Asad Abbas

Background: Childhood undernutrition is associated with intestinal barrier dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, and increased susceptibility to gastrointestinal complications. This review examines whether plant-derived protein hydrolysates and bioactive peptides can influence gut barrier integrity, inflammatory signaling, oxidative stress, nutrient absorption, and microbiota composition. Methods: A scoping review of evidence published from 2010 and 2026 was conducted following a structured, multi-database search and screening process. Studies were assigned to defined evidence categories according to whether the intervention was an identified peptide sequence, a peptide fraction, a whole hydrolysate, an intact protein, or a complex food matrix. Results: Plant-derived protein hydrolysates, peptide fractions, and identified peptides were reported to increase occludin, claudin-1, and ZO-1 expression and reduce epithelial permeability in colitis models and in human-derived intestinal monolayers. Several interventions inhibited NF-κB and MAPK signaling, reducing TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. Selected interventions lowered intestinal malondialdehyde and raised superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity; three studies demonstrated Keap1–Nrf2–ARE pathway activation directly. Microbiota effects were compositional, with increased short-chain fatty acid production, higher abundances of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and reduced pathobionts. Evidence for nutrient absorption was weaker: no included study measured PEPT1 expression, transport activity, or peptide flux following hydrolysate administration, and most sequences reviewed exceeded the di- and tripeptide substrate limit of that transporter. Conclusions: No included study administered a plant-derived peptide in a model of undernutrition, and none assessed clinically diagnosed SIBO. Mechanistic evidence suggests plausible benefits for gut barrier integrity, redox balance, inflammation, and microbiota composition, but controlled trials in undernourished children are required before clinical claims can be made.

Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. (chayote), a neglected and underutilized Cucurbitaceae crop widely cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions, has drawn growing interest as a source of health-promoting food components. This review critically synthesizes studies published between 2000 and 2026 on its botanical features, genome characterization, nutritional value, phytochemistry, bioactivities, safety, and food-industry applications, based on literature retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library. Different plant parts (fruits, leaves, seeds, tuberous roots, and peels) contain diverse bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, cucurbitacins, pectin polysaccharides, and carotenoids. Reported bioactivities include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, cardioprotective, antiproliferative, and geroprotective effects, mediated in part through Nrf2-mediated antioxidant signaling and sirtuin (SIRT1/3/5/6) upregulation. Notably, a systematic meta-analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in serum glucose (MD = −20.56; 95% CI: −29.35 to −11.77) and HbA1c following three months of chayote intake in patients with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Industrially, chayote has been developed into fermented products, starch- and peel-derived bioactive films, ultrasound-extracted pectin, α-amylase inhibitory seed protein isolates, and probiotic encapsulation systems. Recent genomic work has further revealed a chromosome-level genome assembly, whole-genome duplication events, and a domestication history tracing to Mexico’s Oaxaca region. Collectively, this evidence positions chayote as a promising underutilized resource for food, nutraceutical, and biomedical use, while highlighting key gaps: the need for standardized clinical trials, bioavailability studies, and comprehensive safety evaluation.

Crinum amoenum Roxb. ex Ker Gawl. (C. amoenum) is traditionally used in Nepal, but its antidiabetic potential remains insufficiently validated. This study characterized the 80% (v/v) ethanol bulb extract of C. amoenum and evaluated its antioxidant, α-amylase inhibitory, hypoglycemic, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and ADMET profiles. The ethanolic bulb extract was evaluated through phytochemical screening, thin-layer chromatography, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) estimation, LC-MS analysis, antioxidant assays, α-amylase inhibition assays, acute toxicity testing, and hypoglycemic/oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) studies in Wistar rats. Lycorine, pratorinine, and palmatine were docked against α-amylase (PDB ID: 5U3A) and GLP-1R (PDB ID: 6GB1), followed by 200 ns MD simulations and ADMET prediction. Qualitative analysis of the extract was positive for flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, and carbohydrates, and a positive Salkowski reaction indicated the presence of constituents occurring in glycosidic form. The TPC was 173.38 ± 1.22 mg GAE/g, and the TFC was 314.58 ± 0.09 mg QE/g. LC-MS tentatively annotated lycorine, pratorinine, and palmatine based on retention time, m/z values in positive-mode electrospray ionization, and comparison with previously reported spectral information. The extract showed DPPH scavenging activity (IC₅₀: 90.98 μg/mL) and strong α-amylase inhibition (IC₅₀: 49.31 μg/mL) compared with acarbose (IC₅₀: 51.51 μg/mL). No deaths were observed following oral administration at 5000 mg/kg to rats. The 500 mg/kg dose produced the greatest hypoglycemic response, reducing blood glucose by 35.78% at 120 min in non-diabetic Wistar rats and by 19.21% at 60 min in glucose-loaded rats. Among all the compounds tested, pratorinine demonstrated the highest docking affinity with α-amylase (−8.2 kcal/mol; ASP300) and GLP-1R (−7.0 kcal/mol; GLY132). MD simulation supported greater stability of the α-amylase complex, and ADMET prediction identified pratorinine as a comparatively favorable predicted lead candidate (LD₅₀: 1000 mg/kg; Class 4 toxicity category). Pratorinine was identified as the most promising in silico antidiabetic candidate from the C. amoenum extract, primarily due to stable α-amylase interactions and favorable ADMET properties.

The gut–immune–metabolic axis has emerged as a central regulator of human health, with growing evidence indicating that microbiota-derived metabolites improve gut microbial ecology, enhance intestinal barrier integrity, reduce systemic inflammation, and maintain metabolic homeostasis. This review synthesizes current mechanistic and clinical evidence on the role of postbiotics in regulating intestinal barrier integrity, immune responses, oxidative stress, and metabolic–endocrine homeostasis. The literature was identified through the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, integrating evidence from experimental, mechanistic, animal and clinical studies on the therapeutic potential of postbiotics to modulate the gut–immune–metabolic axis. Preclinical studies suggest that postbiotics may enhance epithelial barrier function by improving tight junction integrity through multiple pathways such as PI3K/Akt signaling, stimulating mucin-2 (MUC2) production, and reducing intestinal permeability. They modulate immune responses through interactions with Toll-like receptors, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain receptors, and G-protein-coupled receptors (GPR41/43), influencing key signaling pathways, including NF-κB and Nrf2, and altering cytokine profiles, such as IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Similarly, preclinical investigations have demonstrated that short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and other microbial metabolites may improve insulin sensitivity, regulate hepatic gluconeogenesis, stimulate glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secretion, and modulate lipid metabolism through the FXR and TGR5 signaling pathways. Emerging human studies suggest potential benefits of postbiotics in regulating gut, immune, and metabolic health; nevertheless, clinical evidence remains limited and is influenced by variability in postbiotic composition, dosage, formulation, and metabolite profiles. Therefore, standardized production approaches and well-designed large-scale randomized clinical trials are required to confirm therapeutic efficacy and establish evidence-based applications of postbiotics.

Urtica dioica L. (stinging nettle) is a perennial herb with a long ethnomedicinal history and diverse pharmacological potential. This comprehensive review consolidates current knowledge on its phytochemistry, extraction technologies, bioactivities, and molecular mechanisms. However, recent reviews have generally addressed these aspects separately, and an integrated assessment linking green extraction technologies and phytochemical profiles to molecular mechanisms and gene expression modulation is still lacking. U. dioica contains abundant polyphenols (rutin, quercetin, kaempferol, and chlorogenic acid), sterols (β-sitosterol and stigmasterol), vitamins, carotenoids, and the antiviral lectin Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA). Advances in green extraction technologies, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), pressurized liquid extraction, and natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES)-based systems, have significantly improved yield, purity, and environmental sustainability compared to conventional maceration and Soxhlet methods. Comprehensive chromatographic and spectroscopic profiling (HPLC, GC–MS, FTIR, NMR, and LC–MS/MS) has established detailed chemical fingerprints linking bioactive constituents to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties. Mechanistic studies reveal that U. dioica exerts its therapeutic effects through modulation of oxidative stress, inhibition of the NF-κB and COX-2 pathways, enhancement of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, and regulation of apoptotic gene expression. Moreover, NADES–MAE extracts demonstrate potential as sustainable, high-efficacy formulations for nutraceutical and cosmetic applications. Despite extensive preclinical evidence, clinical standardization and dosage optimization remain major challenges. This review underscores U. dioica as a multifunctional medicinal plant with significant promise for next-generation phytotherapeutics and molecular nutrition.

Redox homeostasis is the balance between oxidative processes and antioxidant defenses and is fundamental to cellular integrity. This review critically synthesizes current evidence on the phytochemical composition, redox-modulating mechanisms, and therapeutic bioactivities of Fagonia cretica L. (F. cretica), with the aim of evaluating its translational potential as a natural antioxidant and anticancer agent. F. cretica has emerged as a phytochemically rich candidate containing highly bioactive secondary metabolite for redox-targeted therapeutic applications. Its diverse secondary metabolite profile, including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, glycosides, and phenolic compounds, confers broad biological activity. Bioactive constituents, particularly kaempferol, catechin, quercetin, and arbutin, directly neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and modulate inflammatory pathways through inhibition of COX-1, COX-2, and nitric oxide production. These compounds influence important major ROS-sensitive redox signaling pathways: activation of the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE axis to upregulate cytoprotective genes such as HO-1, NQO1, and GCL, suppression of the NF-κB pathway to attenuate pro-inflammatory cytokine transcription, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, and interference with the MAPK-PI3K/Akt cascade to disrupt aberrant cancer cell survival and proliferation. Bioactive compound-rich extracts of F. cretica exhibit anticancer activity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells by inducing DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, and apoptotic signaling through the FOXO3a/p53 pathways. Similar effects have been reported in colorectal (HCT-116) and prostate (PC-3) cancer cells through DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) downregulation, oxidative stress induction, and ER-β activation. Moreover, these extracts demonstrate cytotoxic effects in HepG2 and Caco-2 intestinal cancer cells, often associated with topoisomerase inhibition and caspase activation. Despite encouraging preclinical evidence, systematic studies encompassing pharmacokinetic profiling, toxicological characterization, and human clinical trials remain essential to translate these findings into safe, evidence-based therapeutic applications.

Momordica charantia L. is a medicinal plant rich in bioactive compounds, including steroidal glycosides, flavonoids, phenolics, triterpenoids, saponins, and polysaccharides, which exhibit antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and anticancer activities. This review summarizes its nutritional and phytochemical composition, green extraction technologies, molecular mechanisms, and industrial applications based on literature from Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and other scientific databases. Ultrasound-assisted extraction is an efficient and eco-friendly method that provides higher recovery of bioactive compounds from M. charantia and improved bioavailability compared with enzyme-assisted, microwave-assisted, and conventional methods. The phytochemicals of M. charantia regulate oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid peroxidation, and glucose homeostasis. Studies show that its antidiabetic effects involve improved insulin sensitivity, enhanced glucose uptake, and inhibition of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes. These compounds also exhibit antioxidant activity through free radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects via inhibition of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. M. charantia further demonstrates anticancer activity by inducing apoptosis, causing cell-cycle arrest, and downregulating proliferation pathways in several cancer cell lines, including MCF-7, HCT-116, HepG2, A549, and PANC-1. Beyond medicinal uses, it is applied in the food industry as a functional ingredient in products such as yogurt, cookies, pickles, bread, juice, oil, and beverages. Overall, M. charantia shows strong potential for therapeutic applications, including functional foods and pharmaceutical formulations targeting diabetes, inflammation, liver diseases, and cancer; however, further studies are needed to confirm its clinical efficacy.