Advances in fucoxanthin chemistry and management of neurodegenerative diseases

Enhanced optical imaging and fluorescent labeling for visualizing drug molecules within living organisms

The visualization of drugs in living systems has become key techniques in modern therapeutics. Recent advancements in optical imaging technologies and molecular design strategies have revolutionized drug visualization. At the subcellular level, super-resolution microscopy has allowed exploration of the molecular landscape within individual cells and the cellular response to drugs. Moving beyond subcellular imaging, researchers have integrated multiple modes, like optical near-infrared II imaging, to study the complex spatiotemporal interactions between drugs and their surroundings. By combining these visualization approaches, researchers gain supplementary information on physiological parameters, metabolic activity, and tissue composition, leading to a comprehensive understanding of drug behavior. This review focuses on cutting-edge technologies in drug visualization, particularly fluorescence imaging, and the main types of fluorescent molecules used. Additionally, we discuss current challenges and prospects in targeted drug research, emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary cooperation in advancing drug visualization. With the integration of advanced imaging technology and molecular design, drug visualization has the potential to redefine our understanding of pharmacology, enabling the analysis of drug micro-dynamics in subcellular environments from new perspectives and deepening pharmacological research to the levels of the cell and organelles.

Molecular Mechanisms of Fucoxanthin in Alleviating Lipid Deposition in Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is witnessing a global surge; however, it still lacks effective pharmacological interventions. Fucoxanthin, a natural bioactive metabolite derived from marine brown algae, exhibits promising pharmacological functions, particularly in ameliorating metabolic disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic efficacy in addressing MAFLD remain elusive. Our present findings indicated that fucoxanthin significantly alleviated palmitic acid (PA)-induced hepatic lipid deposition in vitro and obesity-induced hepatic steatosis in ob/ob mice. Moreover, at both the protein and transcriptional levels, fucoxanthin effectively increased the expression of PPARα and CPT1 (involved in fatty acid oxidation) and suppressed FASN and SREBP1c (associated with lipogenesis) in both PA-induced HepG2 cells and hepatic tissues in ob/ob mice. This modulation was accompanied by the activation of AMPK. The capacity of fucoxanthin to improve hepatic lipid deposition was significantly attenuated when utilizing the AMPK inhibitor or siRNA-mediated AMPK silencing. Mechanistically, fucoxanthin activates AMPK, subsequently regulating the KEAP1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway to exert antioxidative effects and stimulating the PGC1α/NRF1 axis to enhance mitochondrial biogenesis. These collective actions contribute to fucoxanthin's amelioration of hepatic steatosis induced by metabolic perturbations. These findings offer valuable insights into the prospective utilization of fucoxanthin as a therapeutic strategy for managing MAFLD.

Orally Deliverable Sequence-Targeted Fucoxanthin-Loaded Biomimetic Extracellular Vesicles for Alleviation of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) possess favorable biocompatibility and immunological characteristics, making them optimal carriers for bioactive substances. In this study, an innovative hepatic-targeted vesicle system encapsulating with fucoxanthin (GA-LpEVs-FX) was successfully designed and used to alleviate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The formulation entails the self-assembly of EVs derived from Lactobacillus paracasei (LpEVs), modification with glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) via amide reaction offering the system liver-targeting capacity and loading fucoxanthin (FX) through sonication treatment. In vitro experiments demonstrated that GA-LpEVs-FX effectively mitigated hepatic lipid accumulation and attenuated reactive oxygen species-induced damage resulting lipid accumulation (p < 0.05). In vivo, GA-LpEVs-FX exhibited significant downregulation of lipogenesis-related proteins, namely, fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC1), and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1), subsequently ameliorating lipid metabolism disorders (p < 0.05), and the stability of GA-LpEVs-FX significantly improved compared to free FX. These findings establish a novel formulation for utilizing foodborne components for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease alleviation.

Alzheimer, Parkinson, dementia, and phytochemicals: insight review

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and dementia are the leading neurodegenerative diseases that threaten the world with the aging population. Although the pathophysiology of each disease is unique, the steps to be taken to prevent diseases are similar. One of the changes that a person can make alone is to gain the habit of an antioxidant-rich diet. Phytochemicals known for their antioxidant properties have been reported to prevent neurodegenerative diseases in various studies. Phytochemicals with similar chemical structures are grouped. Accordingly, there are two main groups of phytochemicals, flavonoid and non-flavonoid. Various in vitro and in vivo studies on phytochemicals have proven neuroprotective effects by increasing cognitive function with their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms. The purpose of this review is to summarize the in vitro and in vivo studies on phytochemicals with neuroprotective effects and to provide insight.

Honeybee as a food nutrition analysis model of neural development and gut microbiota

Research on the relationships between the gut microbiota and the neurophysiology and behavior of animals has grown exponentially in just a few years. Insect behavior may be controlled by molecular mechanisms that are partially homologous to those in mammals, and swarming insects may be suitable as experiment models in these types of investigations. All core gut bacteria in honeybees can be cultivated in vitro. Certain gut microflora of bees can be genetically engineered or sterilized and colonized. The bee gut bacteria model is established more rapidly and has a higher flux than other sterile animal models. It may help elucidate the pathogenesis of intestinal diseases and identify effective molecular therapeutic targets against them. In the present review, we focused on the contributions of the honeybee model in learning cognition and microbiome research. We explored the relationship between honeybee behavior and neurodevelopment and the factors determining the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota affects the host. In particular, we concentrated on the correlation between gut microbiota and brain development. Finally, we examined strategies for the effective use of simple animal models in animal cognition and microbiome research.

Oxidative stress, the blood-brain barrier and neurodegenerative diseases: The critical beneficial role of dietary antioxidants

In recent years, growing awareness of the role of oxidative stress in brain health has prompted antioxidants, especially dietary antioxidants, to receive growing attention as possible treatments strategies for patients with neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). The most widely studied dietary antioxidants include active substances such as vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids and polyphenols. Dietary antioxidants are found in usually consumed foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and oils and are gaining popularity due to recently growing awareness of their potential for preventive and protective agents against NDs, as well as their abundant natural sources, generally non-toxic nature, and ease of long-term consumption. This review article examines the role of oxidative stress in the development of NDs, explores the 'two-sidedness' of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) as a protective barrier to the nervous system and an impeding barrier to the use of antioxidants as drug medicinal products and/or dietary antioxidants supplements for prevention and therapy and reviews the BBB permeability of common dietary antioxidant suplements and their potential efficacy in the prevention and treatment of NDs. Finally, current challenges and future directions for the prevention and treatment of NDs using dietary antioxidants are discussed, and useful information on the prevention and treatment of NDs is provided.

Kinetic Extraction of Fucoxanthin from Undaria pinnatifida Using Ethanol as a Solvent

Fucoxanthin (Fx) has been proven to exert numerous biological properties, which makes it an interesting molecule with diverse industrial applications. In this study, the kinetic behavior of Fx was studied to optimize three variables: time (t-3 min to 7 days), temperature (T-5 to 85 °C), and concentration of ethanol in water (S-50 to 100%, v/v), in order to obtain the best Fx yield from Undaria pinnatifida using conventional heat extraction. The Fx content (Y1) was found through HPLC-DAD and expressed in µg Fx/g of algae sample dry weight (AS dw). Furthermore, extraction yield (Y2) was also found through dry weight analysis and was expressed in mg extract (E)/g AS dw. The purity of the extracts (Y3) was found and expressed in mg Fx/g E dw. The optimal conditions selected for Y1 were T = 45 °C, S = 70%, and t = 66 min, obtaining ~5.24 mg Fx/g AS; for Y2 were T = 65 °C, S = 60%, and t = ~10 min, obtaining ~450 mg E/g AS; and for Y3 were T = 45 °C, S = 70%, and t = 45 min, obtaining ~12.3 mg Fx/g E. In addition, for the selected optimums, a full screening of pigments was performed by HPLC-DAD, while phenolics and flavonoids were quantified by spectrophotometric techniques and several biological properties were evaluated (namely, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cholinesterase inhibitory activity). These results could be of interest for future applications in the food, cosmetic, or pharmaceutical industries, as they show the Fx kinetic behavior and could help reduce costs associated with energy and solvent consumption while maximizing the extraction yields.

Improving the Treatment Effect of Carotenoids on Alzheimer's Disease through Various Nano-Delivery Systems

Natural bioactive compounds have recently emerged as a current strategy for Alzheimer's disease treatment. Carotenoids, including astaxanthin, lycopene, lutein, fucoxanthin, crocin and others are natural pigments and antioxidants, and can be used to treat a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. However, carotenoids, as oil-soluble substances with additional unsaturated groups, suffer from low solubility, poor stability and poor bioavailability. Therefore, the preparation of various nano-drug delivery systems from carotenoids is a current measure to achieve efficient application of carotenoids. Different carotenoid delivery systems can improve the solubility, stability, permeability and bioavailability of carotenoids to a certain extent to achieve Alzheimer's disease efficacy. This review summarizes recent data on different carotenoid nano-drug delivery systems for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, including polymer, lipid, inorganic and hybrid nano-drug delivery systems. These drug delivery systems have been shown to have a beneficial therapeutic effect on Alzheimer's disease to a certain extent.

Cellular Compartmentalization, Glutathione Transport and Its Relevance in Some Pathologies

Reduced glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant non-protein endogenous thiol. It is a ubiquitous molecule produced in most organs, but its synthesis is predominantly in the liver, the tissue in charge of storing and distributing it. GSH is involved in the detoxification of free radicals, peroxides and xenobiotics (drugs, pollutants, carcinogens, etc.), protects biological membranes from lipid peroxidation, and is an important regulator of cell homeostasis, since it participates in signaling redox, regulation of the synthesis and degradation of proteins (S-glutathionylation), signal transduction, various apoptotic processes, gene expression, cell proliferation, DNA and RNA synthesis, etc. GSH transport is a vital step in cellular homeostasis supported by the liver through providing extrahepatic organs (such as the kidney, lung, intestine, and brain, among others) with the said antioxidant. The wide range of functions within the cell in which glutathione is involved shows that glutathione’s role in cellular homeostasis goes beyond being a simple antioxidant agent; therefore, the importance of this tripeptide needs to be reassessed from a broader metabolic perspective.

Phloroglucinol Inhibits Oxidative-Stress-Induced Cytotoxicity in C2C12 Murine Myoblasts through Nrf-2-Mediated Activation of HO-1

Phloroglucinol is a class of polyphenolic compounds containing aromatic phenyl rings and is known to have various pharmacological activities. Recently, we reported that this compound isolated from Ecklonia cava, a brown alga belonging to the family Laminariaceae, has potent antioxidant activity in human dermal keratinocytes. In this study, we evaluated whether phloroglucinol could protect against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative damage in murine-derived C2C12 myoblasts. Our results revealed that phloroglucinol suppressed H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage while blocking the production of reactive oxygen species. We also found that phloroglucinol protected cells from the induction of apoptosis associated with mitochondrial impairment caused by H2O2 treatment. Furthermore, phloroglucinol enhanced the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) as well as the expression and activity of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). However, such anti-apoptotic and cytoprotective effects of phloroglucinol were greatly abolished by the HO-1 inhibitor, suggesting that phloroglucinol could increase the Nrf2-mediated activity of HO-1 to protect C2C12 myoblasts from oxidative stress. Taken together, our results indicate that phloroglucinol has a strong antioxidant activity as an Nrf2 activator and may have therapeutic benefits for oxidative-stress-mediated muscle disease.