Natural products derived from medicinal plants and microbes might act as a game-changer in breast cancer: a comprehensive review of preclinical and clinical studies.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent neoplasm among women. Genetic and environmental factors lead to BC development and on this basis, several preventive - screening and therapeutic interventions have been developed. Hormones, both in the form of endogenous hormonal signaling or hormonal contraceptives, play an important role in BC pathogenesis and progression. On top of these, breast microbiota includes both species with an immunomodulatory activity enhancing the host's response against cancer cells and species producing proinflammatory cytokines associated with BC development. Identification of novel multitargeted therapeutic agents with poly-pharmacological potential is a dire need to combat advanced and metastatic BC. A growing body of research has emphasized the potential of natural compounds derived from medicinal plants and microbial species as complementary BC treatment regimens, including dietary supplements and probiotics. In particular, extracts from plants such as Artemisia monosperma Delile, Origanum dayi Post, Urtica membranacea Poir. ex Savigny, Krameria lappacea (Dombey) Burdet & B.B. Simpson and metabolites extracted from microbes such as Deinococcus radiodurans and Streptomycetes strains as well as probiotics like Bacillus coagulans and Lactobacillus brevis MK05 have exhibited antitumor effects in the form of antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity, increase in tumors' chemosensitivity, antioxidant activity and modulation of BC - associated molecular pathways. Further, bioactive compounds like 3,3'-diindolylmethane, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, rutin, resveratrol, lycopene, sulforaphane, silibinin, rosmarinic acid, and shikonin are of special interest for the researchers and clinicians because these natural agents have multimodal action and act via multiple ways in managing the BC and most of these agents are regularly available in our food and fruit diets. Evidence from clinical trials suggests that such products had major potential in enhancing the effectiveness of conventional antitumor agents and decreasing their side effects. We here provide a comprehensive review of the therapeutic effects and mechanistic underpinnings of medicinal plants and microbial metabolites in BC management. The future perspectives on the translation of these findings to the personalized treatment of BC are provided and discussed.

Cyclodextrins inclusion complex: Preparation methods, analytical techniques and food industry applications.

This review offers a vision of the chemical behaviour of natural ingredients, synthetic drugs and other related compounds complexed using cyclodextrins. The review takes care of different sections related to i) the inclusion complexes formation with cyclodextrins, ii) the determination of the inclusion formation constant, iii) the most used methods to prepare host inclusion in the non-polar cavity of cyclodextrins and iv) the analytical techniques to evidence host inclusion. The review provides different literature that shows the application of cyclodextrins to improve physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of food compounds including solubility, stability and their elimination/masking. Moreover, the review also offers examples of commercial food/supplement products of cyclodextrins to indicate that cyclodextrins can be used to generate biotechnological substances with innovative properties and improve the development of food products.

Designation of rice cake starters for fermented rice products with desired characteristics and fast fermentation.

This study aimed to control characteristics of fermented rice products by using functional fungi and yeasts isolated from traditional rice cake starters in Thailand. Amylolytic fungi, amylolytic yeasts, alcoholic yeasts and aromatic yeasts were isolated from rice cake starters through different isolation protocols. Among the protocols tested, the enrichment in rice cake fermentation prior to isolation was the most suitable protocol for isolation of amylolytic fungi from all rice cake starters. While the enrichment in submerged fermentation prior to isolation could increase the numbers of yeast isolates. The selected amylolytic fungus and amylolytic yeast were identified as Rhizopus oryzae F63S and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera Y71R, respectively. The yeast with high production of ethanol and aromatic ester was identified as Pichia anomala Y11E. Fermented rice cakes with different characteristics were prepared using various combinations of fungi and yeast. The combination of R. oryzae F63S with S. fibuligera Y71R exhibited strong amylolytic activity and produced an extra sweet fermented rice cake. While the combination of R. oryzae F63S with P. anomala Y11E showed higher alcoholic and aromatic flavors. Moreover, the pure yeast P. anomala Y11E added with commercial amylase has been proven as an innovative starter for fast fermentation. This concept may contribute greatly to the further development of fermented food with desired properties at industrial level.