Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the oncogenic phenotype of cancer cells by acting as signaling molecules for inducing proliferation. ROS are known to activate the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which causes the activation of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathway. The Ras-dependent pathway promotes the activation of nuclear factor-kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), a transcriptional modulator of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) that induces cell proliferation. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant carotenoid and is responsible for the red color of fruits and vegetables. This study aims to investigate whether lycopene inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in gastric cancer AGS cells by suppressing the EGFR/Ras/MAPK and NF-κB-COX-2 signaling axis. Lycopene decreased cell viability and increased apoptotic indices (DNA fragmentation, apoptosis inducing factor, cleavage of caspase-3 and caspase-9, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio). Lycopene reduced the level of intracellular and mitochondrial ROS and decreased the activation of the ROS-mediated EGFR/Ras/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 MAPK pathways, thus leading to attenuation of the DNA-binding activity of NF-κB p50/p50 and the level of COX-2 gene expression. These results show that lycopene-induced apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation occur via inhibition of ROS-activated EGFR/Ras/ERK and p38 MAPK pathways and NF-κB-mediated COX-2 gene expression in AGS cells. In conclusion, consumption of lycopene-enriched foods could decrease the incidence of gastric cancer.

No abstract

Soymilk is well known for its health and nutritional benefits and is one of the best plant substitutes for cow milk. Soymilk is high in protein, low in cholesterol, lactose-free, and rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. The bioactive compounds in soybean contribute to the beneficial effects of soymilk and are reported to exert various bioactivities. With the rising interest in health-conscious lifestyles, the development of soymilk with high nutritional quality is a critical task of the soymilk industry. Therefore, research on novel and advanced technologies is underway to develop soymilk with maximal nutritional quality. This review aims to present the recent findings on the beneficial effects of the bioactive compounds in soymilk and to introduce the latest technological advances that enhance the nutritional quality of soymilk, focusing on increasing the amount of nutrients and bioactive compounds, antinutrient removal, fortification with bioactive ingredients, and bio-enrichment. Innovaciones recientes en las tecnologías de procesamiento destinadas a mejorar la calidad nutricional de la leche de soya [soja] RESUMEN La leche de soya es bien conocida por sus beneficios nutricionales y para la salud, siendo uno de los mejores sustitutos vegetales de la leche de vaca. Esta posee un alto contenido de proteínas, es baja en colesterol, no contiene lactosa y es rica en ácidos grasos poliinsaturados. Los compuestos bioactivos de la soya contribuyen a los efectos beneficiosos de la leche de soya y ejercen diversas bioactividades. El creciente interés en estilos de vida enfocados en la salud, ha hecho que la elaboración de leche de soya de alta calidad nutricional sea una tarea crítica para la industria de este producto. Por ello se investigan tecnologías novedosas y avanzadas para producirla con la máxima calidad nutricional. El objetivo de esta revisión es presentar los recientes descubrimientos relativos a los efectos beneficiosos de los compuestos bioactivos de la leche de soya e introducir los últimos avances tecnológicos que mejoran su calidad nutricional, centrándose en el aumento de la cantidad de nutrientes y de compuestos bioactivos, la eliminación de antinutrientes, el enriquecimiento con ingredientes bioactivos y el bioenriquecimiento.