Laura Soriano-Romaní

Cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders represent a growing global health challenge, while effective preventive strategies remain limited. Citrus by-products, particularly grapefruit residues, constitute a rich and underexploited source of polyphenols, including flavonoids with reported antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. In this study, grapefruit-derived stabilized extract (GDSE) was evaluated using an in vitro neuronal model combined with dynamic simulated gastrointestinal digestion to assess the bioaccessibility and retained biological activity of key polyphenolic compounds. The soluble intestinal fraction of the digested formulation significantly reduced oxidative stress in dopaminergic-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells and was associated with changes in the expression of genes associated with neurotrophic support, dopaminergic signalling, and neuronal survival. In parallel, simulated digestion preserved a substantial proportion of major flavonoids, such as naringin and narirutin. Consequently, GDSE retained a moderate level of bioaccessible polyphenols and flavonoids, supporting the maintenance of its biological activity after digestion. Overall, these findings indicate that the formulation retains measurable bioactivity after simulated gastrointestinal digestion and modulates molecular markers associated with neuronal survival in vitro. While further in vivo and clinical studies are needed to fully establish its relevance for neuroprotection, the findings provide evidence that grapefruit-derived polyphenolic preparations could represent a potential source of bioactive compounds for further investigation as nutraceutical ingredients.

There is increasing interest in foods that support both physical and psychological health. Red and black fruits are notable for their high phenolic content and associated biological activities. However, their natural sugar content may raise concerns regarding glycemic impact. Recent breeding programs have developed new seedless table grape varieties with black skin and red pulp, aiming to enhance phenolic content and reduce glycemic response. This study evaluates these novel grape varieties using in vitro models of intestinal absorption and hepatic insulin resistance. Specifically, we assessed phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, glucose transport across intestinal cells, and the modulation of biomarkers related to insulin resistance. The results showed that the new grape varieties (hybrids) showed total phenolic contents of 52.4–187.3 mg GAE/100 g FW and antioxidant capacities ranging between 195.3 and 762.7 mg Trolox equivalents/100 g FW, both higher than those of commercial table grapes. These new varieties also showed a lower percentage of intestinal glucose transport than commercial grapes and pineapple in caco-2 cells, suggesting an improved regulation of glucose uptake. Theoretical transport values confirmed a reduced glycemic impact for most hybrids, while absorbed fractions of RF03, RF05, and RF06 also restored hepatic glycogen levels under insulin-resistant conditions, indicating enhanced glucose metabolism. Overall, our in vitro findings suggest that these new grape varieties may help modulate postprandial glucose levels, supporting their potential as a healthier fruit option.

Background: Creatine is one of the most widespread dietary supplements among athletes and weightlifters. It is most commonly administered as creatine monohydrate, which transforms into phosphocreatine once within the muscle, which leads to the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Clonapure® is a functional ingredient which consists of a combination of creatine monohydrate, phosphate salt and phosphocreatine. It is believed that Clonapure® has an impact on muscular ATP synthesis due to its phosphocreatine content. A comparative in vitro study was carried to evaluate the potential effect of Clonapure® on ATP synthesis versus creatine monohydrate. Methods: A C2C12 myoblast cell line finally differentiated into myotubes was used. Bioaviability of samples was measured at 24h through biocompatibility studies. Myotubes were also exposed to samples at different concentrations for 2h and intracellular ATP levels were evaluated througha ergular validated luminescence methos. Glucose was used as positive control. Results: The increase in intracellular ATP levels induced by Clonapure® was 10% higher than the caused by creatine monohydrate and glucose, which both showed similar effects in ATP synthesis. The combination of creatine-phosphate phosphate and creatine monohydrate contained in Clonapure® triggers the intracellular ATP production cascade more efficiently in muscle cells. Dose response analysis revealed that Clonapure® supplementation could boost conveniently physical activities related to endurance and performance.

Concerns about the growing human population and how to supply future nutritional needs have translated to a growing interest in searching for alternative proteins. However, one important aspect of protein intake to be considered is the quality of these proteins and the health benefits of these products. This a comparative study of a novel technological protein ingredient based on “hydrolyzed egg white” with different protein sources, such as pea protein, soy protein, and powder milk, evaluating the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores (PDCCAs) and their effects on muscular metabolism. PDCCAs are a method of determining the quality of a protein based on both the amino acid requirements of humans and their ability to digest it. An in vitro methodology has been used based on gastrointestinal digestion using a dynamic system to study the bioaccessibility of the amino acids and peptides and determine the PDCAAS, and a further study was carried out with the bioaccessible fraction in a cellular model of muscular cells (C2C12) to monitor the effect on the genes that code to myogenin, mTOR, and creatin kinase gene via rt-PCR. The results showed that the new hydrolyzed egg white-based ingredient is a high-quality protein source because the PDCAA score of all essential amino acids was higher than 1. This pattern of PDCCAs was similar to that of pea protein and slightly higher than that of concentrated soybean protein. In addition, the new ingredient in hydrolyzed egg white stimulated muscle metabolism by enhancing mTOR and myogenin gene expression in C2C12 cells. A new protein ingredient based on egg white has been developed with a proven protein quality and a healthy effect on muscle metabolism that improves protein synthesis. This new ingredient has potential in the formulation and development of new products for populations with special protein requirements, such as elderly or sportive populations, among others.

Immunonutrition or modulation of immune capacity through food and supplements has been gaining significant importance. Hydrolysed collagen has long been used as a functional ingredient, showing multiple physiological activities, including enhancement of immune functions. However, how collagen peptides may affect the immune system still needs further research. This study investigates bone collagen peptides (BCP) immunomodulatory activity on human monocytic THP-1 and human Jurkat T lymphocyte cell lines, using cytokine mRNA expressions as biomarkers. In vitro, gastrointestinal digestion and Caco-2 cell absorption allow obtaining digested and absorbed BCP fractions, respectively, which are tested on immune cells. Results show: (1) Immunostimulatory effect on M0 macrophages, but not on M1 macrophages (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated), (2) Significant T lymphocyte proliferation after incubation with absorbed BCP fraction. (3) Significant increase of anti-inflammatory IL-10 cytokine biomarker. These results suggest that BCP could act as an immunonutrient, modulating the immune response and inflammatory processes. Abbreviations: ATCC: American Type Culture Collection BCP: bone collagen peptide DMSO: dimethyl sulphoxide FBS: fetal bovine serum ECM: extracellular matrix GRAS: Generally recognized as safe; IFN: interferon IL: interleukin, LPS: lipopolysaccharide SEM: standard error of the mean TEER: transepithelial electrical resistance

To address the conflicting role of thrombospondin (TSP)-1 reported in acute and chronic pathologies, this study investigated the role of TSP-1 in regulating leukocyte recruitment and regulation of VCAM-1 expression using mouse models of uveitis. The spontaneously increased VCAM-1 expression and leukocyte adhesion in retinas of TSP-1-deficient mice suggested a TSP-1-mediated regulation of VCAM-1 expression. In a chronic uveitis model, induced by immunizing wild-type mice with specific interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) peptide, topically applied TSP-1-derived CD47-binding peptide significantly reduced the clinical disease course and retinal leukocyte adhesion as compared to the control peptide-treated group. In contrast, in LPS-mediated acute uveitis, TSP-1 deficiency significantly reduced the retinal leukocyte adhesion. The results of our in vitro study, using vascular endothelial cell (EC) cultures, demonstrate that unlike TNF-α, VCAM-1 expression induced by IL-17 is associated with a reduced expression of endogenous TSP-1. Such reduced endogenous TSP-1 expression in IL-17-stimulated ECs helps limit the CD36-mediated increased VCAM-1 expression, while favoring CD47-mediated inhibition of VCAM-1 expression and leukocyte adhesion. Thus, our study identifies TSP-1:CD47 interaction as a molecular pathway that modulates IL-17-mediated VCAM-1 expression, contributing to its anti-inflammatory effect in chronic inflammatory conditions.

Revista oficial de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición Parenteral y de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición. Está dedicada al estudio y divulgación de temas relacionados con la nutrición.

Proteomics is a crucial tool for unravelling the molecular dynamics of essential biological processes, becoming a pivotal technique for basic and applied research. Diverse bioinformatic tools are required to manage and explore the huge amount of information obtained from a single proteomics experiment. Thus, functional annotation and protein–protein interactions are evaluated in depth leading to the biological conclusions that best fit the proteomic response in the system under study. To gain insight into potential applications of the identified proteins, a novel approach named “Applied Proteomics” has been developed by comparing the obtained protein information with the existing patents database. The development of massive sequencing technology and mass spectrometry (MS/MS) improvements has allowed the application of proteomics nonmodel microorganisms, which have been deeply described as a novel source of metabolites. Between them, Nannochloropsis gaditana has been pointed out as an alternative source of biomolecules. Recently, our research group has reported the first complete proteome analysis of this microalga, which was analysed using the applied proteomics concept with the identification of 488 proteins with potential industrial applications. To validate our approach, we selected the UCA01 protein from the prohibitin family. The recombinant version of this protein showed antiproliferative activity against two tumor cell lines, Caco2 (colon adenocarcinoma) and HepG-2 (hepatocellular carcinoma), proving that proteome data have been transformed into relevant biotechnological information. From Nannochloropsis gaditana has been developed a new tool against cancer—the protein named UCA01. This protein has selective effects inhibiting the growth of tumor cells, but does not show any effect on control cells. This approach describes the first practical approach to transform proteome information in a potential industrial application, named “applied proteomics”. It is based on a novel bioalgorithm, which is able to identify proteins with potential industrial applications. From hundreds of proteins described in the proteome of N. gaditana, the bioalgorithm identified over 400 proteins with potential uses; one of them was selected as UCA01, “in vitro” and its potential was demonstrated against cancer. This approach has great potential, but the applications are potentially numerous and undefined.

Chronic inflammation of the ocular surface poses a risk of vision impairment. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms that are involved in the inflammatory response is critical to identify novel molecular targets. Recently, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) has emerged as a key player in ocular surface homeostasis that efficiently activates the TGF-β2 isoform that is predominantly expressed in the ocular mucosa. Here, the potential of the peptide derived from TSP-1 (KRFK), that can activate TGF-β, is proposed as a potentially applicable therapeutic for chronic ocular surface inflammatory disorders. Our in vitro results confirm that the chosen peptide activates TGF-β, reducing the expression of co-stimulatory molecules on dendritic cells, driving them towards a tolerogenic phenotype. For the in vivo studies, the TSP-1^−/− mouse is used as a pre-clinical model of chronic ocular inflammation. We observe that the topical application of KRFK alters the peripheral balance of effectors by reducing the proportion of pathogenic Th1 and Th17 cells while increasing Treg cell proportion in cervical lymph nodes. In line with these findings, the development of chronic ocular surface inflammation is significantly prevented in KRFK-treated TSP-1^−/− mice, as assessed by clinical parameters and inflammatory cytokine expression in conjunctival and lacrimal gland tissues. Together, our results identify the KRFK peptide as a novel therapeutic option to prevent the development of chronic inflammatory manifestations of the ocular surface.