Rosmarinus plants: Key farm concepts towards food applications

Rosmarinus species are aromatic plants that mainly grow in the Mediterranean region. They are widely used in folk medicine, food, and flavor industries and represent a valuable source of biologically active compounds (e.g., terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids). The extraction of rosemary essential oil is being done using three main methods: carbon dioxide supercritical extraction, steam distillation, and hydrodistillation. Furthermore, interesting antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antileishmanial, anthelmintic, anticancer, anti‐inflammatory, antidepressant, and antiamnesic effects have also been broadly recognized for rosemary plant extracts. Thus the present review summarized data on economically important Rosmarinus officinalis species, including isolation, extraction techniques, chemical composition, pharmaceutical, and food applications.     

Areca catechu—From farm to food and biomedical applications

The family Arecaceae includes 181 genera and 2,600 species with a high diversity in physical characteristics. Areca plants, commonly palms, which are able to grow in nearly every type of habitat, prefer tropical and subtropical climates. The most studied species Areca catechu L. contains phytochemicals as phenolics and alkaloids with biological properties. The phenolics are mainly distributed in roots followed by fresh unripe fruits, leaves, spikes, and veins, while the contents of alkaloids are in the order of roots, fresh unripe fruits, spikes, leaves, and veins. This species has been reputed to provide health effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. However, in many developing countries, quid from this species has been associated with side effects, which include the destruction of the teeth, impairment of oral hygiene, bronchial asthma, or oral cancer. Despite these side effects, which are also mentioned in this work, the present review collects the main results of biological properties of the phytochemicals in A. catechu. This study emphasizes the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and clinical effectiveness in humans. In this sense, A. catechu have demonstrated effectiveness in several reports through in vitro and in vivo experiments on disorders such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, or anticancer. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that this species presents clinical effectiveness on neurological disorders. Hence, A. catechu extracts could be used as a bioactive ingredient for functional food, nutraceuticals, or cosmeceuticals. However, further studies, especially extensive and comprehensive clinical trials, are recommended for the use of Areca in the treatment of diseases.     

Postremission therapy with repeated courses of high-dose cytarabine,idarubicin, and limited autologous stem cell support achieves a very good long-term outcome in European leukemia net favorable and intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia

Consolidation treatment in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients achieving complete remission (CR) is warranted. High-dose cytarabine (HDAC) is considered first choice in favorable risk and an option in intermediate-risk AML. However, its optimal dose and schedule, as well as the benefit of additional chemotherapy agents remain controversial. Herein, we report on the long-term outcome of consecutive unselected AML patients treated with repeated courses of HDAC, with the addition of idarubicin, followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) support, in order to limit toxicity, according to Northern Italy Leukemia Group (NILG) AML-01/00 study (EUDRACT number 00400673). Among 338 patients consecutively diagnosed from 2001 to 2017 at our center, 148 with high-risk AML (adverse cytogenetic, isolated FLT3-internal tandem duplication mutation, refractory to first induction) were addressed to allogeneic stem cell transplant. All other cases, 186 patients (55%), median age 53 (range 19–75), were considered standard-risk and received the NILG AML-01/00 program. After achieving CR, patients were mobilized with cytarabine 8 g/sqm to collect autologous CD34+-PBSC and received three consolidation cycles with HDAC (20 g/sqm) plus idarubicin (20 mg/sqm) per cycle, followed by reinfusion of limited doses of CD34+ PBSC (1-2x106/kg). The program was completed by 160 (86%) patients. Toxicity was acceptable. Neutrophils recovered a median of 10 days. Treatment-related mortality was 3/160 (1.8%). After a median follow-up of 66.4 months, overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) at 5-years were 61.4% and 52.4%, respectively. Twenty-eight selected patients aged >65 had similar outcomes. According to European leukemia net-2010 classification, the OS and RFS at 5-years were 76.4% and 65% in favorable risk, without differences between molecular subgroups, 52.3% and 47.2% in Intermediate-I, 45.2% and 36.5% in Intermediate-II risk patients, respectively. In conclusion, consolidation including repeated courses of high dose cytarabine and idarubicin, with limited PBSC support, proved feasible and very effective in nonhigh risk patients. The incorporation of novel agents in its backbone may be tested to further improve patient's prognosis.     

Stroke in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: case series

Journal of Neurology - Italy is one of the most affected countries by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The responsible pathogen is named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus...     

Effects of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid on the ventral prostate of rats during the peri-pubertal,pubertal and adult stage

The herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is used on a wide variety of terrestrial and aquatic broadleaf weeds. 2,4-D has been shown to produce a wide range of adverse effects on animal and human health. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of pre- and postnatal exposure to 2,4-D on rat ventral prostate (VP). Pregnant rats were exposed daily to oral doses of 70?mg/kg/day of 2,4-D from 16 days of gestation up to 23 days after delivery. Then, the treated groups (n?=?8) were fed with a 2,4-D added diet until sacrificed by decapitation on postnatal day (PND) 45, 60, or 90. Morphometric studies were performed and androgen receptor (AR) protein levels in the VP were determined. AR, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-1R) mRNA expression in the VP along with testosterone (T), dihydroxytestosterone (DHT), growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 serum levels were also determined to ascertain whether these parameters were differentially affected. Results of this study showed that 2,4-D exposure during gestation and until adulthood altered development of the prostate gland in male rats, delaying it at early ages while increasing its size in adults, indicate that 2,4-D could behave as endocrine disruptors (EDs).     

Effect of the Combination of Ezetimibe and Simvastatin on Gluconeogenesis and Oxygen Consumption in the Rat Liver

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of chronic treatment with the combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin on gluconeogenesis in rat liver. Rats were treated daily for 28 days with the combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin (10/40 mg/kg) by oral gavage. To measure gluconeogenesis and the associated pathways, isolated perfused rat liver was used. In addition, subcellular fractions, such as microsomes and mitochondria, were used for complementary measures of enzymatic activities. Treatment with the combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe resulted in a decrease in gluconeogenesis from pyruvate (?62%). Basal oxygen consumption of the treated animals was higher (+22%) than that of the control rats, but the resulting oxygen consumption that occurred after pyruvate infusion was 43% lower in animals treated with the combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe. Oxygen consumption in the livers from treated animals was completely inhibited by cyanide (electron transport chain inhibitor), but not by proadifen (cytochrome P450 inhibitor). Chronic treatment with ezetimibe/simvastatin decreased the activity of the key enzymes glucose‐6‐phosphatase and fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphatase by 59% and 45%, respectively, which is probably the major reason for the decreased gluconeogenesis seen in ezetimibe‐/simvastatin‐treated rats. It is also possible that part of the effect of this combination on gluconeogenesis and on the oxygen consumption is related to the impairment of mitochondrial energy transduction.