Tivadar Kiss

Background: Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) and vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) are key nociceptive ion channels involved in chemosensation, pain signaling, and neurogenic inflammation. Several sesquiterpene lactones target TRPA1, but the activity profile of these secondary metabolites of the common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) remains uncharacterized. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the activity of five ragweed sesquiterpene lactones on TRPA1 and TRPV1, respectively. Methods: We investigated the effects of five ragweed-derived sesquiterpene lactones—acetoxydihydrodamsin, costunolide, isoalantolactone, peruvin, and psilostachyin—on TRPA1 and TRPV1 using ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake in receptor-overexpressing CHO cells and covalent docking to human TRPA1. Results: Costunolide, isoalantolactone and acetoxydihydrodamsin induced TRPA1 activation (counts per minute of ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake at 40 µM concentration: 5070 ± 346.5, 10,197 ± 1237, 3704 ± 1634, respectively) but not TRPV1 activation, as demonstrated by Ca²⁺ influx. Acetoxydihydrodamsin induced concentration-dependent TRPA1 activation that was significantly inhibited by 10 µM of the selective antagonist HC-030031. Docking studies demonstrated covalent interactions of costunolide, isoalantolactone, and acetoxydihydrodamsin (−47.3, −51.5, and −45.0 kcal/mol FITTED score) with the electrophile-sensitive binding region of TRPA1. Conclusions: Ragweed sesquiterpene lactones act as TRPA1 agonists without detectable TRPV1 activation. This study provides the first data identifying acetoxydihydrodamsin as a TRPA1 agonist, expanding the pharmacological map of ragweed sesquiterpene lactones. These results suggest that these metabolites may contribute to both the irritant properties and the pharmacological potentials of A. artemisiifolia.

Background/Objectives: Several recent human studies have associated the use of certain medicines, such as antibiotics and antacids, with allergic conditions, potentially through microbiome disruption. In contrast, probiotics which may prevent dysbiosis, could have protective effects. Our meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of these drugs (consumed during pregnancy or early life) on the risk of childhood food allergy, based on the available literature. Methods: Literature searches were conducted in the EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases using predefined PICO criteria. Overall, our meta-analysis included 25 studies involving 1,662,861 mothers and 5,164,280 children. Results: Using the random-effects model, we found that prenatal and early life antibiotic use (up to 2 years of age) was associated with higher odds of food allergy in childhood (OR: 1.34; 95% CI [1.10, 1.63], OR: 1.53; 95% CI [1.18, 1.98], respectively). Proton pump inhibitors were also associated with a risk of food allergies (OR: 2.65; 95% CI [1.22–5.77]), whereas the impact of H2-receptor antagonists was non-significant (OR: 2.07; 95% CI [0.96–4.45]). Probiotic use during the first two years of life was not associated with decreased risk for food allergy in children (OR: 1.25; 95% CI [0.46, 3.38]). Conclusions: These findings suggest an association between microbiome-disrupting medications during pregnancy and early childhood and an increased risk of childhood food allergy, especially those with a family history of food allergy. However, due to the predominantly observational design of the included studies, causality cannot be established. These results highlight the need for cautious and judicious use of such medications in these populations.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid that is an active compound of several medicines with a well-established safety profile. Cannabidiol-containing food supplements and edibles are also available on the market. Due to the lack of established daily intake safety guidelines for CBD and the known adverse effects of this compound, the associated food safety risks are substantial. To assess the safety of foodstuffs, a method for ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector (UHPLC-PDA) was developed for cannabigerol, CBD, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) identification. For CBD-content quantification, a reversed phase UHPLC-PDA method was developed and validated. The method was linear over the range of 0.03–1 μg/injection. The accuracy of the method established as recovery ranged from 95.2% to 100.42%, the precision was 3.89%, and the intermediate precision was 4.01%. All samples were cannabigerol and THC free. Cannabidiol concentrations were in range of 12.87–51.57 mg/ml. Two food supplements were accurately labelled, two were under-labelled and eight were over-labelled for CBD content. The hemp seed oils were CBD-free. Our findings are consistent with international data. Incorrect labelling, poorly described components, and unsafe dosages of CBD are all risk factors that make food supplements unsafe, whereas hemp seed oil on the Hungarian market appears to be free of phytocannabinoids.

Plants belonging to the family Cyperaceae are used in traditional medicine worldwide to treat various diseases. The present study focuses on the antibacterial, antioxidant, and xanthine-oxidase inhibitory screening of 41 Cyperaceae species from genera Carex, Cladium, and Schoenoplectus, occurring in the Carpathian Basin. This study evaluated 123 fractions with different polarities ( n -hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate) of 41 extracts for their antibacterial, antioxidant (DPPH and ORAC assays), and xanthine oxidase (XO)-inhibitory activities. Mainly the ethyl acetate fractions of Carex elata, C. hartmaniorum, C. melanostachya, C. montana, C. morrowii, C. oshimensis, C. petriei, and C. siderosticta displayed high antibacterial activity (inhibition zones > 15 mm) against one or more bacterial strains . In the case of Schoenoplectus lacustris and Carex petriei , also the ethyl acetate fractions showed remarkable antioxidant effects . In contrast, several chloroform extracts possessed XO-inhibitory activity. For Carex siderosticta, C. sylvatica, and Cladium mariscus, the results of the DPPH tests correlated well with those of the ORAC tests; these sedges demonstrated high antioxidant activities in both assays. Based on the results, especially Carex buxbaumii, C. rostrata, C. muskingumensis, C. oshimensis, C. montana, C. siderosticta, C. sylvatica, and Cladium mariscus are considered worthy of activity-guided phytochemical investigations to identify the specific compounds responsible for the observed activity.

Sesquiterpene lactones are specialized plant metabolites with promising pharmacological activities. These metabolites are characteristic marker compounds for the aerial parts of Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Numerus sesquiterpene lactones have been isolated from ragweed; however, there is no information on their bioproduction and quantification throughout the life cycle of the plant. The sesquiterpene lactone content of ragweed samples collected in Szeged and Nyíri was analyzed using HPLC. Significant differences in the amount and bioproduction rhythm of sesquiterpene lactones were found between the two sets of samples. The samples collected near Szeged contained significantly lower amounts of the investigated compounds compared to the Nyíri samples. Sesquiterpene lactone production in the samples peaked at the end of July or in August; the trend of the change in sesquiterpene lactones might correlate with precipitation and temperature. Geographical location and geoclimatic factors might exert significant influence on the production of sesquiterpene lactones in ragweed.

Young shoots of cereals are widely regarded as superfoods with health benefits attributed to their potential antioxidant activity and antioxidant-related effects (e.g. anticancer). The current study aimed to examine the chemical characteristics of Hordeum vulgare methanolic and aqueous extracts and assess their antioxidant activity using the DDPH and ORAC. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of xanthine oxidase was screened. TLC bioautography was employed to determine the polarity of the compounds present in the extracts that exhibited the most potent free radical scavenging activity. Total flavonoid content of the methanolic and aqueous extracts was 0.14 mg QE/g and 0.012 mg QE/g, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract was found to be more potent, with a value of 0.97 ± 0.13 mmol TE/g than the aqueous extract which had no activity. This study presents novel findings on the xanthine inhibitory activity of H. vulgare. The methanolic extract demonstrated moderate inhibition of xanthine oxidase with a value of 23.24%. The results of our study were compared with the phytochemical and pharmacological analysis of Triticum aestivum, and further comparison was made with the data reported in the literature. Inconsistencies were observed in the chemical and pharmacological properties of H. vulgare, which could be a result of using herbal material harvested in different vegetative phases and various methods used for extraction. The findings of our study indicate that the timing of the harvest and extraction method may play crucial role in attaining the optimal phytochemical composition of H. vulgare, hence enhancing its pharmacological activity.