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Topic Review
Phytoestrogen
Phytoestrogens are compounds derived from plants that have a similar structure to human sex hormones. 
  • 1.8K
  • 26 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Zeaxanthin and Lutein in Humans
Many factors in the environment (including radiation, pathogens, and various stresses) prompt internal formation of oxidants that orchestrate beneficial adjustments in human metabolism and but can also lead to damage and disease. To prevent adverse effects of these oxidants, humans require antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, many of which are vitamins and other essential micronutrients that must be consumed with the diet. The xanthophylls zeaxanthin and lutein are unique human micronutrients that protect the integrity and function of biological membranes – especially in the human eye and brain.
  • 1.8K
  • 16 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Bone ECM Signaling
Bone mineral density, a bone matrix parameter frequently used to predict fracture risk, is not the only one to affect bone fragility. Other factors, including the extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and microarchitecture, are of paramount relevance in this process. The bone ECM is a noncellular three-dimensional structure secreted by cells into the extracellular space, which comprises inorganic and organic compounds. The main inorganic components of the ECM are calcium-deficient apatite and trace elements, while the organic ECM consists of collagen type I and noncollagenous proteins. Bone ECM dynamically interacts with osteoblasts and osteoclasts to regulate the formation of new bone during regeneration. Thus, the composition and structure of inorganic and organic bone matrix may directly affect bone quality. Moreover, proteins that compose ECM, beyond their structural role have other crucial biological functions, thanks to their ability to bind multiple interacting partners like other ECM proteins, growth factors, signal receptors and adhesion molecules. Thus, ECM proteins provide a complex network of biochemical and physiological signals.
  • 1.8K
  • 17 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Marine-Derived Phenolic Compounds
Phenolic metabolites are organic compounds with at least one or more hydroxyl groups attached to arylic systems with simple variations to highly polymerized molecules.
  • 1.7K
  • 10 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Bioluminescent System in Dinoflagellates
The mechanisms underlying the bioluminescent phenomenon have been well characterized in dinoflagellates; however, there are still some aspects that remain an enigma. Such is the case of the presence and diversity of the luciferin-binding protein (LBP), as well as the synthesis process of luciferin. We carry out a review of the literature in relation to the molecular players responsible for bioluminescence in dinoflagellates, with particular interest in P. lunula.
  • 1.7K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Pichia kluyveri in Wine Technology
The surfaces of grapes are covered by different yeast species that are important in the first stages of the fermentation process. In recent years, non-Saccharomyces yeasts such as Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, and Pichia kluyveri have become popular with regard to winemaking and improved wine quality. For that reason, several manufacturers started to offer commercially available strains of these non-Saccharomyces species. P. kluyveri stands out, mainly due to its contribution to wine aroma, glycerol, ethanol yield, and killer factor. 
  • 1.7K
  • 18 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Grape Phenolics
Grapes are rich in primary and secondary metabolites. Among the secondary metabolites, polyphenolic compounds are the most abundant in grape berries. Besides their important impacts on grape and wine quality, this class of compounds has beneficial effects on human health. Due to their antioxidant activity, polyphenols and phenolic acids can act as anti-inflammatory and anticancerogenic agents, and can modulate the immune system. In grape berries, polyphenols and phenolic acids can be located in the pericarp and seeds, but distribution differs considerably among these tissues. Although some classes of polyphenols and phenolic acids are under strict genetic control, the final content is highly influenced by environmental factors, such as climate, soil, vineyard, and management. 
  • 1.7K
  • 13 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Lonone
The term ionone is derived from “iona” (Greek for violet) which refers to the violet scent and “ketone” due to its structure. Ionones can either be chemically synthesized or endogenously produced via asymmetric cleavage of β-carotene by β-carotene oxygenase 2 (BCO2). 
  • 1.7K
  • 05 Jan 2021
Topic Review
DNA Glycosylases
DNA glycosylases are a set of enzymes responsible for initiating the base excision repair pathway thereby contributing to the maintenance of the genome. They are responsible for the eradication of the vast number of small, non-helical-distorting base lesions from the genome, resulting from oxidative, alkylating, and deamination events, induced by environmental factors such as ionizing radiation, endogenous factors such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), or anticancer agents such chemotherapeutic drugs or radiotherapy. Because of their key role in DNA repair, they are now considered as potential anti-cancer drug targets and efforts are being made worldwide to identify potent inhibitors of these enzymes that could be used to potentiate classical chemo- or radio-therapy.
  • 1.7K
  • 12 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Bisindole Alkaloids from Alstonia Species
Bisindoles are structurally complex dimers and are intriguing targets for partial and total synthesis. They exhibit stronger biological activity than their corresponding monomeric units. Bisindole alkaloids are naturally occurring alkaloids containing two indole nuclei and are the products of late-stage biosynthetic processes in higher plants by combining two monomeric units. Depending on the monomeric units involved, bisindoles can be a homo- or heterodimer. As a result, bisindole alkaloids comprise much higher structural complexity than both of the monomeric units that comprise them. Alstonia, a major genus in the Apocynaceae family of plants, has more than 150 species and is found all over the world. Robert Brown named it in 1811 in honor of Charles Alston (1685–1760), an eminent botanist at the University of Edinburgh. The Alstonia genus’ trees and shrubs are prevalent in the tropical and subtropical parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. They contribute significant pharmacological activity, including anticancer, antileishmanial, antimalarial, antitussive, antiviral, antiarthritic, and antibacterial activities. 
  • 1.7K
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Health Benefits of Phenolic Compounds from Pigmented Corn
Pigmented corn is a gramineae food of great biological, cultural and nutritional importance for many Latin American countries, with more than 250 breeds on the American continent. It confers a large number of health benefits due to its diverse and abundant bioactive compounds. Phenolic compounds, among which are anthocyanins are some of the most studied and representative compounds in these grasses, with a wide range of health properties, mainly the reduction of pro-oxidant molecules.
  • 1.7K
  • 13 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Y RNA
Y RNA are a class of small non-coding RNA that are largely conserved. Although their discovery was almost 40 years ago, their function is still under investigation. This is evident in cancer biology, where their role was first studied just a dozen years ago. Since then, only a few contributions were published, mostly scattered across different tumor types and, in some cases, also suffering from methodological limitations. Nonetheless, these sparse data may be used to make some estimations and suggest routes to better understand the role of Y RNA in cancer formation and characterization.
  • 1.7K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Sex-Reversed Females of Salmonid Fish
Sex-reversed females (SRFs; masculinised females, neomales) are genetically females; however, owing to masculinisation, they are capable of producing spermatozoa.
  • 1.7K
  • 12 May 2021
Topic Review
Type I Collagen
Type I collagen, the predominant protein of vertebrates, assembles into fibrils that orchestrate the form and function of bone, tendon, skin, and other tissues. Collagen plays roles in hemostasis, wound healing, angiogenesis, and biomineralization, and its dysfunction contributes to fibrosis, atherosclerosis, cancer metastasis, and brittle bone disease.
  • 1.7K
  • 26 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Salicylic Acid Biosynthesis and Metabolism
Salicylic acid (SA) is an active secondary metabolite that occurs in bacteria, fungi, and plants. SA and its derivatives (collectively called salicylates) are synthesized from chorismate (derived from shikimate pathway). SA is considered an important phytohormone that regulates various aspects of plant growth, environmental stress, and defense responses against pathogens. Besides plants, a large number of bacterial species, such as Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Azospirillum, Salmonella, Achromobacter, Vibrio, Yersinia, and Mycobacteria, have been reported to synthesize salicylates through the NRPS/PKS biosynthetic gene clusters. This bacterial salicylate production is often linked to the biosynthesis of small ferric-ion-chelating molecules, salicyl-derived siderophores (known as catecholate) under iron-limited conditions. Although bacteria possess entirely different biosynthetic pathways from plants, they share one common biosynthetic enzyme, isochorismate synthase, which converts chorismate to isochorismate, a common precursor for synthesizing SA. Additionally, SA in plants and bacteria can undergo several modifications to carry out their specific functions.
  • 1.7K
  • 25 May 2021
Topic Review
Role of MPO in Human Diseases and Inflammation
Myeloperoxidase (MPO), also called hydrogen peroxide oxidoreductase with a particular (EC 1.11.1.7), is an enzyme found in the primary granules of granulocytic cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, and, to a lesser extent, monocytes). Lymphocytes lack MPO enzyme activity. However, the most common sources are neutrophils, where the enzyme is located at the lysosomal level in the azurophil granules.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Sep 2022
Topic Review
m6A Demethylases Inhibitors
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a post-transcriptional RNA modification and one of the most abundant types of RNA chemical modifications. m6A functions as a molecular switch and is involved in a range of biomedical aspects, including cardiovascular diseases, the central nervous system, and cancers.
  • 1.7K
  • 06 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Glucosinolate Biosynthesis
Glucosinolates are amino acid-derived plant-specialized metabolites that are largely found within the members of the family Brassicaceae, which includes vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and mustard, as well as the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress). The aliphatic glucosinolates are derived from methionine, alanine, leucine, isoleucine, or valine; aromatic glucosinolates are built from phenylalanine or tyrosine; and the indole glucosinolates originate with tryptophan. Each of class of glucosinolate shares a core chemical structure consisting of a β-D-glucosyl residue linked to a (Z)-N-hydroximinosulfate ester through a sulfur and a variable amino acid-derived R group. To date, more than 130 glucosinolate molecules, of which Arabidopsis contains 40 mainly derived from methionine and tryptophan, have been described.
  • 1.7K
  • 11 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier Structure–Function Relationship
The molecular identity of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) was presented in 2012, forty years after the active transport of cytosolic pyruvate into the mitochondrial matrix was first demonstrated. An impressive amount of in vivo and in vitro studies has since revealed an unexpected interplay between one, two, or even three protein subunits defining different functional MPC assemblies in a metabolic-specific context. These have clear implications in cell homeostasis and disease, and on the development of future therapies. Despite intensive efforts by different research groups using state-of-the-art computational tools and experimental techniques, MPCs’ structure-based mechanism remains elusive.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Functional Mechanisms of Coding and Non-Coding Region SNPs
Cancer ranks as the second leading cause of death worldwide, and, being a genetic disease, it is highly heritable. Over the past few decades, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many risk-associated loci harboring hundreds of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Some of these cancer-associated SNPs have been revealed as causal, and the functional characterization of the mechanisms underlying the cancer risk association has been illuminated in some instances.
  • 1.7K
  • 12 Dec 2022
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