Agri-Food By-Products in Cancer: New Targets and Strategies

Abstract

The globalization and the changes in consumer lifestyles are forcing us to face a deep transformation in food demand and in the organization of the entire food production system. In this new era, the food-loss and food-waste security nexus is relevant in the global debate and avoiding unsustainable waste in agri-food systems as well as the supply chain is a big challenge. “Food waste” is useful for the recovery of its valuable components, thus it can assume the connotation of a “food by-product”. Sustainable utilization of agri-food waste by-products provides a great opportunity. Increasing evidence shows that agri-food by-products are a source of different bioactive molecules that lower the inflammatory state and, hence, the aggressiveness of several proliferative diseases. This review aims to summarize the effects of agri-food by-products derivatives, already recognized as promising therapeutics in human diseases, including different cancer types, such as breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Here, we examine products modulating or interfering in the signaling mediated by the epidermal growth factor receptor.

Antioxidant and Anti-Cytotoxicity Effect of Phenolic Extracts from Psidium guajava Linn. Leaves by Novel Assisted Extraction Techniques

“…The prevention and treatment of CRC may benefit from bioactive chemicals found in fruits and vegetables, including their waste products [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Peels and seeds of fruits and vegetables contain PCs that have the potential to be used as chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic agents in CRC therapy [ 24 ].…”

Metal-Chelating Self-Assembling Peptide Nanofiber Scaffolds for Modulation of Neuronal Cell Behavior

“…A fine balance exists between ROS levels and the induced cellular responses. Abnormal production of ROS can lead to the depletion of GSH, underlying a series of pathological conditions including chronic inflammation and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease [55,56], whereas at subtoxic levels, ROS act as modulators of gene transcription and activators of signaling pathways contributing to cellular proliferation and differentiation [57,58]. Moreover, a neuroprotective role of subtoxic levels of ROS was reported, showing their ability to induce both the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), significantly attenuating PC-12 cell death [34,59], and BDNF-independent activation of TrkB (BDNF receptor) in neuronal cells [60].…”

Editorial: A new era: shaping women's metabolic health, fertility, and sex-related cancers

“…In their article, Xing et al . analyze the role of SIRT1 in embryo development, particularly in the blastocyst stage after fertilization, giving strength to the field of application related to aging and diseases related to SIRT1.The authors observe that luteolin, present in fruits and vegetables and in agri-food by-products ( 5 ), delays postovulatory oocyte aging and controls organelles distribution and function through the up-regulation of SIRT1 activities during postovulatory oocyte aging.…”