Publications by authors named "Stefano Piazza"

colonises the gastric mucosa of at least 50% of the world's human population, causing a variety of gastric diseases, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. The ability of the bacterium to colonise and induce inflammation is achieved through a combination of different virulence factors. Besides the conventional pharmacological treatment of infection based on bacterial eradication, natural compounds could function as an adjuvant to existing therapies, potentially mitigating the consequences of infection by impairing bacterial adhesion and subsequent gastric inflammation.

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L. () has a long history of medicinal use. Its inflorescences contain bioactive compounds like non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD), which is well known for its anti-inflammatory potential in skin conditions such as psoriasis, and psychotropic Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

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: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a clinical condition characterized by neurological impairments, including brain inflammation, arising from the accumulation of toxic metabolites associated with liver dysfunction and leaky gut. This study investigated the pharmacological activity of a new phytocomplex extracted from red orange by-products (AL0042) using hydrodynamic cavitation and consisting of a mixture of pectin, polyphenols, and essential oils. : Preliminary in vitro studies evaluated the impact on the epithelial integrity (TEER) of enterocytes challenged by a pro-inflammatory cocktail.

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To enhance the breeding of new scab-resistant apple cultivars, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms governing major scab resistance genes is essential. Rvi12_Cd5 was previously identified as the best candidate gene for the Rvi12 scab resistance of the crab apple "Hansen's baccata #2" by gene prediction and in silico analysis. In the present study, Rvi12_Cd5 was used to transform the scab-susceptible apple cultivar "Gala Galaxy.

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Current treatments for osteoarthritis (OA) often fail to address the underlying pathophysiology and may have systemic side effects, particularly associated with long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Thus, researchers are currently directing their efforts toward innovative polymer-drug combinations, such as mixtures of hyaluronic acid viscoelastic hydrogels and NSAIDs like diclofenac, to ensure sustained release of the NSAID within the joint following intra-articular injection. However, the progress of novel injectable therapies for OA is hindered by the absence of preclinical models that accurately represent the pathology of the disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sulforaphane, derived from glucoraphanin found in broccoli sprouts, shows significant anti-inflammatory effects in a study with intestinal cells, while glucoraphanin itself appears inactive in this context.
  • In celiac disease, persistent inflammation and oxidative stress affect the small intestine, making it crucial to explore compounds that could alleviate these conditions.
  • The study indicates that sulforaphane modulates inflammatory responses and epithelial integrity during inflammatory conditions, suggesting glucoraphanin may also have more to offer than previously thought.
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Mill. () processing and pruning generate several by-products, including leaves, burs, and shells (inner and outer teguments), which are considered an important source of high-value phytochemicals. Ellagitannins from leaf extracts have been described to impair viability and inflammation in gastric cells.

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L. is a leguminous plant with seeds rich in nutritional compounds, such as polyphenols and L-dopa, a dopamine precursor and first-line treatment for Parkinson's symptoms. Recently, its by-products have been revalued as a sustainable source of bioactive compounds.

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  • Pigmented corn varieties are gaining attention for their health benefits, particularly their polyphenolic content, making them suitable for individuals with celiac disease who require gluten-free diets.
  • The study analyzed the phenolic composition of two Italian pigmented corn varieties using HPLC-DAD, noting the presence of phenolic acids and anthocyanins, with minimal changes post-digestion.
  • Results showed that extracts from these corns reduced inflammation markers in human intestinal cells and reversed oxidative stress effects, suggesting potential benefits for managing celiac disease inflammation through a gluten-free diet.
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Objectives: The sweet chestnut Castanea sativa Mill. is the only native Castanea species in Europe, and it is a tree of high economic value that provides appreciated fruits and valuable wood. In this study, we assembled a high-quality nuclear genome of the ancient Italian chestnut variety 'Marrone di Chiusa Pesio' using a combination of Oxford Nanopore Technologies long reads, whole-genome and Omni-C Illumina short reads.

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Khat leaves, indigenous to eastern Africa, have been chewed for centuries for their stimulant effects, attributed to alkaloids such as cathinone and cathine. Although associated with gastric disorders like gastritis and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the morpho-anatomy of khat leaves using light microscopy and histochemistry and to assess the effects of leaf extracts and alkaloids on human gastric epithelial cells (GES-1).

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Despite millennia of therapeutic plant use, deliberate exploitation of 's diverse biomedical potential has only recently gained attention. Bioactivity studies focus mainly on cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with limited information about the broader cannabinome's "minor phytocannabinoids". In this context, our research targeted the synthesis of minor cannabinoids containing a lateral chain with 3 or 4 carbon atoms, focusing on cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabichromene (CBC) analogues.

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Objectives: Neural stem/progenitor cells derived from olfactory neuroepithelium (hereafter olfactory neural stem/progenitor cells, ONSPCs) are emerging as a potential tool in the exploration of psychiatric disorders. The present study intended to assess whether ONSPCs could help discern individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) from non-schizophrenic (NS) subjects by exploring specific cellular and molecular features.

Methods: ONSPCs were collected from 19 in-patients diagnosed with SZ and 31 NS individuals and propagated in basal medium.

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Article Synopsis
  • Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition in young people, characterized by inflammation and the buildup of skin cells, and is influenced by bacterial colonization.
  • The study investigated the anti-acne effects of chestnut leaf extract and a specific compound, castalagin, both derived from ellagitannins, finding they effectively inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-8 and IL-6) in skin cells at low concentrations while also reducing bacterial biofilm formation.
  • This research is significant as it’s the first to highlight the potential of ellagitannins in acne treatment, hinting at future development of chestnut-based therapies subject to further testing in living organisms.
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(1) Background: Within the framework of the European Interreg Italy-Switzerland B-ICE & Heritage project (2018-2022), this study originated from a three-year ethnobotanical survey in Valmalenco (Sondrio, Italy). Following a preliminary work published by our group, this research further explored the folk therapeutic use of subsp. (Wulfen) I.

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spp. have been traditionally used for inflammatory and infectious disorders, including gastrointestinal ailments, in the Mediterranean area. Among them, × L.

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is a leading cause of chronic gastric inflammation, generally associated with gastritis and adenocarcinoma. Activation of the NF-κB pathway mainly contributes to the inflammatory phenotype observed in infection in humans and experimental models. Since the gastric epithelium undergoes rapid turnover, inflammation and pathogenicity of result from early phase and chronically activated pathways.

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An analytical method based on ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS/MS) was validated and applied for determining L-dopa in four ecotypes of Fagioli di Sarconi beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), marked with the European label PGI (Protected Geographical Indication). The selectivity of the proposed method was ensured by the specific fragmentation of the analyte.

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() is an etiologic factor of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Virulent strains of are correlated with the severity of gastritis, due to NF-κB activation and IL-8 expression at the epithelial level. Ellagitannins have been documented for antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, thus suggesting their potential use in gastritis.

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Dietary bioactive compounds from natural sources (e.g., herbal medicines, foods) are known to potentially suppress acute or chronic inflammation and promote the effectiveness of treatment to reduce the harmful effects of gastritis alone or in combination.

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Inflammation and oxidative stress are two mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of celiac disease (CD). Since the direct effect of gliadin on the intestinal epithelia is less studied, the aims of this study were the development of a specific cellular model based on the use of gliadin as a pro-inflammatory stimulus and the evaluation of the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of extracts from different black rice in the framework of CD. The rice extracts were in vitro digested, characterized in terms of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity, and tested on Caco-2 cells to investigate their inhibitory effect on Reactive Oxygen Species, the NF-κB transcription and the CXC chemokines (sICAM-1, IL-8, and CXCL-10).

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Phloridzin is the most abundant polyphenolic compound in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), which results from the action of a key phloretin-specific UDP-2'-O-glucosyltransferase (MdPGT1). Here, we simultaneously assessed the effects of targeting MdPGT1 by conventional transgenesis and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated genome editing.

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Plants rich in hydrolyzable tannins were traditionally used all over the world for a variety of chronic inflammatory disorders, including arthritis, colitis, and dermatitis. However, the knowledge of their immunological targets is still limited though fundamental for their rational use in phytotherapy. The recent advances regarding the pathogenesis of inflammatory-based diseases represent an opportunity to elucidate the pharmacological mechanism of plant-derived metabolites with immunomodulatory activity.

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L-Dopa (LD), a substance used medically in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, is found in several natural products, such as L., also known as broad beans. Due to its low chemical stability, LD analysis in plant matrices requires an appropriate optimization of the chosen analytical method to obtain reliable results.

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