It has been postulated that fatty acids found in edible oils may exert beneficial health effects by the modulation of signaling pathways regulating cell differentiation and proliferation, especially in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, the biological effects of selected edible oils—linseed (LO) and rapeseed (RO) oils—were tested in vitro on fibroblast cells. The fatty acid profile of the oils was determined using gas chromatography and FTIR spectroscopy. LO was found to be rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA), whereas oleic acid was the most abundant species in RO. Fatty acids were taken up by the cells and promoted cell proliferation. No oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxic or genotoxic effects were observed after oil stimulation. Oils ameliorated the process of wound healing as judged by improved migration of fibroblasts to the wounding area. As ALA-rich LO exhibited the most potent wound healing activity, ALA may be considered a candidate for promoting the observed effect.

Industrial wine yeasts owe their adaptability in constantly changing environments to a long evolutionary history that combines naturally occurring evolutionary events with human-enforced domestication. Among the many stressors associated with winemaking processes that have potentially detrimental impacts on yeast viability, growth, and fermentation performance are hyperosmolarity, high glucose concentrations at the beginning of fermentation, followed by the depletion of nutrients at the end of this process. Therefore, in this study, we subjected three widely used industrial wine yeasts to adaptive laboratory evolution under potassium chloride (KCl)-induced osmotic stress. At the end of the evolutionary experiment, we evaluated the tolerance to high osmotic stress of the evolved strains. All of the analyzed strains improved their fitness under high osmotic stress without worsening their economic characteristics, such as growth rate and viability. The evolved derivatives of two strains also gained the ability to accumulate glycogen, a readily mobilized storage form of glucose conferring enhanced viability and vitality of cells during prolonged nutrient deprivation. Moreover, laboratory-scale fermentation in grape juice showed that some of the KCl-evolved strains significantly enhanced glycerol synthesis and production of resveratrol-enriched wines, which in turn greatly improved the wine sensory profile. Altogether, these findings showed that long-term adaptations to osmotic stress can be an attractive approach to develop industrial yeasts.

Pregnancy and childbirth are associated with the forming of reactive oxygen species that generate oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a factor that may adversely affect the development of the fetus and the course of labour. Monitoring the parameters of oxidative stress can be used to assess the risk of health issues in the course of pregnancy and the condition of the newborn. Therefore, the analysis of oxidative stress in the physiological course of labour is the basis for understanding the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of miscarriages and neonatal health circumstances. The study aimed to assess oxidative stress of mother-child pairs in the venous blood and umbilical cord blood at the time of physiological labour. One hundred and sixty-eight mother-child pairs were recruited to donate the mother’s venous blood in the first stage of labour and the venous umbilical cord blood after the newborn’s birth. Total antioxidant status (TAS), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) with cofactors (Zn, Cu, Mn) and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were analysed in venous blood plasma and umbilical cord blood. TAS value (p = 0.034), GPx activity (p < 0.001) and Zn concentration (p = 0.007) were significantly lower in maternal blood plasma as compared to neonatal umbilical cord blood. However, the activity of SOD (p = 0.013) and the concentration of Cu (p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the blood of mothers than of new-borns. The concentration of Mn in the plasma of the mother’s blood and the umbilical cord blood of the newborns was similar. Our research indicates higher levels of antioxidant enzyme (GPx) and total antioxidant potential (TAS) in umbilical cord blood compared to maternal blood, which may suggest depletion of redox reserves in women’s blood during labour.