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Topic Review
ASIA Syndrome
Autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) was first introduced in 2011 by Shoenfeld et al. and encompasses a cluster of related immune mediated diseases, which develop among genetically prone individuals as a result of adjuvant agent exposure.
  • 1.2K
  • 20 Feb 2021
Topic Review
History of Biotechnology
Biotechnology is the application of scientific and engineering principles to the processing of materials by biological agents to provide goods and services. From its inception, biotechnology has maintained a close relationship with society. Although now most often associated with the development of drugs, historically biotechnology has been principally associated with food, addressing such issues as malnutrition and famine. The history of biotechnology begins with zymotechnology, which commenced with a focus on brewing techniques for beer. By World War I, however, zymotechnology would expand to tackle larger industrial issues, and the potential of industrial fermentation gave rise to biotechnology. However, both the single-cell protein and gasohol projects failed to progress due to varying issues including public resistance, a changing economic scene, and shifts in political power. Yet the formation of a new field, genetic engineering, would soon bring biotechnology to the forefront of science in society, and the intimate relationship between the scientific community, the public, and the government would ensue. These debates gained exposure in 1975 at the Asilomar Conference, where Joshua Lederberg was the most outspoken supporter for this emerging field in biotechnology. By as early as 1978, with the development of synthetic human insulin, Lederberg's claims would prove valid, and the biotechnology industry grew rapidly. Each new scientific advance became a media event designed to capture public support, and by the 1980s, biotechnology grew into a promising real industry. In 1988, only five proteins from genetically engineered cells had been approved as drugs by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but this number would skyrocket to over 125 by the end of the 1990s. The field of genetic engineering remains a heated topic of discussion in today's society with the advent of gene therapy, stem cell research, cloning, and genetically modified food. While it seems only natural nowadays to link pharmaceutical drugs as solutions to health and societal problems, this relationship of biotechnology serving social needs began centuries ago.
  • 1.2K
  • 21 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Papaya Flavour Profiling
A major challenge to the papaya industry is inconsistency in fruit quality and, in particular, flavour, which is a complex trait that comprises taste perception in the mouth (sweetness, acidity, or bitterness) and aroma produced by several volatile compounds. Current commercial varieties vary greatly in their taste, likely due to historical prioritised selection for fruit appearance as well as large environmental effects. Therefore, it is important to better understand the genetic and biochemical mechanisms and biosynthesis pathways underpinning preferable flavour in order to select and breed for better tasting new commercial papaya varieties. As an initial step, objectively measurable standards of the compound profiles that provide papaya’s taste and aroma, together with ‘mouth feel’, are required. This review presents an overview of the approaches to characterise the flavour profiles of papaya through sugar component determination, volatile compound detection, sensory panel testing, as well as genomics-based studies to identify the papaya flavour. 
  • 1.2K
  • 27 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Millet-Based Diet Improves the Growth of Children
Millets (defined broadly to include sorghum) are traditional staple foods, and climate smart nutritious crops, which are grown across Africa and Asia, they have not been mainstreamed globally like rice, wheat, and maize. Diversifying staples with millets can potentially provide more macro and micro nutrients, compared to the mainstream staples that are also often refined. However, there had been little known scientific evidence to prove millets’ efficacy on growth. 
  • 1.2K
  • 09 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Bell's Mania
Bell's mania, also known as delirious mania, refers to an acute neurobehavioral syndrome. This is usually characterized by an expeditious onset of delirium, mania, psychosis, followed by grandiosity, emotional lability, altered consciousness, hyperthermia, and in extreme cases, death. It is sometimes misdiagnosed as excited delirium (EXD) or catatonia due to the presence of overlapping symptoms. Pathophysiology studies reveal elevated dopamine levels in the neural circuit as the underlying mechanism. Psychostimulant users as well as individuals experiencing severe manic episodes are more prone to the manifestation of this condition. Management solutions such as sedation and ketamine injections have been discussed for medical professionals and individuals with the condition. Bell's mania cases are commonly reported in countries like the United States and Canada and are commonly associated with psychostimulant use and abuse.
  • 1.2K
  • 08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Functional Foods and Aging
A new epoch is emerging with intense research on nutraceuticals, i.e., "food or food product that provides medical or health benefits including the prevention and treatment of diseases", such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nutraceuticals contain bioactive principles which act at different biochemical and metabolic levels and there's a growing body of evidence which shows their potent neuroprotective effects, offering thus alternative avenues for a modern innovative medicine in human beings; in particular, these natural compounds are able to provide defence against mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, toxicity of β-amyloid peptide and tau protein and cell death. More recently, preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that a wide range of these substances can also differentially influence the composition of the intestinal microbiota in correlation with the cerebral formation and aggregation of toxic protein aggregates. Further, the routes of interaction between epigenetic mechanisms and the gut–brain axis have been also elucidated, establishing a modulatory role of diet-induced changes on commensal microbial community in shaping the brain function and integrity. 
  • 1.2K
  • 09 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Symmetric and Asymmetric Synapses Driving Neurodegenerative Disorders
In 1959, E. G. Gray described two different types of synapses in the brain for the first time: symmetric and asymmetric. Later on, symmetric synapses were associated with inhibitory terminals, and asymmetric synapses to excitatory signaling. The balance between these two systems is critical to maintain a correct brain function. Likewise, the modulation of both types of synapses is also important to maintain a healthy equilibrium. Cerebral circuitry responds differently depending on the type of damage and the timeline of the injury. For example, promoting symmetric signaling following ischemic damage is beneficial only during the acute phase; afterwards, it further increases the initial damage. Synapses can be also altered by players not directly related to them; the chronic and long-term neurodegeneration mediated by tau proteins primarily targets asymmetric synapses by decreasing neuronal plasticity and functionality. Dopamine represents the main modulating system within the central nervous system. Indeed, the death of midbrain dopaminergic neurons impairs locomotion, underlying the devastating Parkinson’s disease.
  • 1.2K
  • 10 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Iron Homeostasis in Plants
Plants are able to synthesize all essential metabolites from minerals, water, and light to complete their life cycle. This plasticity comes at a high energy cost, therefore plants need to tightly allocate resources in order to control their economy. Being sessile, plants can only adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions, relying on quality control mechanisms. Remodeling of cellular components plays a crucial role, not only in response to stress, but also in normal plant development. Dynamic protein turnover is ensured through regulated protein synthesis and degradation processes. To effectively target a wide range of proteins for degradation, plants utilize ubiquitination as an essential signal of substrate recognition for the 26S proteasome. Recent progress has been made in understanding the cellular homeostasis of iron. In this review, we highlight the latest publications elucidating the role of Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS) in control of iron metabolism during plant development, as well as environmental stresses.
  • 1.2K
  • 06 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Encapsulate Carotenoids with Cyclodextrin
Carotenoids' inclusion in food matrices presents multiple challenges related to their low stability and low water solubility. The inclusion of carotenoids in complexes with cyclodextrins constitutes a promising technology for the stabilization of these pigments, with possible advantages in terms of their stability in food matrices.
  • 1.2K
  • 10 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Cyanobacteria and Microalgae Antibacterial Peptides
Cyanobacteria and microalgae are oxygen-producing photosynthetic unicellular organisms encompassing a great diversity of species, which are able to grow under all types of extreme environments and exposed to a wide variety of predators and microbial pathogens. The antibacterial compounds described for these organisms include organic compounds such as  alkaloids, fatty acids, indoles, macrolides, phenols, pigments and terpenes, among others, but the peptides have an special pharmacological appeal, due to their broad chemical space, achieved by their dual biosynthetic alternatives in cyanobacteria, the ribosomal synthesis, or a polypeptide assembly through the non-ribosomal peptide synthases. This diversity ensures a broad range of biological properties with a large pharmacological potential.   
  • 1.2K
  • 14 Jan 2021
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