Nowadays, there are some molecules that have shown over the years a high capacity to act against relevant pathologies such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders or cancer. This article provides a brief review about the origin, bioavailability and new research on curcumin and synthetized derivatives. It examines the beneficial effects on health, delving into aspects such as cancer, cardiovascular effects, metabolic syndrome, antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory properties, and neurological, liver and respiratory disorders. Thanks to all these activities, curcumin is positioned as an interesting nutraceutical. This is the reason why it has been subjected to several modifications in its structure and administration form that have permitted an increase in bioavailability and effectiveness against different diseases, decreasing the mortality and morbidity associated to these pathologies.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an endogenous lipid-soluble benzoquinone compound that functions as a diffusible electron carrier in the electron transport chain. This compound is prevalent in humans in all tissues and organs in the body, although it is biosynthesized and concentrated, mainly, in tissues with high-energy turnover. CoQ10 has properties related to bioenergetic and antoixidant activity for being intimately involved in energy production and prevent peroxidative damage to membrane phospholipids and free radical induced oxidative. Its properties have led to consider CoQ10 suitable as a dietary supplement to improve cellular bioenergetics and slowing down some age-related pathologies.The beneficial effects of regular, non-exhaustive physical exercise are well known, however, these beneficial effects are lost with strenuous exercise. High intensity exercise induces inflammatory reactions together with high production of free radicals, muscle damage and inflammation indicated by muscle soreness and swelling, prolonged loss of muscle function, and leakage of muscle proteins, such as creatine kinase and myoglobin, into the circulation. We have performed a transversal descriptive study of retrieved papers in the scientific literature by systematic technique. The review strategy followed was adapted from the PRISMA guidelines. The inclusion criteria for the studies were made considering the PICO model (population, intervention, comparison, outcome). This systematic review was designed to perform an exhaustive analysis of the influence and effects of CoQ10 supplementation on parameters related to exercise in healthy humans, and to provide some clarity to this field of study or, at least, expose all the existing data on the issue in a systematic manner.

The objective of the current study was to investigate for the first time and simultaneously the oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling induced during the delivery in healthy mothers and their neonates. 56 mothers with normal gestational course and spontaneous delivery were selected. Blood samples were taken from mother (before and after delivery) both from vein and artery of umbilical cord. Lower antioxidant enzymes activities were observed in neonates compared with their mothers and lower oxidative stress in umbilical cord artery with respect to vein. There was an overexpression of inflammatory cytokines in the mother, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, and, in addition, PGE₂was also increased. Neonates showed lower levels of IL-6 and TNF-αand higher values of sTNF-RII and PGE₂in comparison with their mothers. Parturition increases oxidative damage in the mother, although the indicators of oxidative damage were lower in umbilical cord artery with respect to umbilical vein. The overexpression of inflammatory cytokines reveals that fetus suffers its own inflammatory process during parturition.

The etiology of breast cancer can be very different. Most antineoplastic drugs are not selective against tumor cells and also affect normal cells, leading to a wide variety of adverse reactions such as the production of free radicals by altering the redox state of the organisms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to elucidate if hydroxytyrosol (HT) (an antioxidant present in extra virgin olive oil) has a chemomodulatory effect when combined with the chemotherapeutic drugs epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by taxanes in breast cancer patients. Changes in plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1) throughout the chemotherapy treatment were studied. Both molecules are involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, neoangiogenesis, and metastasis in breast cancer patients. Women with breast cancer were divided into two groups: a group of patients receiving a dietary supplement of HT and a control group of patients receiving placebo. The results showed that the plasma levels of TIMP-1 in the group of patients receiving HT were significantly lower than those levels found in the control group after the epirubicin-cyclophosphamide chemotherapy.