Fluorescence of Aggregated Aromatic Peptides for Studying the Kinetics of Aggregation and Hardening of Amyloid-like Structures.

The capability of amyloid-like peptide fibers to emit intrinsic-fluorescence enables the study of their formation, stability and hardening through time-resolved fluorescence analysis, without the need for additional intercalating dyes. This approach allows the monitoring of amyloid-like peptides aggregation kinetics using minimal sample volumes, and the simultaneous testing of numerous experimental conditions and analytes, offering rapid and reproducible results. The analytical procedure applied to the aromatic hexapeptide F6, alone or derivatized with PEG (polyethylene glycol) moiety of different lengths, suggests that aggregation into large anisotropic structures negatively correlates with initial monomer concentration and relies on the presence of charged N- and C-termini. PEGylation reduces the extent of aggregates hardening, possibly by retaining water, and overall impacts the final structural properties of the aggregates.

Genotoxic Assessment of Nutraceuticals Obtained from Agricultural Biowaste: Where Do We "AMES"?

Several pharmaceutical companies are nowadays considering the use of agri-food waste as alternative raw material for the extraction of bioactive compounds to include in nutraceuticals and food supplements. This recycling activity is encountering the support of authorities, which are alarmed by air, soil and water pollution generated by agricultural waste disposal. Waste reuse has several economic advantages: (i) its low cost; (ii) its abundance; (iii) the high content of bioactive molecule (antioxidants, minerals, fibers, fatty acids); as well as (iv) the financial support received by governments eager to promote eco-compatible and pollution-reducing practices. While nutraceuticals produced from biowaste are becoming popular, products that have been risk-assessed in terms of safety are quite rare. This despite waste biomass, in virtue of its chemical complexity, could, in many cases, mine the overall safety of the final nutraceutical product. In this review, we summarize the scientific results published on genotoxicity risk-assessment of bioactive compounds extracted from agricultural waste. The review depicts a scenario where the risk-assessment of biowaste derived products is still scarcely diffuse, but when available, it confirms the safety of these products, and lets us envisage their future inclusion in the list of botanicals allowed for formulation intended for human consumption.