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Topic Review
Corneal Sensory Nerves
The cornea is an avascular connective tissue that is crucial, not only as the primary barrier of the eye but also as a proper transparent refractive structure. Corneal transparency is necessary for vision and is the result of several factors, including its highly organized structure, the physiology of its few cellular components, the absence of blood and lymphatic vessels in healthy conditions, the tightly controlled hydration state, and the lack of myelinated nerves, among others. The cornea is supplied by both sensory and autonomic nerves, being one of the most densely innervated tissues in the body. Corneal innervation is anatomically organized into four levels ranging from the nerve trunks in the corneal stroma to the nerve terminals in the epithelium. Electrophysiological recordings of corneal sensory nerve fibers have revealed the existence of three different functional types of sensory neurons that are classified into mechanonociceptors, polymodal nociceptors and cold thermoreceptors depending on the modality of stimuli by which they are activated. The impulse discharge is conducted by these neurons to the central nervous system, where sensory input is processed to finally evoke a sensation and to regulate ocular protective functions, such as tearing and blinking.
  • 2.1K
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Melanin regulation peptides
Certain analogs of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) and peptides with the sequences derived from the hormone were shown to promote or suppress melanin synthesis in cells and in vivo models. Various amino acids, peptides, their analogs, and their hybrid compounds with other chemical moieties were shown to inhibit tyrosinase (TYR) catalytic activity or downregulate TYR gene expression. Certain peptides were shown to inhibit melanosome biogenesis or induce autophagy, leading to decreased pigmentation. In vivo and clinical evidence are available for some compounds, including [Nle4-D-Phe7]-α-MSH, glutathione disulfide, and glycinamide hydrochloride.
  • 2.1K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Monotreme
Monotremes (/ˈmɒnətriːmz/) are prototherian mammals of the order Monotremata. They are one of the three groups of living mammals, along with placentals (Eutheria) and marsupials (Metatheria). Monotremes are typified by structural differences in their brains, jaws, digestive tract, reproductive tract, and other body parts, compared to the more common mammalian types. In addition, they lay eggs rather than bearing live young, but, like all mammals, the female monotremes nurse their young with milk. Monotremes have been considered members of Australosphenida, a clade that contains extinct mammals from the Jurassic and Cretaceous of Madagascar, South America, and Australia, though this is disputed. The only surviving examples of monotremes are all indigenous to Australia and New Guinea, although there is evidence that they were once more widespread, as Monotrematum is known from the Paleocene of South America. The extant monotreme species are the platypus and four species of echidnas. There is currently some debate regarding monotreme taxonomy. The name monotreme derives from the Greek words μονός (monós 'single') and τρῆμα (trêma 'hole'), referring to the cloaca.
  • 2.1K
  • 28 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Metabolism and Role of Creatine
Creatine is a key player in  energy metabolism of excitable cells. This is an essential outline of its role and procurement by the organism, adapted by the author (Balestrino M, University of Genoa, Italy) from his Open Access paper  Role of Creatine in the Heart: Health and Disease, that was published in Nutrients, 2021; 13(4):1215. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041215.
  • 2.1K
  • 27 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Neuroprotective Effects of Quercetin
Quercetin is a flavonoid compound present in a wide variety of vegetables and fruit, such as onion, asparagus, red leaf lettuce, cilantro, lovage, dill, capers, apples, and berries. Quercetin represents the highest percentage of total flavonoid intake and is the most important component of flavonol subclass, often the base of other flavonoids. Thus, quercetin has been demonstrated to exert neuroprotective effects in several neurodegenerative disorders as well as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-viral and anti-microbial properties, and cardioprotective and hepatoprotective activities.
  • 2.1K
  • 07 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Anthocyanins and Vibrant Color Pigments
Anthocyanins are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that occur ubiquitously in the plant kingdom, and they are widely distributed in fruits and vegetables as glycosides, having different sugars, such as glucose, rhamnose, xylose or arabinose, attached to an aglycon nucleus. Till now have been shown to have antioxidant properties in vitro and in vivo.  This work aim to provide an up-to-date overview regarding anthocyanins as functional molecules and their chemopreventive effects on melanoma in vitro and in vivo as well as a comprehensive description of major sources of anthocyanins. Until today, numerous studies evaluated the topic of anthocyanins and various types of cancer, regarding the anthocyanins’ preventative and inhibitory effects, underlying molecular mechanisms, and such. However, there is no targeted review available regarding the anticarcinogenic effects of dietary anthocyanins on skin cancers. If diagnosed at the early stages, the survival rate of skin cancer is quite high. Nevertheless, the metastatic form has a short prognosis. In fact, the incidence of melanoma skin cancer, the type with high mortality, has increased exponentially over the last 30 years, causing the majority of skin cancer deaths. Malignant melanoma is considered a highly destructive type of skin cancer due to its particular capacity to grow and spread faster than any other type of cancers. Plants, in general, have been used in disease treatment for a long time, and medicinal plants are commonly a part of anticancer drugs on the market.
  • 2.1K
  • 23 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Sodium Glucose Co-transporter 2 Inhibitors
Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are effective antihyperglycemic agents by inhibiting glucose reabsorption in the proximal tubule of the kidney. 
  • 2.1K
  • 09 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Bio-Preservation of Bread
Bread is a food that is commonly recognized as a very convenient type of food, but it is also easily prone to microbial attack. As a result of bread spoilage, a significant economic loss occurs to both consumers and producers. The bakery industry has sought to identify treatments that make bread safe and with an extended shelf-life to address this economic and safety concern, including replacing harmful chemical preservatives. New frontiers, on the other hand, have recently been explored. Alternative methods of bread preservation, such as microbial fermentation, utilization of plant and animal derivatives, nanofibers, and other innovative technologies, have yielded promising results. 
  • 2.1K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Phenolic Antioxidants and Human Health
Consumers increasingly prefer and seek food and beverages, which, due to their natural characteristics, bring health benefits, both in the prevention of diseases and in their curative power. In this way, the production of nutraceutical foods and beverages gains more and more importance in the market. On the other hand, and because the eyes also eat, producing attractive foods due to their color, texture, appearance, and sensory characteristics is a permanent challenge in the food industry. Being able to gather healthy and attractive items in a single food is an even greater challenge. The long list of benefits associated with phenolic compounds, such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiaging properties, among others, fully justifies their use in the enrichment of various food products. 
  • 2.1K
  • 14 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Cry Proteins in Biotechnology
A hallmark of Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria is the formation of one or more parasporal crystal (Cry) proteins during sporulation. The toxicity of these proteins is highly specific to insect larvae, exerting lethal effects in different insect species but not in humans or other mammals. In 1989, a nomenclature was proposed to classify proteins according to their sequence and specificity. In this initial nomenclature, there were only four classes. The first class included proteins with action against Lepidoptera with a size of approximately 130–140 kDa. The second class included smaller proteins (65 kDa) with activity against Lepidoptera and Diptera; this class included only two members: CryIIA and CryIIB. The third class constituted the active toxin against Coleoptera, CryIIIA. The last class was Cry1A, the members of which were closely related: they were called Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac.
  • 2.1K
  • 01 Feb 2022
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