The Role of Nutrition and Forest-Bathing in the Physical Rehabilitation of Physically Inactive Patients: From the Molecular Aspects to New Nature-Inspired Techniques

Movement Asymmetries: From Their Molecular Origin to the Analysis of Movement Asymmetries in Athletes

Asymmetry plays a major role in biology at all scales. This can be seen in the helix of DNA, the fact that the human heart is on the left side, or that most people use their right hand. A single protein such as Myosin 1D can induce helical motion in another molecule. This causes cells, organs, and even entire bodies to twist in a domino effect, causing left-right behaviour. More generally, athlete movements are often asymmetric and, during the physical rehabilitation after injury, the asymmetry is visually discernible. Herein, we review the molecular basis of the movement asymmetries and report on the available knowledge on the few therapeutics investigated so far such as meloxicam. From a more rehabilitative perspective, it is very important to use effective methods to control the process of resolving the injury-related movement asymmetry through the complex use of specialised exercises, measurements, and gait analysis, which can all provide useful information on the effectiveness of the rehabilitation plans. If for each athlete, the normal range of asymmetry is known, the asymmetry can be individually treated and the evolution can be monitored over time. Appropriate measures should be taken if the movement asymmetry is outside this range. In addition, genetic, physiological, and psychological factors relevant to athlete health should be considered in the process of assessing and improving exercise asymmetry, which we also discuss in this review. The main proposal of this work is that the movement asymmetries in athletes should be individually treated, while taking into account the athlete's genetics, physical condition, and previous injuries.

Interaction of Laurusides 1 and 2 with the 3C-like Protease (Mpro) from Wild-Type and Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2: A Molecular Dynamics Study

Laurus nobilis (bay laurel) is a natural source of biological compounds, and some of its extracts and phytocompounds are also endowed with antiviral activity toward the family of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated β-coronaviruses. Some glycosidic laurel compounds such as laurusides were proposed as inhibitors of important protein targets of SARS-CoV-2, which clearly recalls their potential as anti-COVID-19 drugs. Due to the frequent genomic variations of the β-coronaviruses and the consequent importance of evaluating a new drug candidate with respect to the variants of the target β-coronavirus, we decided to investigate at an atomistic level the molecular interactions of the potential laurel-derived drugs laurusides 1 and 2 (L01 and L02, respectively) toward a well-conserved and crucial target, the 3C-like protease (Mpro), using the enzymes of both the wild-type of SARS-CoV-2 and of the more recent Omicron variant. Thus, we performed molecular dynamic (MD) simulations of laurusides—SARS-CoV-2 protease complexes to deepen the knowledge on the stability of the interaction and compare the effects of the targeting among the two genomic variants. We found that the Omicron mutation does not significantly impact the lauruside binding and that L02 connects more stably with respect to L01 in the complexes from both variants, even though both compounds prevalently interact within the same binding pocket. Although purely in silico, the current study highlights the potential role of bay laurel phytocompounds in the antiviral and specifically anti-coronavirus research and shows their potential binding toward Mpro, corroborating the important commitment of bay laurel as functional food and disclosing novel scenarios of lauruside-based antiviral therapies.

Exploring the Protective Effect of Food Drugs against Viral Diseases: Interaction of Functional Food Ingredients and SARS-CoV-2, Influenza Virus, and HSV

A complex network of processes inside the human immune system provides resistance against a wide range of pathologies. These defenses form an innate and adaptive immunity, in which certain immune components work together to counteract infections. In addition to inherited variables, the susceptibility to diseases may be influenced by factors such as lifestyle choices and aging, as well as environmental determinants. It has been shown that certain dietary chemical components regulate signal transduction and cell morphologies which, in turn, have consequences on pathophysiology. The consumption of some functional foods may increase immune cell activity, defending us against a number of diseases, including those caused by viruses. Here, we investigate a range of functional foods, often marketed as immune system boosters, in an attempt to find indications of their potential protective role against diseases caused by viruses, such as the influenza viruses (A and B), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in some cases mediated by gut microbiota. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms that govern the protective effects of some functional foods and their molecular constituents. The main message of this review is that discovering foods that are able to strengthen the immune system can be a winning weapon against viral diseases. In addition, understanding how the dietary components function can aid in the development of novel strategies for maintaining human bodily health and keeping our immune systems strong.