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According to University of Johannesburg study, the high quantities of antioxidants and polyphenols in passion fruit peels offer a significant potential for preserving fresh fruits and cuts in an edible food covering. A covering like this can help to reduce plastic packaging and spoilage in supply chains.

The peels of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) were isolated, microencapsulated, freeze-dried, and powdered by the researchers from an organic farm. This kind is well-known for its therapeutic properties. Passion fruit is mostly farmed for concentrated juice across the world. Their metabolomic and other analyses published in Antioxidants show that the powders possess the properties required for a high-quality, stable, and edible food coating. The powders could also be useful in natural food additives.

When fresh produce is packaged in plastic, the plastic creates a ‘micro-atmosphere’, says Prof Olaniyi Fawole, from the University of Johannesburg. And that puts the brakes on what oxygen can do to the produce.
“Oxygen is the bad guy, it causes a lot of biochemical degradation. So we want to limit the oxygen that gets to the produce. And we also want to limit dehydration. Edible food coatings can potentially solve both the oxygen and dehydration problems in the cold chain,” he adds.

The ideal coating: “If you coat the product, you reduce the interference from a high oxygen atmosphere, because there is a barrier. Dehydration is prevented because the coating keeps the moisture on the inside,” says Fawole.

Any such coating, however, must have a high antioxidant content to assist prevent decomposition due to oxidation, as well as antimicrobials. An edible coating should not interfere with the product’s colour, look, or flavour.
Fresh fruit slices, which degrade quicker than entire fruit and are subjected to significantly more germs and dehydration, might benefit even more from such a covering.

Antioxidants and polyphenols are preserved by microencapsulation. The significant antioxidant and polyphenol content of the passion fruit peels was retained through the microencapsulation procedure. This is crucial since industrial processes, pH, high storage temperatures, oxygen, light, solvents, and metal ions quickly degrade antioxidants and other bioactive chemicals.

The microencapsulation was carried out using one of three carriers: gum arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MT), or waxy starch (WS). They discovered that the encapsulation effectiveness (EE) of the three carriers ranged from 82.64 to 87.18%. This suggests that antioxidants and polyphenols should be effectively retained within the coated powder particles’ microcapsules.

The antioxidants and polyphenol content of each encapsulated powder were then determined.
Results of bioactive analyses Plants include a plethora of phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, and no one assay can accurately reflect the antioxidant content of the powders. Instead, the researchers utilised two studies to determine how much the encapsulating procedure changed the antioxidant activity of the bioactive chemicals in the microparticles.

The first test, DPPH radical scavenging activity, revealed that all three carriers had 45.85 to 51.29 mM Trolox Equivalent (TE)/ g DM (WS).
The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) test revealed that the carriers had 32.30 – 37.47-mM TE/g DM.
Trolox is a water-soluble synthetic antioxidant that has been employed as a standard antioxidant in various antioxidant tests. Consumers may doubt the safety of synthetic antioxidants, thus there is a push for alternatives.

“The results mean that the encapsulated powders could be viable alternatives to synthetic antioxidants and can provide valuable properties such as antibrowning and anti-senescence behaviour. They also offer the additional benefit of being edible,” says Fawole.

The researchers used liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to conduct metabolomic tests to determine which polyphenols are present in the microencapsulated powders (LC-MS).
Vanillic acid glucoside, quercetin, citric acid, gluconic acid, and caffeic acid are commercially relevant polyphenols retained at usable quantities in microencapsulated powders.

Long shelf life, many doses, excellent solubility
“An edible coating or natural food preservative may be potent, but if its raw material is not stable, it is useless. For example, if it is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture, it is not suitable for industrial scale applications,” says Fawole.

“These microencapsulated powders are non-hygroscopic, for all three carriers. If these are well-packaged, and stored cool and dry, they should last up to six months. Also, you can open up a container, use what you need, close the container, and the rest will be stable. It won’t be necessary to use the contents of an entire container in one go.”

Overall, the extensive laboratory results show that microencapsulated powders derived from passion fruit peels are an excellent active component in edible food coatings and natural food additives, especially for ‘naked’ fresh fruit and fresh cuts.

Variable voltages in the membranes of breast cancer cells have been identified, offering information on how the cells grow and spread. The study, sponsored by Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, might help us learn more about how cancer cells ‘decide’ whether to grow and where to disseminate. When cells develop cancer, they go through a sequence of bioelectric alterations. The layer enclosing cells, known as the cell membrane, for example, becomes more positively charged than healthy cell membranes.

This new study, published today in Communications Biology, discovered that not only is the membrane voltage greater in breast cancer cells than in healthy cells, but it also changes over time, with breast cancer cells acting similarly to neurons. The researchers believe this might point to an electrical communication network between cancer cells that could be disrupted in the future, perhaps leading to novel therapies.

“When healthy cells turn malignant, the modifications they undergo can help them grow and spread,” said co-lead author Dr Amanda Foust of Imperial’s Department of Bioengineering. For example, we know that certain genes that govern cell multiplication can be turned off, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation.” We don’t yet understand why the voltage of membranes changes in cancer cells, but our finding and technology, made possible by an exciting partnership of engineers and biologists, opens the door to future research that might help us better understand cancer signalling networks and growth.”

Researchers have found one of the causes of neuroblastoma’s resistance to treatment. The findings have ramifications for how future therapies should be created. The research was undertaken by Lund University in Sweden, and the results were reported in Science Advances. Neuroblastoma is a deadly cancer of the sympathetic nervous system, particularly the adrenal gland. Despite intensive chemotherapy treatment, the disease can be difficult to cure, and the prognosis for children with the aggressive type is bleak. One of the causes is that the tumour frequently develops medication resistance.

In order to understand what happens when the tumour becomes resistant, good disease models are needed that can mimic the complex drug treatment given to patients today:
“Tumours from patients with neuroblastoma look very different, and it is difficult to produce a model that is representative of many patients. This type of challenge often limits medical research”, explains the study’s first author, Adriana Manas, child cancer researcher at Lund University.

However, the researchers have now succeeded in building a model in mice using human neuroblastoma tumour cells, allowing them to track the pathways that occur when particular tumour cells gain treatment resistance. “What happens is that the tumour cells change to mimic embryonic cells from the fetal development phase. These embryonic tumour cells are more resistant to chemotherapy”, says research group leader Daniel Bexell, who led the study.

It has long been recognised that genetic alterations are required for neuroblastoma to originate and progress into an aggressive tumour. When it comes to resistance, however, it is not so much about genetic alterations as it is about cells swiftly adapting their behaviour. The researchers believe that the cells in their young form can adapt and survive in changing environments, which is why embryonic tumour cells are less susceptible to treatments.

“Current treatment with chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing tumour cells. Our research results can contribute to new treatments which better reach the entire tumour, in order to avoid the development of resistance. In future research, it will be important to understand how to specifically target the embryonic state of the neuroblastoma cell in order to cure patients”, concluded Daniel Bexell.

After consuming high dosages of Vitamin B6 for a month, trial participants reported feeling less worried or sad. The experiment shows that B6’s soothing impact on the brain may make it useful in preventing or treating mood disorders.
Researchers from the University of Reading studied the effects of high dosages of Vitamin B6 on young people and discovered that they felt less worried and sad after taking the supplements every day for a month. The study, published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, adds to the body of data supporting the use of supplements considered to alter brain activity levels in the prevention or treatment of mood disorders.

“The functioning of the brain relies on a delicate balance between excitatory neurons that move information around and inhibitory neurons that prevent runaway activity,” said Dr David Field, principal author from the University of Reading’s School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences. “Vitamin B6 helps the body create a specific chemical messenger that suppresses impulses in the brain, and our study ties this calming impact with lower anxiety among the individuals,” said the researchers.

While prior research has shown that multivitamins or marmite can lower stress levels, few studies have looked into specific vitamins are responsible for this impact. The current study focuses on the possible effect of Vitamin B6, which is known to promote the body’s synthesis of GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid), a molecule that slows nerve cell impulses in the brain.
In the current study, over 300 people were randomly allocated to either Vitamin B6 or B12 supplements considerably beyond the recommended daily consumption (about 50 times the RDA) or a placebo, and they took one a day with meals for a month.

During the experimental time, Vitamin B12 had minimal impact compared to placebo, while Vitamin B6 produced a statistically significant difference. Visual tests at the conclusion of the experiment indicated that those who had taken Vitamin B6 supplements had higher levels of GABA, confirming the idea that B6 was responsible for the reduction in anxiety. Changes in visual performance were identified that were subtle but innocuous, consistent with regulated levels of brain activation. Dr Field said: “Many foods, including tuna, chickpeas and many fruits and vegetables, contain Vitamin B6. However, the high doses used in this trial suggest that supplements would be necessary to have a positive effect on mood.

“It is crucial to note that this research is still in its early stages, and the effect of Vitamin B6 on anxiety in our trial was rather tiny when compared to what would be expected from medicine. However, because nutrition-based therapies have fewer negative side effects than medications, individuals may prefer them as an intervention in the future.” Further study is needed to uncover alternative nutrition-based therapies that promote mental wellness, allowing diverse dietary interventions to be integrated in the future to deliver higher outcomes.
“One possible approach would be to mix Vitamin B6 pills with talking therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to increase their effectiveness.”

Researchers discovered that by inhibiting the synthesis of an enzyme known as DHODH, they were able to arrest the growth of MYC gene-amplified medulloblastoma, the most aggressive form of this malignancy, in mouse models.
Researchers discovered that by inhibiting the synthesis of an enzyme known as DHODH, they were able to arrest the growth of MYC gene-amplified medulloblastoma, the most aggressive form of this malignancy, in mouse models. According to the study’s first author, William Gwynne, although inhibiting DHODH prevents cancer from spreading, healthy brain and nerve cells are not affected. This will prevent the side effects of conventional therapies, such as radiation and chemotherapy, which have been shown to harm children’s brain development even when their disease is properly treated.

“This prospective therapy method will allow us to destroy the weeds while saving the flower of the growing brain,” Gwynne, a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, explained. “This DHODH therapeutic target holds great potential, but it will be several years before we can begin clinical trials. Unlike present treatments, this prospective new one will not be damaging to the growing brain.” On November 10, the work was published in the journal Cancer Cell.

According to Gwynne, all varieties of medulloblastoma arise from neural stem cells in the cerebellum, the portion of the brain that regulates voluntary motions including walking, balance, coordination, and speaking. The cerebellum fully develops after a kid is born. According to him, cancer begins when cell formation in the cerebellum fails, but researching the causes of this malfunction can lead to novel therapies. Gait and balance problems, nausea, headaches, and swelling of the head are all common medulloblastoma symptoms. When children are diagnosed with cancer, it has frequently spread throughout the brain and spinal fluid, especially if it is the MYC-amplified subtype.

According to Gwynne, the most frequent paediatric brain cancer identified in children is medulloblastoma, and brain tumours have lately surpassed leukaemia as the most deadly juvenile malignancy. “Over the last two decades, we have made significant treatment advances in surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so the five-year survival rate for medulloblastoma is now more than 70 per cent,” said Gwynne. “However, around 30% of children with cancer who do not react to presently available therapies have no further options.”

Researchers studying the causes of lung cancer’s early stages have uncovered a novel therapeutic option that may also aid in early diagnosis. The study’s findings were published in the journal Cell Reports. TLR2 protein levels in tumours were shown to predict a patient’s survival after being diagnosed with lung cancer, according to a research. A TLR2 activating pharmacological molecule was tried in mice and shown to inhibit tumour development in the early stages of the disease.

With just a 6% five-year survival rate from late-stage lung cancer, compared to 50% when caught early, scientists believe the discovery might help detect the illness earlier and improve patient outcomes. When malignant mutations arise in cells, a study lead by researchers from the University of Edinburgh discovered that TLR2 helps govern some of the body’s defence systems. The protein is associated with senescence, a process in which cells cease growing and release a range of chemicals and other proteins that function as warning signs and cancer defences.

Senescent cells are found in early lung tumours but not in late-stage malignancies, indicating that senescence can slow cancer growth. After determining the significance of TLR2, the researchers analysed data from human tumour samples to establish that individuals with high levels of the protein in the early stages of lung cancer had a higher chance of surviving than those with lower levels.

The researchers next utilised a medication known to activate TLR2 in a lung cancer animal model. Researchers discovered that the medication inhibited the development of lung tumours. Experts anticipate that these findings will spur research into employing senescence and the accompanying released chemicals as part of a screening programme to enable an early diagnosis of lung cancer.

The team notes that more study is needed, such as clinical studies to establish whether the medicine is useful in humans. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, University College London, the University of Cantabria in Spain, the Spanish National Research Council, and the Mayo Clinic in the United States collaborated on the study.

According to Dr Fraser Millar, Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Edinburgh: “These findings are really exciting to me. We know very little about the biology of early lung cancer, and by learning more about it, we may be able to develop a new treatment for this deadly disease. This project emphasises the importance of basic science research and how it can lead to new treatments for patients.”

Probiotic bacteria function better to lower gut inflammation when they are equipped with the greatest equipment, similar to expert firefighters travelling into the wilderness to fight an out-of-control fire. The research was published in the journal Science Advances. A recent study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows how much potential some gut-friendly bacteria have for enhancing therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

The research is led by Quanyin Hu, a biomedical engineer and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy. Previously developed technology encases helpful bacteria in a very thin protective shell, allowing them to survive an onslaught of stomach acids and competing germs long enough to establish and flourish in the stomachs of mice.
While technology makes orally delivered probiotics more effective, IBD is a complicated illness that generally includes more than just out-of-whack gut microbial ecosystems.

“IBD is a difficult condition that requires multiple approaches,” adds Hu. As a result, Hu and his colleagues developed customised nanoparticles to neutralise chemicals linked to IBD. They’ve also discovered out how to connect these nanoparticle “backpacks” to helpful bacteria after they’ve been coated with a protective covering. When combined with probiotics, these nanoparticle backpacks have the potential to greatly enhance – and simplify – IBD therapies.

While the underlying reasons of IBD are complicated and under investigation, one issue is the overproduction of chemicals known as reactive oxygen species. These molecules are necessary for many human bodily processes, but too many of them in the stomach can cause harmful inflammation along the intestinal lining. Here come the nanoparticle backpacks. The small particles are made up of sulphide and hyaluronic acid. The acid has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, while the sulphide directly targets reactive oxygen species.

Hu’s recent study, which was conducted in mice, found that probiotic bacteria Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 wrapped in a protective shell and furnished with nanoparticle backpacks are substantially better at treating IBD symptoms than their counterparts who did not have the extra gear. The researchers measured the impact of the therapies in two ways: by evaluating weight changes and colon length changes in mice with IBD who received and did not receive the therapy.
Weight loss and colon shrinkage are typical in mice with IBD, just as they are in people. Hu and his colleagues discovered that mice that received the entire therapy lost the least amount of weight and had significantly less colon shortening than mice who received partial or no treatment.

Current treatment choices vary depending on the stage and severity of the disease, according to Hu and his colleagues, who are looking for a more comprehensive treatment that might be beneficial at any stage.
“For me, that’s the most intriguing element of this research,” Hu adds. “We didn’t want to focus on a certain stage of IBD. We aimed to pick the most crucial aspects that help cure or treat the disease at any stage.”
Furthermore, the therapy is delivered orally, which may make it a more appealing option to other more invasive kinds of IBD treatment, such as partial or total colon removal.

While the results are promising, the therapies will not be evaluated in people for some time. Hu’s next goal is to see if the nanoparticle backpacks function well with different probiotic bacteria species and if the therapy has any unwanted side effects. Simplifying the procedure of producing and connecting the nano-backpacks will also be critical for clinically viable therapies.

While previous research linked commercial dietary supplements such as nicotinamide riboside (NR), a type of vitamin B3, to benefits for cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological health, new research from the University of Missouri has discovered that NR may actually increase the risk of serious illness, including cancer development.
According to the findings of an international team of researchers led by Elena Goun, an associate professor of chemistry at MU, high levels of NR not only increase the risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer but also increase the likelihood that cancer will metastasize or spread to the brain. According to Goun, the study’s corresponding author, there are no viable therapy options after cancer has progressed to the brain.

“Some individuals take them [vitamins and supplements] because they naturally think that vitamins and supplements only have good health advantages,” Goun explained. “However, very little is known about how they truly operate.” “Because of this ignorance, we were inspired to investigate the fundamental concerns surrounding how vitamins and supplements act in the body.”
After her 59-year-old father died barely three months after being diagnosed with colon cancer, Goun was inspired to work toward a deeper scientific knowledge of cancer metabolism, or the energy via which cancer spreads in the body. “Some individuals take them [vitamins and supplements] because they naturally think that vitamins and supplements only have good health advantages,” Goun explained. “However, very little is known about how they truly operate.” “Because of this ignorance, we were inspired to investigate the fundamental concerns surrounding how vitamins and supplements act in the body.”

After her 59-year-old father died barely three months after being diagnosed with colon cancer, Goun was inspired to work toward a deeper scientific knowledge of cancer metabolism, or the energy via which cancer spreads in the body. “While NR is now widely utilised in individuals and is being examined in so many ongoing clinical trials for potential uses,” Goun explained, “much of how NR works is a black box — it’s not understood.” “As a result, we developed this innovative imaging technology based on ultrasensitive bioluminescent imaging, which permits non-invasive assessment of NR levels in real time. The presence of NR is indicated by light, and the brighter the light, the more NR there is.”

According to Goun, the study’s findings emphasise the need of properly researching the potential detrimental effects of supplements like NR before their usage in patients who may have a range of health conditions. In the future, Goun hopes to share knowledge that will lead to the development of specific inhibitors that will allow chemotherapy and other cancer therapies to work more effectively against the disease. Goun emphasised the need of seeing this method through the perspective of personalised medicine. “Not all cancers are the same in every person, particularly in terms of metabolic signatures,” Goun explained. “Cancers’ metabolisms can often change before or after chemotherapy.”

Dr. Randeep Guleria, former head of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), has retired voluntarily. Dr. Guleria was a crucial member of the central government’s reaction team at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak. He was also instrumental in raising awareness of COVID and the recommended therapy.

He worked at AIIIMS for about 30 years. After his term at AIIMS ended on September 23, the former Director filed for VRS.
Dr. Guleria was set to retire in April 2024. Dr. Guleria’s stint as director was intended to conclude in March, however it was extended twice. In March 2017, he was appointed director of AIIMS Delhi.