Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered one of the main pathologies of our time, whose incidence and prevalence are suggested to be strongly underestimated. AD presents as a complex neurodegenerative condition characterized by marked neuroinflammation and a significant decline in the cognitive and mnemonic functions of affected patients. Recognized AD pathological hallmarks include amyloid beta plaque and neurofibrillary tangle formation, synaptic dysfunction with considerable apoptosis of cholinergic and dopaminergic neurons, and high levels of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, the etiology of which is still unclear. Its hallmarks are inflammation and axonal damage. As a disease primarily impacting younger individuals, the social cost of MS is high.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolyphenols have attracted attention in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as they show antibacterial action. Considering that polyphenols inhibit FF-ATP synthase (ATP synthase) and that bacteria need a constant energy production to maintain their homeostasis, we evaluated the effect of two flavones, cirsiliol (tri-hy-droxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavone) and quercetin (3,3,4,5,7-pentahydroxyflavone), on energy production and intracellular ATP content in a methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strain and a methicillin-resistant (MRSE) strain isolated from patients, comparing the results to those obtained by treating the bacteria with oligomycin, a specific ATP synthase F moiety inhibitor. Real-time quantitative ATP synthesis and total ATP content of permeabilized Gram-positive bacteria were assayed by luminometry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral studies have shown that mammalian retinal rod outer segments (OS) are peculiar structures devoid of mitochondria, characterized by ectopic expression of the molecular machinery for oxidative phosphorylation. Such ectopic aerobic metabolism would provide the chemical energy for the phototransduction taking place in the OS. Natural polyphenols include a large variety of molecules having pleiotropic effects, ranging from anti-inflammatory to antioxidant and others.
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