Venous thromboembolism (VTE) refers to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), whose consequence may be a pulmonary embolism (PE). Thrombosis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and is the third most common cardiovascular disease after myocardial infarction and stroke. DVT is associated with the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein in the body. Thrombosis promotes slowed blood flow, hypoxia, cell activation, and the associated release of many active substances involved in blood clot formation. All thrombi which adhere to endothelium consist of fibrin, platelets, and trapped red and white blood cells. In this review, we summarise the impact of various factors affecting haemostatic disorders leading to blood clot formation. The paper discusses the causes of thrombosis, the mechanism of blood clot formation, and factors such as hypoxia, the involvement of endothelial cells (ECs), and the activation of platelets and neutrophils along with the effects of bacteria and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mechanisms related to the action of anticoagulants affecting coagulation factors including antiplatelet drugs have also been discussed. However, many aspects related to the pathogenesis of thrombosis still need to be clarified. A review of the drugs used to treat and prevent thrombosis and natural anticoagulants that occur in the plant world and are traditionally used in Far Eastern medicine has also been carried out.

Lactobacillus acidophilus is a probiotic bacterium that possesses numerous health-promoting properties and has significant technological applications in the fermentation of a wide range of food products and beverages. This review discusses the health benefits of L. acidophilus, including its ability to enhance immunity; promote digestive wellness; and exhibit antioxidant, antitumor, and antimicrobial properties. This review also discusses the production of bioactive peptides and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) by L. acidophilus. Factors, such as salinity, temperature, carbon sources, and nutrient availability, influence the growth of L. acidophilus, which can affect the survival and bioactive potential of fermented products. The proteolytic effects of L. acidophilus contribute to protein breakdown, which leads to the release of bioactive peptides with various health benefits. This review also discusses the applications of L. acidophilus in the fermentation of dairy products, cereal beverages, soymilk, fruit and vegetable juices, and other functional food preparations, highlighting its potential for improving the nutritional value, organoleptic properties, and probiotic delivery of these products. This review highlights the importance of understanding and controlling fermentation conditions to maximize the growth and health-promoting benefits of L. acidophilus in various food and beverage products.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death in the world. Important risk factors of thrombosis include bed restraint, surgery, major trauma, long journeys, inflammation, pregnancy, and oral contraceptives, previous venous thromboembolism, cancer, and bacterial infections. Sepsis increases the risk of blood clot formation 2– 20 times. In this review, we discussed various mechanisms related to the role of bacteria in venous thrombosis also taking into consideration the role of the human microbiome. Many known bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, causing infections may increase the risk of thrombotic complications through platelet activation or may lead to an inflammatory reaction involving the fibrinolytic system. Additionally, the bacteria participate in the production of factors causing or increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. An example can be trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) but also uremic toxins (indoxyl sulfate), short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) phytoestrogens, and bile acids. Finally, we presented the involvement of many bacteria in the development of venous thromboembolism and other cardiovascular diseases.

Argonaute (AGO) proteins, through their key role in the regulation of gene expression, participate in many biological processes, including cell differentiation, proliferation, death and DNA repair. Accurate regulation of gene expression appears to be important for the proper development of complex neural circuits. Loss of AGO proteins is known to lead to early embryonic mortality in mice with various malformations, including anomalies of the central nervous system. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of AGO genes can lead to deregulation of the processes in which AGO proteins are involved. The contribution of different SNPs in depression has been extensively studied. However, there are hardly any studies on the contribution of AGO genes. The aim of our research was to assess the relationship between the occurrence of depression and the presence of SNPs in genes AGO1 (rs636882) and AGO2 (rs4961280; rs2292779; rs2977490) in a Polish population. One hundred and one subjects in the study group were diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder by a psychiatrist. The control group comprised 117 healthy subjects. Study participants performed the HDRS (Hamilton Depression Scale) test to confirm or exclude depression and assess severity. The frequency of polymorphic variants of genes AGO1 (rs636882) and AGO2 (rs4961280; rs2292779; rs2977490) was determined using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays and the TaqMan universal PCR master mix, no AmpErase UNG. The rs4961280/AGO2 polymorphism was associated with a decrease in depression occurrence in the codominant (OR = 0.51, p = 0.034), dominant (OR = 0.49, p = 0.01), and overdominant (OR = 0.58, p = 0.049) models. Based on the obtained results, we found that the studied patients demonstrated a lower risk of depression with the presence of the polymorphic variant of the rs4961280/AGO2 gene—genotype C/A and C/A-A/A.

This study developed and evaluated plant-based mayonnaise formulations in which egg yolk was replaced with aquafaba (15–25%) and stabilized with gum tragacanth (0.3–1.0%). Formulations were prepared using canola oil and stored at 4 °C for 28 days. Aquafaba extract was characterized for total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), while mayonnaise samples were assessed for physicochemical composition, creaming index, antioxidant activity, viscosity, texture, sensory properties, and microbiological stability. Total phenolic content (TPC) rose from 17.52 mg GAE/g at 10 µg to 135.34 mg GAE/g at 100 µg (p < 0.05), while total flavonoid content (TFC) increased from 76.95 to 192.42 mg TE/g over the same concentration range. These increases demonstrate the high antioxidant potential of aquafaba extract. The 25% aquafaba + 1% gum tragacanth formulation (T₃) showed the highest protein content, viscosity, firmness, and antioxidant capacity, with improved storage stability compared to the control. FTIR analysis identified functional groups such as phenols, esters, and carboxylic acids, suggesting contributions to antioxidant activity and emulsion stability. Sensory evaluation indicated strong acceptance for T₃. These results demonstrate that aquafaba combined with gum tragacanth can effectively replace egg yolk while maintaining desirable quality attributes.