Special Issue: Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Plant Polyphenols 2.0

Inflammation is a complex process that occurs in response to infections or other tissue damages, such as trauma, wounds, burns, and toxic substances [...]

Evaluation of the hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties of an aqueous extract of plant polyphenols (helichrysum maracandicum)

This study investigated in vivo and in vitro the effects of helmar 2 polyphenol extracts isolated from the plant Helichrysum maracandicum in the conditions of toxic hepatitis poisoned by carbon dioxide (CCl4) in rats. The experiments were performed on healthy male rats and grouped hepatitis model animals with CCl4. In toxic hepatitis, helmar 2 polyphenol extracts at a dose of 20 mg/kg showed an inhibitory effect on hepatic mitochondrial lipid peroxidation. Evidently, the inhibitory effect of polyphenol extracts on the peroxidation of hepatic mitochondrial lipids was very close to that of the hepatoprotective drug silymarin.

Composition and Biological Activity of Vitis vinifera Winter Cane Extract on Candida Biofilm

Vitis vinifera canes are waste material of grapevine pruning and thus represent cheap source of high-value polyphenols. In view of the fact that resistance of many pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotics is a growing problem, the antimicrobial activity of plant polyphenols is studied as one of the possible approaches. We have investigated the total phenolic content, composition, antioxidant activity, and antifungal activity against Candida biofilm of an extract from winter canes and a commercially available extract from blue grapes. Light microscopy and confocal microscopy imaging as well as crystal violet staining were used to quantify and visualize the biofilm. We found a decrease in cell adhesion to the surface depending on the concentration of resveratrol in the cane extract. The biofilm formation was observed as metabolic activity of Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida krusei biofilm cells and the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations were determined. The highest inhibition of metabolic activity was observed in Candida albicans biofilm after treatment with the cane extract (30 mg/L) and blue grape extract (50 mg/L). The composition of cane extract was analyzed and found to be comparatively different from blue grape extract. In addition, the content of total phenolic groups in cane extract was three-times higher (12.75 gGA/L). The results showed that cane extract was more effective in preventing biofilm formation than blue grape extract and winter canes have proven to be a potential source of polyphenols for antimicrobial and antibiofilm treatment.

Rapid Assembly of Colorless Antimicrobial And Anti-Odor Coatings From Polyphenols And Silver

The development of antimicrobial fabrics and textiles that can sustainably inhibit a broad spectrum of microbes is crucial for protecting against pathogens in various environments. However, engineering antimicrobial textiles is challenging due to issues with discoloration and inhibited breathability, the use of harmful or harsh reagents and synthesis conditions, and complex and/or time-consuming processing. Herein, we develop a facile and rapid approach to deposit antimicrobial coatings using universally adherent plant polyphenols and antimicrobial silver ions. Importantly, the coatings are colorless, thin (<10 nm), rapidly assembled (<20 min), and can be deposited via immersion or spraying. We demonstrate that these metal-phenolic coatings on textiles can inhibit lipid-enveloped viruses over one thousand times more efficiently than coatings composed of other metal ions, while maintaining their efficacy even after 10 washes. Moreover, the coatings also inhibit Gram positive and negative bacteria, and fungi, and can prevent odors on clothes for at least 10 washes. Collectively, the ease of synthesis, use of simple and safe precursors, and amenability to at-home and industrial application suggests that the coatings will find practical application in various settings.

Understanding the Functional Activity of Polyphenols Using Omics-Based Approaches

Plant polyphenols are the main category of natural active substances, and are distributed widely in vegetables, fruits, and plant-based processed foods. Polyphenols have a beneficial performance in preventing diseases and maintaining body health. However, its action mechanism has not been well understood. Foodomics is a novel method to sequence and widely used in nutrition, combining genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, microbiome, and metabolomics. Based on multi-omics technologies, foodomics provides abundant data to study functional activities of polyphenols. In this paper, physiological functions of various polyphenols based on foodomics and microbiome was discussed, especially the anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities and gut microbe regulation. In conclusion, omics (including microbiomics) is a useful approach to explore the bioactive activities of polyphenols in the nutrition and health of human and animals.

The ability of the natural chemoprophylactic agent curcumin to function as an effective UV photosensitiser

It is known that some plant polyphenols and alkaloids can act as effective photosensitisers of UV radiation. This phenomenon can enhance both therapeutic and side effects. Since there is no information regarding curcuminoids on their ability to function as UV photosensitisers, this work investigated the effect of UV radiation on the cytotoxic effect of curcumin, as well as its nanostructured forms, against keratinocytes of the HaCaT line and cancer cells MDA-MB-231. The results obtained indicate that curcumin is an effective photosensitiser capable of initiating photochemical reactions under the influence of UV radiation of the A and B range, which lead to the formation of chemically active intermediates, disruption of membrane integrity and cell death. When curcumin is incorporated into nanostructures based on polyallylamine hydrochloride /polystyrene sulfate and chitosan /dextran sulfate, its ability to function as a UV photosensitiser is retained.