Plant foods are rich in phenolic compounds (PCs) that display multifaceted bioactions in health promotion and disease prevention. To exert their bioactivity, they must be delivered to and absorbed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, transported in circulation, and reach the target tissues. During the journey from ingestion to target tissues and final excretion, PCs are subjected to modifications by many factors during their absorption, deposition, metabolism and excretion (ADME) and consequently their bioefficacy may be modified. Consistent with all nutrients in foods, PCs must first be released from the food matrix through mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic forces to facilitate absorption along the GI tract, particularly in the upper small intestine section. Further, glycosylation of PCs directs the route of their absorption with glycones being transported through active transportation and aglycones through passive diffusion. After enteral absorption, the majority of PCs are extensively transformed by the detoxification system in enterocytes and liver for excretion in bile, feces, and urine. The journey of PCs from consumption to excretion appears to be comparable to many synthetic medications, but with some dissimilarities in their fate and bioactivity after phase I and II metabolism. The overall bioavailability of PCs is determined mainly by chemical characteristics, bioaccessibility, and ADME. In this review, factors accounting for variation in PCs bioavailability are discussed because this information is crucial for validation of the health benefits of PCs and their mechanism of action.

Background: there is no longitudinal evidence about the association between the loss of total appendicular skeletal muscle (TASM) and cytokines. Objective: to investigate whether high levels of the inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with the loss of TASM in free-living non-sarcopenic older people. Design: five-year prospective cohort study. Subjects: one hundred and fifteen free-living non-sarcopenic older men and women aged 60–84 years at baseline and 5-year follow-up were included. Methods: TASM was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and the relative change in TASM was calculated. The response variable was the loss of TASM defined as the lowest sex-specific 15th percentile of the cohort distribution of percentage of change in TASM. The exposure variables were the baseline serum IL-6 and CRP levels measured by ELISA. Results: sixteen subjects were below the sex-specific 15th percentile of the cohort. The mean absolute loss of TASM in these men and women subjects was 1.9 and 1.3 kg, respectively. The risk of loss TASM was 1.29 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.64) (P = 0.03) per unit of increase in IL-6 (pg/ml) and 1.28 times higher (95% CI, 1.04–1.58) (P = 0.01) per unit of increase in CRP (mg/l). As a categorical variable, the risk of loss TASM was 4.85 times higher (95% CI, 1.24–18.97) among subjects with serum IL-6 >2.71 pg/ml and 3.97 times higher (CI 95%, 1.09–14.39) among subjects with serum CRP >3.74 mg/l. These findings remained after adjusting for age, sex and 5-year weight change. Conclusions: inflammation is associated with the loss of TASM in free-living non-sarcopenic older men and women.

This study aimed to validate an analytical method to determine DNA concentration using standard reference material (NIST SRM 2372) and Sprague Dawley rat and human DNA. Microvolumes were used to analyse DNA samples. Linearity showed correlation coefficients higher than R0.9950, and the precision value was 2 CV. Trueness based on bias and the percentage of recovery showed bias values lower than Z-test with a 95 confidence level and a recovery percentage within the range ( Rec=100±5), and the stability of the samples was 60days (24°C).

Aims: To evaluate the antibacterial and free‐radical scavenging (FRS) activities of propolis collected from three different areas of Sonoran Desert in northwestern Mexico [Pueblo de Alamos (PAP), Ures (UP) and Caborca (CP)]. Methods and Results: The antibacterial and FRS activities of Sonoran propolis were determined by the broth microdilution method and the DPPH (1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydracyl) assay, respectively. Propolis samples had antibacterial activity against only Gram‐positive bacteria. The UP sample showed the highest antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus [minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) 100 μg ml⁻¹] in a concentration‐dependent manner (UP > CP > PAP). Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a UP propolis constituent, had very high growth‐inhibitory activity towards Gram‐positive bacteria, particularly against S. aureus (MIC 0·1 mmol l⁻¹). To our knowledge, this is the first study showing a strong antibacterial activity of CAPE against S. aureus. Additionally, propolis CP exhibited high FRS activity (86% ± 0·3 at 100 μg ml⁻¹) comparable with those of the reference antioxidants vitamin C (87·4% ± 1·7 at 70 μmol l⁻¹) and BHT (66·07% ± 0·76 at 140 μmol l⁻¹). The propolis compounds CAPE and rutin showed high FRS activity (90·4% ± 0·2 and 88·5% ± 0·8 at 70 μmol l⁻¹, respectively). Conclusions: Sonoran propolis UP and CAPE had strong antibacterial activity against S. aureus. In addition, propolis CP showed potent FRS activity comparable with those of vitamin C and BHT. Significance and Impact of the study: The strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties of Sonoran propolis and some of its constituents support further studies on the clinical applications of this natural bee product against S. aureus and several oxidative damage‐related diseases.

In the last years, biomedical research has focused its efforts in the development of new oral delivery systems for the treatment of different diseases. Ferulated arabinoxylans are polysaccharides from cereals that have been gaining attention in the pharmaceutical field due to their prebiotic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The antioxidant and anticancer properties of these polysaccharides make them attractive compounds for the treatment of cancer, particularly colon cancer. In addition, ferulated arabinoxylans can form covalent gels through the cross‐linking of their ferulic acids. Due to their particular characteristics, ferulated arabinoxylan gels represent an excellent alternative as colon‐targeted drug delivery systems. The aim of the present work is to review the physicochemical and functional properties of ferulated arabinoxylans and their gels and to present the future perspectives for potential application as antioxidant and anticancer agents.