Plant phenolics have been known for various biological activities. This study aims to extract and examine the presence of phenolics in Bao mango (Mangifera indica L. var.) peel ethanolic extract (MPE). Further, antioxidant, anti-diabetic (α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity), and anti- Alzheimer\'s disease (AD) (acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and β-secretase (BACE-1) inhibitory activity) efficacy of MPE were determined. The results indicated that mangiferin (8755.89 mg/ 100 g extract) was the major phenolic compound in MPE. An antioxidant mechanism revealed that MPE had a higher radical scavenging ability (4266.70 µmol TE/g extract) compared to reducing power (FRAP) or oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC). Further in-vitro enzyme inhibitory assay against diabetic and AD involved enzymes showed that MPE had stronger inhibitory action against an enzyme involved in diabetes compared to their standard drug (Acarbose) (P < 0.05). While a lower IC50 value was observed against AD-involved enzymes compared to their standard drug (donepezil) (P < 0.05). The results show that Thai Bao mango peel byproduct can be a potential source of nutraceuticals to lower diabetes and improve cognitive health.

Diabetes mellitus is a persistent metabolic condition marked by elevated blood glucose levels due to compromised insulin secretion or functionality. The search for natural antidiabetic agents has gained attention due to their potential effectiveness and safety profiles. Sessuvium portulacastrum, a coastal plant, has been traditionally used for various medicinal purposes. This study investigates the antidiabetic potential of Sessuvium portulacastrum aqueous extract by analyzing its inhibitory effects on key enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and exploring its molecular interactions with critical target proteins. The aqueous extract of Sessuvium portulacastrum was prepared and used for in vitro analysis. The reduced activity of the extract against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, crucial in glucose absorption and postprandial hyperglycemia, was assessed. Molecular docking techniques were employed to explore the potential interactions between active compounds in the extract and diabetes-related proteins, including BAX, GSK3β, and CADH. The study revealed significant inhibition of both alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes by Sessuvium portulacastrum aqueous extract, indicating its potential to reduce glucose absorption and postprandial hyperglycemia. Moreover, the molecular docking analysis demonstrated strong binding interactions between active compounds in the extract and key proteins involved in diabetes-related pathways, namely apoptotic pathways, glycogen synthesis, and cell adhesion. The findings of this study highlight the promising antidiabetic potential of Sessuvium portulacastrum aqueous extract. Upcoming research should get an attention on isolating and characterizing the active compounds responsible for these effects on antidiabetic therapies from natural sources.

UNASSIGNED: Spermacoce hispida, a medicinal plant from the Rubiaceae family, has garnered attention for its traditional use and reported therapeutic properties. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition and assess the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities of the ethanolic extract derived from Spermacoce hispida.
UNASSIGNED: Phytochemical screening of the ethanolic extract involved qualitative analysis to identify major phytoconstituents such as tannins, phenols, and acids. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated through in vitro assays, and anti-oxidant potential was assessed using established methods to measure scavenging activity against free radicals and reactive oxygen species.
UNASSIGNED: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of various bioactive constituents in the Spermacoce hispida ethanolic extract, including acid, tannin, protein, and phenolic compounds. Furthermore, the extract exhibited potent anti-oxidant activity, as evidenced by its ability to scavenge free radicals and attenuate ROS-induced oxidative stress.
UNASSIGNED: The findings of this study underscore the potential of Spermacoce hispida ethanolic extract as a source of bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. The presence of phytochemicals and the observed bioactivity support its traditional use and suggest potential therapeutic applications. These results contribute to the growing body of knowledge on natural products with health-promoting effects and provide a basis for further research aimed at developing pharmaceutical and medicinal interventions harnessing the benefits of Spermacoce hispida.

UNASSIGNED: Crataeva nurvala, a medicinal plant with potential therapeutic properties, offers a promising avenue for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs. This study adopted a combined in silico and in vitro approach to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of compounds derived from Crataeva nurvala.
UNASSIGNED: In the in silico phase, virtual screening and molecular docking analyses were conducted to identify bioactive compounds from Crataeva nurvala that could interact with key inflammatory targets. Subsequently, selected compounds were synthesized and subjected to in vitro experimentation. Cellular models were employed to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of Crataeva nurvala-derived compounds, focusing on the modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and the underlying signaling pathways.
UNASSIGNED: Virtual screening and molecular docking led to the identification of several bioactive compounds with favorable interactions with inflammatory targets. In the in vitro experiments, treatment with Crataeva nurvala-derived compounds resulted in a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Moreover, the compounds exhibited the ability to modulate inflammatory signaling pathways, further substantiating their anti-inflammatory potential.
UNASSIGNED: This study not only contributes to the development of effective anti-inflammatory drugs but also underscores the value of harnessing natural sources such as Crataeva nurvala for therapeutic interventions in inflammatory disorders. The dual-phase strategy presented here provides a robust framework for anti-inflammatory drug discovery and validation.

Tinospora cordifolia, commonly known as \"Giloy\" or \"Guduchi,\" is a medicinal plant with a rich history in traditional medicine systems. The aqueous extract of Tinospora cordifolia stems has garnered attention due to its reported pharmacological activities. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro biological properties of the aqueous extract and complement the findings with in silico studies to gain insights into potential molecular interactions. The Tinospora cordifolia stem aqueous extract was subjected to a battery of in vitro assays to assess its biological properties. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using invitro assay. To complement the in vitro findings, in silico studies involving molecular docking analyses were conducted to predict potential interactions between the extract\'s constituents and relevant biomolecular targets. The in vitro evaluation revealed significant anti-inflammatory activity of the Tinospora cordifolia stem aqueous extract, as evidenced by its ability to suppress the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In silico studies provided insights into the molecular interactions between the extract\'s bioactive constituents and key inflammatory and antioxidant targets, further supporting the observed biological properties. The combined in vitro biological assays and in silico studies offer a comprehensive assessment of the Tinospora cordifolia stem aqueous extract\'s potential therapeutic properties. The demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities align with the traditional use of Tinospora cordifolia and suggest its potential in managing inflammatory and oxidative stress-related disorders. The in silico insights provide a molecular understanding of the extract\'s mode of action, strengthening the rationale for further investigation and development of natural products derived from Tinospora cordifolia for pharmaceutical and medicinal applications.

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the importance of enhancing health literacy for improved health outcomes, self-reported health, lower health services use and disease prevention. Importantly, improving health literacy has great potential to reduce health inequities and inequalities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified health literacy as a global priority, viewing it as a right and a fundamental competency necessary to function within modern society. Building health literacy foundations should begin in early childhood, including focus within educational frameworks and school curricula. The WHO advocate for governments to embed it as an explicit goal. In response, it has received significant international policy and strategy focus, in addition to the development of country-level action plans. In Wales, UK, it was identified as a priority in 2010, but despite wider developments spanning health and social care, well-being, economy and education policy, growth in health literacy has stalled since. Optimizing health literacy would act as an indirect enabler to a range of Welsh policies and strategies. A promising avenue for strengthening the health literacy of current and future generations is through ongoing significant national education reforms and the introduction of the new Curriculum for Wales. One of four overarching purposes of this curriculum is healthy, confident individuals, and health and well-being constitutes one of six statutory curriculum areas. Tracking the impact of this on children and young people\'s health literacy offers opportunities for Wales to model and gain traction as a national-scale health literacy policy testbed. This requires re-energizing health literacy as a national priority.

BACKGROUND: Construction and nursing are critical industries. Although both careers involve physically and mentally demanding work, the risks to workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are not well understood. Nurses (both younger and older) are more likely to experience the ill effects of burnout and stress than construction workers, likely due to accelerated work demands and increased pressure on nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we analyzed a large social media data set using advanced natural language processing techniques to explore indicators of the mental status of workers across both industries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
OBJECTIVE: This social media analysis aims to fill a knowledge gap by comparing the tweets of younger and older construction workers and nurses to obtain insights into any potential risks to their mental health due to work health and safety issues.
METHODS: We analyzed 1,505,638 tweets published on Twitter (subsequently rebranded as X) by younger and older (aged <45 vs >45 years) construction workers and nurses. The study period spanned 54 months, from January 2018 to June 2022, which equates to approximately 27 months before and 27 months after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. The tweets were analyzed using big data analytics and computational linguistic analyses.
RESULTS: Text analyses revealed that nurses made greater use of hashtags and keywords (both monograms and bigrams) associated with burnout, health issues, and mental health compared to construction workers. The COVID-19 pandemic had a pronounced effect on nurses\' tweets, and this was especially noticeable in younger nurses. Tweets about health and well-being contained more first-person singular pronouns and affect words, and health-related tweets contained more affect words. Sentiment analyses revealed that, overall, nurses had a higher proportion of positive sentiment in their tweets than construction workers. However, this changed markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since early 2020, sentiment switched, and negative sentiment dominated the tweets of nurses. No such crossover was observed in the tweets of construction workers.
CONCLUSIONS: The social media analysis revealed that younger nurses had language use patterns consistent with someone experiencing the ill effects of burnout and stress. Older construction workers had more negative sentiments than younger workers, who were more focused on communicating about social and recreational activities rather than work matters. More broadly, these findings demonstrate the utility of large data sets enabled by social media to understand the well-being of target populations, especially during times of rapid societal change.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic periodontitis and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are associated with cognitive decline when examined individually. To gain deeper insight into the combined effects of these conditions on cognitive decline, the present study aimed to examine the cognitive status of individuals with co-occurring T2DM and chronic periodontitis.
METHODS: We recruited 220 participants categorized into four groups: Group I, healthy subjects; Group II, individuals with chronic periodontitis; Group III, individuals with T2DM; and Group IV, individuals with both T2DM and chronic periodontitis. Medical histories were recorded for all participants, followed by periodontal examination and evaluation of cognitive status using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale. Finger dexterity was assessed using the nine-hole peg test.
RESULTS: A statistically significant increase in the proportion of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was observed between groups I and IV (p<0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that, among the parameters assessed in this study, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was significant for age, finger dexterity scores, and co-occurrence of T2DM and periodontitis.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that the co-occurrence of chronic periodontitis and T2DM can have a detrimental effect on the cognitive abilities of an individual. Subsequent research should include longitudinal monitoring of the cognitive status in patients with concurrent conditions during treatment to gain deeper prognostic insights into the relationship between these co-occurring conditions and cognitive decline.

In recent years, many students have faced economic hardship and experienced food insecurity, even as universities strive to create more equitable pathways to college. There is a need for a more holistic perspective that addresses the complexity of food insecurity amongst college students. To this end, we examined the relationship between the social determinants of health, including college food insecurity (CoFI) and childhood food insecurity (ChFI), and their relationship with well-being measures. The study sample was a convenience sample that included 372 students at a public university who responded to an online survey in fall 2021. Students were asked to report their food security status in the previous 30 days. We used the following analytical strategies: chi-square tests to determine differences between food secure (FS) and food insecure (FI) students; binary logistic regression of CoFI on student demographics and ChFI; and ordinal or binary logistic regression for well-being measures. Black students, off-campus students, first-generation students, in-state students, and humanities/behavioral/social/health sciences majors were more likely to report CoFI. FI students were more likely to have experienced ChFI and to have lower scores on all well-being measures. ChFI was associated with four well-being measures and its effects were mediated by CoFI. College student health initiatives would benefit from accounting for SDOH, including ChFI experiences and its subsequent cumulative disadvantages experienced during college.

OBJECTIVE: Development of a technique for measuring the mechanical properties of zygomaticus major (ZM) may aid advances in clinical treatments for correcting abnormal oral posture. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the stiffness of ZM using an MR elastography technique that incorporates a custom local driver and a phase-gradient (PG) inversion.
METHODS: 2D MRE investigations were performed for 3 healthy subjects using a vibration frequency of 90 Hz to test the prediction that the stiffness of ZM would be greater in the mouth-open compared to the mouth-closed position. MRE wave images were acquired along the long axis of ZM and processed using a 2D spatial-temporal directional filter applied in the direction of wave propagation along the long axis of the muscle. Stiffness measurements were obtained by applying the PG technique to a 1D-profile drawn in the phase image of the first harmonic of the wave images and a one-tailed paired t-test was used to compare the ZM stiffness between the two mouth postures (p < 0.05).
RESULTS: The mean stiffness and standard deviation (SD) of ZM across the three participants in the mouth-closed and mouth-open postures was 6.75 kPa (SD 3.36 kPa) and 15.5 kPa (SD 5.15 kPa), respectively. Changes of ZM stiffness were significantly greater in the mouth-open than the mouth-closed posture (p = 0.038).
CONCLUSIONS: The feasibility of using the PG MRE technique to measure stiffness changes in a small muscle such as ZM for different mouth postures has been demonstrated. Further investigations are required in a larger cohort of participants to investigate the sensitivity and reproducibility of the technique for potential clinical application as well as in health and beauty related studies.