with decreased levels of pAKT/AKT and pERK/ERK ratio (p < 0.05) and increased cellular senescence (p < 0.05).

Dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors: does p53 modulate response?

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas have multiple genetic alterations that can influence clinical response to treatment. It is important to evaluate how distinct alterations affect response to targeted agents to identify a subset of patients who can benefit from therapy, improving survival and decreasing toxicity.

Phosphorylation of threonine 190 is essential for nuclear localization and endocytosis of the FTS (Fused Toes Homolog) protein.

Fused Toes Homolog (FTS) is a member of a group of proteins termed as E2 variants and this group of proteins lacks an active cysteine residue that is required for ubiquitin transfer. We have identified the expression of this protein in early neoplastic stages of cervical cancer and its translocation into nucleus from cytoplasm upon irradiation. Here we have reported that a threonine residue at position 190 is essential for its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and function. Upon LMB treatment we found that FTS was located in the nucleus and it suggests that direct role of nuclear export signal (NES) is required for the binding to CRM1 and facilitates nuclear export. The threonine residue was phosphorylated and promoted the phosphorylation of EGFR, p38 and JNK facilitating vesicular trafficking of early to late endosomes. Mutational change of the threonine into alanine resulted in the cytoplasmic localization of FTS and failed to phosphorylate EGFR and its downstream effector proteins. In addition the mutation also reduced the number of early endosomes formed and also resulted in the clustering of late endosomes around the perinuclear region. These data suggest that threonine residue of FTS at position 190 is not only essential for its function but also for the formation, maturation and trafficking of early endosomes to late endosome/lysosome, as well as we speculate that FTS may function at a connection point in the vesicle tethering.

Fused Toes Homolog modulates radiation cytotoxicity in uterine cervical cancer cells.

Radiotherapy is the major treatment modality for uterine cervical cancer, but in some cases, the disease is radioresistant. Defining the molecular events that contribute to radioresistance and progression of cancer are of critical importance. Here we evaluated the role of Fused Toes Homolog (FTS) in radiation resistance of cervical carcinoma. Immunostaning of cervical cancer cells and tissues revealed that FTS localization and expression was changed after radiation. Targeted stable knockdown of FTS in HeLa cells led to the growth inhibition after radiation. Radiation induced AKT mediated cytoprotective effect was countered by FTS knockdown which leads to PARP cleavage and caspase-3 activation leading to cell death. FTS knockdown promotes radiation induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 and apoptosis of HeLa cells with concurrent alterations in the display of cell cycle regulatory proteins. This study revealed FTS is involved in radioresistance of cervical cancer. Targeted inhibition of FTS led to the shutdown of key elemental characteristics of cervical cancer and could lead to an effective therapeutic strategy.

Rapamycin-mediated mTOR inhibition attenuates survivin and sensitizes glioblastoma cells to radiation therapy.

Survivin, an antiapoptotic protein, is elevated in most malignancies and attributes to radiation resistance in tumors including glioblastoma multiforme. The downregulation of survivin could sensitize glioblastoma cells to radiation therapy. In this study, we investigated the effect of rapamycin, an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), in attenuating survivin and enhancing the therapeutic efficacy for glioblastoma cells, and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Here we tested various concentrations of rapamycin (1-8 nM) in combination with radiation dose 4 Gy. Rapamycin effectively modulated the protein kinase B (Akt)/mTOR pathway by inhibiting the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR proteins, and this inhibition was further enhanced by radiation. The expression level of survivin was decreased in rapamycin pre-treatment glioblastoma cells followed by radiation; meanwhile, the phosphorylation of H2A histone family member X (H2AX) at serine-139 (γ-H2AX) was increased. p21 protein was also induced on radiation with rapamycin pre-treatment, which enhanced G1 arrest and the accumulation of cells at G0/subG1 phase. Furthermore, the clonogenic cell survival assay revealed a significant dose-dependent decrease in the surviving fraction for all three cell lines pre-treated with rapamycin. Our studies demonstrated that targeting survivin may be an effective approach for radiosensitization of malignant glioblastoma.

FTS (fused toes homolog) a novel oncoprotein involved in uterine cervical carcinogenesis and a potential diagnostic marker for cervical cancer.

The high incidence and fatality rate of uterine cervical cancer warrant effective diagnostic and therapeutic target identification for this disease. Here, we have found a novel oncoprotein FTS (Fused Toes Homolog), which is involved in cervical cancer pathogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis of human cervical biopsy samples revealed that the expression of FTS is absent in normal cervical epithelium but progressively overexpressed in human cervical intraneoplastic lesions (CIN-I to CIN-III), this characteristic phenomenon put this protein, a potential diagnostic marker for the screening of early neoplastic changes of cervix. Using FTS-specific small hairpin RNA (shRNA) in cervical cancer cells, we determined a specific role for FTS protein in, cervical neoplasia. Targeted stable knock down of FTS in HeLa cells led to the growth inhibition, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis with concurrent increase in p21 protein. FTS effectively represses the p21 mRNA expression in dual luciferase assay which indicates that p21 is transcriptionally regulated by this oncoprotein which in turn affect the regular cell-cycle process and its components. Consistent with this we found a reciprocal association between these proteins in early cervical neoplastic tissues. These data unraveled the involvement of new oncoprotein FTS in cervical cancer which plays a central role in carcinogenesis. Targeted inhibition of FTS lead to the shutdown of key elemental characteristics of cervical cancer and could lead to an effective therapeutic strategy for cervical cancer.