Research Advances in the Use of Bioactive Compounds from Vitis vinifera By-Products in Oral Care

Bioactive Components, Applications, Extractions, and Health Benefits of Winery By-Products from a Circular Bioeconomy Perspective: A Review

Significant waste streams produced during winemaking include winery by-products such as pomace, skins, leaves, stems, lees, and seeds. These waste by-products were frequently disposed of in the past, causing resource waste and environmental issues. However, interest has risen in valorizing vineyard by-products to tap into their latent potential and turn them into high-value products. Wine industry by-products serve as a potential economic interest, given that they are typically significant natural bioactive sources that may exhibit significant biological properties related to human wellness and health. This review emphasizes the significance of winery by-product valorization as a sustainable management resource and waste management method. The novelty of this review lies in its comprehensive analysis of the potential of winery by-products as a source of bioactive compounds, extraction techniques, health benefits, and applications in various sectors. Chemical components in winery by-products include bioactive substances, antioxidants, dietary fibers, organic acids, and proteins, all of which have important industrial and therapeutic applications. The bioactives from winery by-products act as antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer agents that have proven potential health-promoting effects. Wineries can switch from a linear waste management pattern to a more sustainable and practical method by adopting a circular bioeconomy strategy. Consequently, the recovery of bioactive compounds that function as antioxidants and health-promoting agents could promote various industries concomitant within the circular economy.

Green Alternatives as Antimicrobial Agents in Mitigating Periodontal Diseases: A Narrative Review

Periodontal diseases and dental caries are the most common infectious oral diseases impacting oral health globally. Oral cavity health is crucial for enhancing life quality since it serves as the entranceway to general health. The oral microbiome and oral infectious diseases are strongly correlated. Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria have been associated with periodontal diseases. Due to the shortcomings of several antimicrobial medications frequently applied in dentistry, the lack of resources in developing countries, the prevalence of oral inflammatory conditions, and the rise in bacterial antibiotic resistance, there is a need for reliable, efficient, and affordable alternative solutions for the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases. Several accessible chemical agents can alter the oral microbiota, although these substances also have unfavorable symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and tooth discoloration. Natural phytochemicals generated from plants that have historically been used as medicines are categorized as prospective alternatives due to the ongoing quest for substitute products. This review concentrated on phytochemicals or herbal extracts that impact periodontal diseases by decreasing the formation of dental biofilms and plaques, preventing the proliferation of oral pathogens, and inhibiting bacterial adhesion to surfaces. Investigations examining the effectiveness and safety of plant-based medicines have also been presented, including those conducted over the past decade.

Beneficial Effects of Red Wine Polyphenols on Human Health: Comprehensive Review

Polyphenols are secondary plant metabolites synthesized during the development of the grape berry as a response to stress conditions. They are important constituents in red wines that contribute to the sensory properties and antioxidant activity of wines. Due to the development of highly sophisticated analytical devices, it is now possible to characterize the structure of highly polymerized polyphenols and obtain a full polyphenol profile of red wines. Red wine polyphenols include the ones present in grapes as well as new polyphenol products formed during the winemaking process. Among them, the most important groups and their representatives are flavanols (catechin), stilbenes (trans-resveratrol), flavonols (quercetin) and hydroxybenzoic acids (gallic acid). It is known that polyphenols exhibit beneficial effects on human health, such as anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and cardio-protective effects. Many studies have been conducted on the health effects of red wine polyphenols in cancer chemopreventive activities, neuroprotective effects and impact on cardiovascular diseases, gut microbiota in humans, etc. This review will provide major scientific findings on the impact of red wine polyphenols on human health as well as a review of polyphenols present in red wines and their main features.

Phytochemical Properties and In Vitro Biological Activities of Phenolic Compounds from Flower of Clitoria ternatea L

Phenolic compounds from the flower of Clitoria ternatea L. (PCFCTL) were extracted using a high-speed shearing extraction technique and purified by AB-8 macroporous resins, and the phytochemical composition of the purified phenolic compounds from the flower of Clitoria ternatea L. (PPCFCTL) was then analyzed. Subsequently, its bioactivities including antioxidant properties, enzyme inhibitory activities, and antiproliferative activities against several tumor cell lines were evaluated. Results indicated that the contents of total phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols, flavanols, and phenolic acids in PPCFCTL were increased by 3.29, 4.11, 2.74, 2.43, and 2.96-fold, respectively, compared with those before being purified by AB-8 macroporous resins. The results showed PPCFCTL have significant antioxidant ability (measured by reducing power, RP, and ferric reducing antioxidant power method, FRAP) and good DPPH, ABTS⁺, and superoxide anion radical scavenging activities. They can also significantly inhibit lipase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase. In addition, morphological changes of HeLa, HepG2, and NCI-H460 tumor cells demonstrated the superior antitumor performance of PPCFCTL. However, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was relatively weak. These findings suggest that PPCFCTL have important potential as natural antioxidant, antilipidemic, anti-glycemic and antineoplastic agents in health-promoting foods.

Natural Compounds for Preventing Ear, Nose, and Throat-Related Oral Infections

Oral health is an essential element in maintaining general well-being. By preserving the complex equilibrium within the oral microbial community, commensal microorganisms can protect against extrinsic pathogenic threats. However, when an imbalance occurs, the organism is susceptible to a broad range of infections. Synthetic drugs can be administered to help the body fight against the fungal, bacterial, or viral burden. Nonetheless, they may produce undesirable consequences such as toxicity, adverse effects, and drug resistance. In this respect, research has focused on finding safer and more efficient alternatives. Particularly, increasing attention has been drawn towards developing novel formulations based on natural compounds. This paper reviews the plant-based, algae-based, and beehive products investigated for their antimicrobial properties, aiming to thoroughly present the state of the art on oral infection prevention in the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) field.

Grape Stem Extracts with Potential Anticancer and Antioxidant Properties

The application of plant extracts for therapeutic purposes has been used in traditional medicine because plants contain bioactive compounds with beneficial properties for health. Currently, the use of these compounds that are rich in polyphenols for the treatment and prevention of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, many of them related to oxidative stress, is gaining certain relevance. Polyphenols have been shown to have antimutagenic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to study the potential effect of grape stem extracts (GSE), rich in phenolic compounds, in the treatment of cancer, as well as their role in the prevention of this disease associated with its antioxidant power. For that purpose, three cancer lines (Caco-2, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231) were used, and the results showed that grape stem extracts were capable of showing an antiproliferative effect in these cells through apoptosis cell death associated with a modification of the mitochondrial potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Additionally, grape stem extracts showed an antioxidant effect on differentiated intestinal cells that could protect the intestine from diseases related to oxidative stress. Therefore, grape extracts contain bioactive principles with important biological properties and could be used as bio-functional food ingredients to prevent diseases or even to improve certain aspects of human health.