Stilbenoids are interesting natural compounds with pleiotropic in vitro and in vivo activity. Their well-documented biological properties include anti-inflammatory effects, anticancer effects, effects on longevity, and many others. Therefore, they are nowadays commonly found in foods and dietary supplements, and used as a part of treatment strategy in various types of diseases. Bioactivity of stilbenoids strongly depends on different types of factors such as dosage, food composition, and synergistic effects with other plant secondary metabolites such as polyphenols or vitamins. In this review, we summarize the existing in vitro, in vivo, and clinical data from published studies addressing the optimization of bioavailability of stilbenoids. Stilbenoids face low bioavailability due to their chemical structure. This can be improved by the use of novel drug delivery systems or enhancers, which are discussed in this review. Current in vitro and in vivo evidence suggests that both approaches are very promising and increase the absorption of the original substance by several times. However, data from more clinical trials are required.

The present review summarizes the current knowledge on the provenance and properties, metabolism and toxicity, mechanism of action, physiological, and therapeutic roles of amygdalin—a molecule present in the seeds of apricot and other plants—with an emphasis on the action of amygdalin on reproductive processes, particularly in the female. Amygdalin influences physiological processes including female reproduction at various regulatory levels via extra- and intracellular signaling pathways regulating secretory activity, cell viability, steroidogenesis, proliferation, and apoptosis. On the other hand, while being metabolized in the body, amygdalin releases significant amounts of cyanide, which may lead to acute health hazard in those individuals who may be at risk. Despite some contradictions in the available data about benefits and toxic effects of amygdalin, its potential applicability at low doses may present a promising tool for regulation of various reproductive and other physiological processes including disease management primarily in cancer phytotherapy, animal production, medicine, and biotechnology. However, further research involving carefully designed dose–response studies is required to overcome the possible side effects of amygdalin and assure its safety as a therapeutic agent.

The present review summarizes the current knowledge concerning provenance, properties, physiological and therapeutic actions of elderberry and the bioactive molecules present in the plant, with emphasis on their action on female reproduction. Elderberry or black elder (Sambucus nigra L.) attracts attention due to its easy cultivation and high availability of bioactive compounds. Most of the available data concerning black elder’s therapeutic action are focused on its effects such as activation of immune processes and anti-inflammatory processes (cytokine production, etc.) and regulation of hormones and their receptors in cancer cells. The effects of elderberry on reproduction have been poorly investigated so far. Nevertheless, conducted studies so far demonstrate the stimulatory influence of black elder extract and its constituents, such as rutin, anthocyanins and agglutinins, on the viability and steroidogenesis of healthy ovarian cells as well as their ability to promote apoptosis and reduce the viability and proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, the action of black elder extract and its constituent biomolecules, such as anthocyanins and lectins, on embryogenesis and the embryonal estradiol-estradiol receptor system have also been reported. The available information, despite limitations, suggest the applicability of black elder constituents for improvement of reproductive processes in animal biotechnology, animal production and assisted reproduction, as well as for prevention and treatment of reproductive disorders (including cancer) in veterinary and human medicine.

In this study, we focused analyzing γδ T cells during bovine mammary gland inflammation induced by Streptococcus uberis. A mammary gland cell suspension was obtained using lavage 24, 48, 72, and 168 h after intramammary-induced infection. The proportion of lymphocytes increased during the entire week in which inflammation was present. The γδ T cells were also elevated during inflammation, reaching their peak at 72 h following induced inflammation. The percentage of apoptotic lymphocytes continually increased, with the highest proportion occurring 168 h after S. uberis infection. The results show that γδ T cells may be involved in the resolution of inflammation in bovine mammary glands, with the apoptosis of those cells potentially playing an important role.

Blackcurrant fruits (Ribes nigrum L.) or black chokeberry fruits (Aronia melanocarpa L.) rich in phytochemicals that may act as potent antioxidant and anticancer agents have recently gained increasing attention. A beneficial health effect of blackcurrants and chokeberries is mostly attributed to their phenolic and anthocyanin contents. We investigated the influence of blackcurrant and chokeberry extracts at the concentration range 10-100 µg/mL (24h) on human ovarian granulosa cells HGL5 and human ovarian carcinoma cells OVCAR-3. All parameters were evaluated spectrophotometrically. Cell viability was measured by AlamarBlueTM assay, and the release of steroid hormones (17β-estradiol and progesterone) was assayed by ELISA. The results showed that the viability of non-cancer cells HGL5 significantly increased by blackcurrant extract at a concentration of 10 µg/mL and by chokeberry extract at 10, 20, 50, and 100 µg/mL concentrations. The number of viable cancer cells OVCAR-3 was significantly reduced by blackcurrant extract at the concentrations of 20, 50 and by chokeberry extract at 100 µg/mL and at 100 µg/mL. Chokeberry extract slightly stimulated 17β-estradiol release by HGL5 cells and blackcurrant extract exhibited stimulatory effect on 17β-estradiol release at a concentration of 10 µg/mL. On the other hand, both extracts failed to affect progesterone release. Extracts did not cause any significant changes in total superoxide dismutase (SOD) level determined in HGL5 cells. On the other hand, a significant decrease of SOD level was noted in cancer cells OVCAR-3 treated by blackcurrant extract at the concentrations 20, 50 and 100 µg/mL and in cancer cells treated by chokeberry extract at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. In conclusion, this in vitro study suggests the action of both, blackcurrant and chokeberry extracts on human ovarian cell functions including viability and secretory activity, and possible use for the benefit of human health.