The ability of oil supplementation to inhibit various metabolic syndromes has been recognized. However, there are currently no studies determining the effects of oil supplements on healthy conditions. Plukenetia volubilis L., also known as Sacha inchi, is a seed rich in essential unsaturated fatty acids that improves metabolic syndrome diseases, such as obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver. However, the health benefits and effects of Sacha inchi oil (SIO) supplementation remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the chemical effects and properties of Sacha inchi oil. The results of the chemical compound analysis showed that Sacha inchi is an abundant source of ω-3 fatty acids, with a content of 44.73%, and exhibits scavenging activity of 240.53 ± 11.74 and 272.41 ± 6.95 µg Trolox/g, determined via DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively, while both olive and lard oils exhibited lower scavenging activities compared with Sacha inchi. Regarding liver histology, rats given Sacha inchi supplements showed lower TG accumulation and fat droplet distribution in the liver than those given lard supplements, with fat areas of approximately 14.19 ± 6.49% and 8.15 ± 2.40%, respectively. In conclusion, our findings suggest that Sacha inchi oil is a plant source of ω-3 fatty acids and antioxidants and does not induce fatty liver and pathology in the kidney, pancreas, and spleen. Therefore, it has the potential to be used as a dietary supplement to improve metabolic syndrome diseases.

Fasciolosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Fasciola gigantica or F. hepatica infections, which are frequently occurring parasites in animals and humans. The present gold-standard diagnostic technique involves finding parasite eggs through microscopy. However, this method is also restricted due to low specificity and low sensitivity. An alternative to coprological diagnosis is the immunochromatographic strip (ICS) test, which is rapid, simple, convenient, and cost-effective, with high sensitivity and high specificity. Cathepsin L1H (CathL1H) is a cysteine protease secreted by F. gigantica, which is found in high amounts in newly excysted juvenile (NEJ) and juvenile stages. Cathepsin L1H plays an important role in both the immune response to invading pathogens and in the ability of some pathogens to evade the host immune system. The present study aims to develop an ICS test and detect antibodies against CathL1H in mice and cattle serum using the recombinant F. gigantica Cathepsin L1H (rFgCathL1H) and rabbit anti-rFgCathL1H antibody. The F. gigantica-infected serum and non-infected serum of mice and cattle were tested using the ICS test. Moreover, the strip results were confirmed with an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (indirect ELISA). The relative sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the ICS strip were 97.5, 99.99, and 99.00%, respectively. Therefore, these data suggest that the ICS method could be used to detect F. gigantica antibodies to highly enhance throughput, reduce costs, and determine the best alternative on-site method.

Colorectal cancer treatment primarily relies on chemotherapy, which often causes significant side effects. Sacha inchi, a plant known in traditional medicine, has shown promise in various therapeutic applications. However, despite its potential, the specific mechanisms remain poorly understood, particularly regarding its husk components. This study investigates sacha inchi husk extract’s chemical properties and its effects on human colorectal cancer cells. GC/MS and LC/MS analyses revealed a rich profile of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, with naringenin and lidocaine as predominant components. The extract demonstrated significant dose-dependent inhibition of colorectal cell migration, invasion, and colony formation while exhibiting no cytotoxicity toward normal colon epithelial cells. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses showed downregulation of migration- and invasion-related genes in cancer cells, and Western blot analysis confirmed reduced expression of MMP2, MMP9, and N-cadherin. EGFR pathway analysis showed decreased expression of RAS (−0.2-fold), MAK (−0.26-fold), and ERK (−0.54-fold) genes, indicating suppression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). These findings demonstrate that sacha inchi husk extract effectively inhibits metastasis in colorectal cancer cells through the upstream (EGFR) and downstream (EMT) pathways, suggesting its potential as a dietary supplement or therapeutic agent for colorectal cancer treatment. Our research provides evidence for the development of natural, less toxic alternatives.

Fasciolosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by Fasciola species (Fasciola spp.). Fasciola spp. infection has the potential to affect the livestock economy. Furthermore, liver flukes have been found to present Triclabendazole resistance in many countries. Vaccines are used to prevent fasciolosis and are currently considered the best alternative. However, no liver fluke vaccine is commercially available at present. Fasciola gigantica Cathepsin Ls (FgCatLs) are vital enzymes for the liver fluke’s survival. Therefore, this study aimed to design and investigate the immune response of multi-epitope Cathepsin L (MeCatL) driven short peptide vaccine for fasciolosis using immunoinformatic tools. FgCatLs sequences were predicted Linear B cell (BCL)- and Helper T lymphocyte (HTL)-specific immunogenic Eepitopes. The selected epitopes were marked on FgCatL’s alignments. Novel epitopes were constructed from three criteria, including the selection process taking non-conserved host regions, overlapping FgCatLs sequences, and the highest percent conserved residues. Novel epitopes of BCL and HTL were linked with a linker to design a short peptide. MeCatL driven short peptide presented high antigenicity, non-allergenicity, non-toxicity, and good solubility. MeCatL driven short peptide was predicted and refined the tertiary structure. The refined MeCatL driven short peptide model indicated good quality structure that was investigated by Ramachandran plot, ERRAT, and Z-score. The refined MeCatL driven short peptide model interacted with Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2). The lowest energy was −1222.4 kJ/mol. The levels of IgM, IgG1, and IgG2 were increased in in silico immune simulation. MeCatL driven short peptide was synthesized and immunized in mice. IgG1 and IgG2a levels were increased after week 2, indicating IgG1 levels were dominating. MeCatL driven short peptide immunized sera can detect single proteins, including rFgCatL1, rFgCatL1G, and rFgCatL1H. In addition, MeCatL driven short peptide immunized sera was specifically detected in the cecal epithelium of NEJ and adult stages. These findings suggest that the MeCatL short peptide is a promising vaccine candidate, capable of inducing targeted immune responses, though further studies are needed to confirm its protective efficacy in vivo.

With an aging population and the increase in life expectancy, colorectal cancer is becoming increasingly common. Currently, the mainstay of treatment is chemotherapy, which can cause a variety of side effects. However, herbalists in many cultures have long used herbs to promote health and treat various diseases, including colon cancer. This study investigated the chemical components of shell extracts from Plukenetia volubilis (sacha inchi) and their effects on colon cancer cells. First, cytotoxicity against both normal and cancer cells was assessed, followed by cell migration and invasion. Finally, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were performed to investigate molecular mechanisms. Phytochemical analysis showed a total phenolic content of 134.61 ± 0.27 mgGAE/g extract and a total flavonoid content of 5.75 ± 0.01 mgQE/g extract; moreover, lidocaine (10.57%) and linolenic acid (10.39%) were identified as the most abundant compounds. In vitro, the extract inhibited cell migration, invasion, and colony formation and was associated with potential modulations of the Hippo pathways and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Therefore, it can be concluded that these extracts are effective in inhibiting the progression of colon cancer cells, and thus, they can prospectively be developed as a dietary supplement or therapeutic agent for the treatment of colon cancer in the future.