Evgenia V. Shrayner

Background. This study examined parental feeding practices and parental perceptions of children’s consumption of “unhealthy” foods under a gluten-free diet (GFD) in celiac disease, as well as approaches to parent–child interaction in the context of reduced quality of life. Materials and Methods. The study was based on a questionnaire survey of parents of children and adolescents with confirmed celiac disease. To ensure reproducibility, the full set of questionnaire items was provided and subscales were constructed to assess parental feeding practices and child behavior, including unhealthy food consumption, emotional feeding, perceived necessity of dietary control, weight-related dietary restriction, encouragement of dietary variety, pressure to eat, child involvement in family meals, and home availability of sweets and snacks. Results. Parental feeding practices demonstrated a multidimensional structure represented by several independent domains. Unhealthy food consumption was common: 78% of parents reported at least partial overconsumption of sweets. Despite strict dietary restrictions, unhealthy snacking remained prevalent. Four distinct parental practice profiles were identified: emotionally controlling, moderately supportive, passive, and weight-restrictive. The perceived necessity of dietary control showed a robust inverse association with unhealthy food consumption, reducing its likelihood by approximately threefold. Conclusion. In children with celiac disease, dietary control represents an adaptive and protective strategy when embedded in everyday family life and implemented through involvement and respect for the child’s autonomy rather than through pressure or punitive measures.

Childhood obesity is crucial medical and social issue due to development of metabolic complications, chronic low-grade inflammation, and insulin resistance as the key factor of metabolic syndrome. Thus, the search of safe and effective methods for prevention and management of childhood obesity remains relevant. The efficacy of obesity complex therapy can be enhanced via nutraceuticals — dietary supplements with established positive effect on health. This review analyzes wide range of nutraceuticals (omega 3 fatty acids, probiotics, inositols, berberine, diindolylmethane, etc.), their mode of action, efficacy and safety indicators, and administration features.

This review presents current data on the pharmacokinetics, side effects, dosage forms and interactions of curcumin. Curcumin, the major bioactive component of turmeric, has low bioavailability due to its low water solubility, rapid metabolism in the liver and rapid excretion from the body. The main pathways of curcumin metabolism are described, including its reduction and subsequent conjugation with glucuronic acid and sulphates. Side effects of curcumin such as hyperoxaluria, iron deficiency anaemia, hepatotoxicity, arrhythmias, allergic reactions and potential carcinogenic properties are discussed. Various dosage forms of curcumin developed to enhance its bioavailability are discussed, including liposomes, nanoparticles, hydrogels and phytosomes. Particular attention is given to the drug interactions of curcumin with chemotherapeutic agents such as 5-fluorouracil, vincristine, gemcitabine, adriamycin and cisplatin, as well as with hypolipidaemic agents, antiaggregants and anticoagulants. These data highlight the need for further studies to optimise the therapeutic use of curcumin and minimise its side effects.

Recently, the role of metabolic syndrome (MS) has become crucial. There is a tendency for this disease to increase not only in the Russian Federation and throughout the world. According to World Health Organization data for 2022, approximately 60% of the European population is overweight or obese. The United States and Russia have the largest numbers of obese individuals. MS often occurs in developed countries, mainly in the adult population, and is a comorbid pathology. MS increases the risk of future disability and mortality. Despite the environmental factors that increase the risk of MS, genetic factors are also involved in the development of this pathology. The genes involved in the development of MS: MC4R, LEP, LEPR, PCSK1, ADCY3, POMC, and MRAP2, were identified. These genes and MRAP2 were identified and involved in the leptin-melanocortin signaling pathway, namely, they regulate energy metabolism, which, when a mutation occurs, leads to nonsyndromic monogenic obesity. MS is a multifactorial pathological condition that includes four independent sub-syndromes: obesity or overweight, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. This article describes the features of genes contributing to the development of MS as well as the clinical features of the MS course.

This paper details the impact of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on patients’ quality of life. In order to assess patients’ quality of life, a number of specific and general tools have been developed to assess quality of life in patients with IBS. According to the data obtained in a number of clinical studies, IBS significantly reduces the quality of life of patients compared to healthy people. Moreover, the quality of life is directly related to the form and degree of ICD activity. Thus, worse quality of life is associated with Crohn’s disease and active stage of the disease. However, in the remission stage, the quality of life in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) do not have statistically significant differences. In addition, diet and lifestyle are of great importance for the QOL of patients with UC. Conservative therapy is an extremely important link that allows to significantly improve the life quality of patients, in which targeting pre-drugs play an important role. The latter significantly improve the QOL of patients with ICD, contributing to the transition of ICD from the active form to remission.

Curcumin, an active ingredient derived from turmeric root (Curcuma longa), has significant pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer and analgesic activities. Studies show that curcumin affects the expression of various microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs to regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis in various types of malignant tumours. In addition, curcumin modulates signalling pathways such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK/ERK and AMPK, activating autophagy and inhibiting tumour angiogenesis. It also inhibits metastasis and invasion of tumour cells by affecting epithelial-mesenchymal transition and expression of matrix metalloproteinases. Curcumin exhibits antibacterial and antiviral activity by disrupting bacterial cell membranes and inhibiting viral replication. The antioxidant properties of curcumin are due to its ability to neutralise reactive oxygen species and stimulate antioxidant enzymes. Curcumin also promotes wound healing by modulating inflammatory processes and stimulating angiogenesis. The analgesic effect of curcumin is due to its ability to stimulate the release of endogenous opioid peptides and modulate the activity of GABA receptors and ASIC and TRPV ion channels. Curcumin has an effect on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, which makes it a promising agent for the treatment of dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance. The effect of curcumin on haemostasis is manifested in its ability to inhibit platelet aggregation and blood clotting, which may be useful for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Aim. To develop a non-invasive method for diagnosing reflux esophagitis in patients with comorbid pathology: HP associated chronic gastritis and atopic dermatitis. Materials and methods. Two groups of children were examined: 60 had AtD and HP+CG and 30 had HP+CG without At D. Risk factors were selected on the basis of clinical, anamnestic, laboratory, and instrumental data, a decision tree was created as well. Conclusion. The conducted research allowed us to develop a plausible non-invasive method for diagnosing reflux esophagitis in children with AtD and HP+CG. Every risk factor (female gender, complaints of bitterness in the mouth, heartburn, abdominal pain, increased fat mass according to impedanceometry and increased level of zonulin in feces) is estimated as 1 point; the sum of points 5 and more indicates the presence of reflux esophagitis with a probability of 94.1% (invention application № 2024139936 from 26.12.2024).

Interest in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) has increased in recent years due to their supposed role in health improvement and disease risk reduction. This article describes the sources, structural features, metabolism, and bioavailability of ω-3 PUFAs in the human body. ω-3 PUFAs include α-linolenic acid (ALA), stearidonic acid (SDA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Long-chain ω-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA are found in the body lipids of oily fish, white fish liver, and marine mammal oils. Fish oil is available in concentrated form as ethyl esters or triacylglycerols. Key words: omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, structural features, pregnancy

This review examines modern approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in children, one of the most common functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. IBS is characterized by chronic abdominal pain, intestinal motility disorders and stool changes, which significantly reduces the quality of life of patients. The article analyzes in detail the pathogenetic mechanisms of IBS, including the role of the gut–brain axis, gut microbiota and neuroendocrine factors. Special attention is paid to the pharmacotherapy of IBS in children, including the use of antidepressants, probiotics and herbal components, as well as the role of correctors of the motor activity of the digestive tract in relieving symptoms. Modern recommendations on the use of various classes of antidepressants are considered, taking into account their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics. The prospects of using probiotics and herbal preparations in the complex therapy of IBS are also analyzed. The data obtained confirm the need for a personalized approach to the treatment of IBS, taking into account the genetic and physiological characteristics of patients.

Histamine intolerance is a disorder associated with impaired ability to absorb ingested histamine. Histaminosis occurs in 1-3% of the population. This condition was described at the beginning of the 21st century. This article provides an overview of histamine intolerance, mainly devoted to clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment.