Impact of extraction techniques on phytochemical composition and bioactivity of natural product mixtures.

Extraction methods critically influence the phytochemical profile and bioactivity of natural product mixtures, affecting their efficacy as therapeutic agents. This review assesses the impact of various extraction techniques-such as solvent-based extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and enzymatic extraction-on the composition of bioactive compounds in plant extracts. We discuss how extraction parameters modify the bioactivity profiles, influencing their application in pharmaceutics and nutrition.

Detrimental Effects of β2-Microglobulin on Muscle Metabolism: Evidence From In Vitro, Animal and Human Research.

Background: β2-Microglobulin (B2M) has garnered considerable interest as a potential pro-ageing factor, leading to speculation about its involvement in muscle metabolism and the development of sarcopenia, a key component of ageing phenotypes. To explore this hypothesis, we conducted a comprehensive investigation into the impact of B2M on cellular and animal muscle biology, as well as its clinical implications concerning sarcopenia parameters in older individuals.

Methods: In vitro myogenesis was induced in mouse C2C12 myoblasts with 2% horse serum.

The implicated role of GDF15 in gastrointestinal cancer.

Background: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a stress-responsive cytokine from transforming growth factor superfamily, is highly expressed in mammalian tissues, including pancreas, stomach and intestine under pathological conditions. In particular, elevated levels of GDF15 might play an important role in the development and progression of various gastrointestinal cancers (GCs), suggesting its potential as a promising target for disease prediction and treatment.

Methods: In this review, systematic reviews addressing the role of GDF15 in GCs were updated, along with the latest clinical trials focussing on the GDF15-associated digestive malignancies.

Environmental aluminum oxide inducing neurodegeneration in human neurovascular unit with immunity.

Aluminum oxide nanoparticle (AlNP), a ubiquitous neurotoxin highly enriched in air pollution, is often produced as an inevitable byproduct in the manufacturing of industrial products such as cosmetics and metal materials. Meanwhile, ALNP has emerged as a significant public health concern due to its potential association with neurological diseases. However, the studies about the neurotoxic effects of AlNP are limited, partially due to the lack of physiologically relevant human neurovascular unit with innate immunity (hNVUI).

Human mini-brains for reconstituting central nervous system disorders.

Neurological disorders in the central nervous system (CNS) are progressive and irreversible diseases leading to devastating impacts on patients' life as they cause cognitive impairment, dementia, and even loss of essential body functions. The development of effective medicines curing CNS disorders is, however, one of the most ambitious challenges due to the extremely complex functions and structures of the human brain. In this regard, there are unmet needs to develop simplified but physiopathologically-relevant brain models.