Hesperidin and hesperetin are polyphenols that can be found predominantly in citrus fruits. They possess a variety of pharmacological properties such as neuroprotective and antidiabetic activity. However, the bioavailability of these compounds is limited due to low solubility and restricts their use as pro-healthy agents. This paper described the limitations resulting from the low bioavailability of the presented compounds and gathered the methods aiming at its improvement. Moreover, this work reviewed studies providing pieces of evidence for neuroprotective and antidiabetic properties of hesperidin and hesperetin as well as providing a detailed look into the significance of reported modes of action in chronic diseases. On account of a well-documented pro-healthy activity, it is important to look for ways to overcome the problem of poor bioavailability.

Activated carbons have been obtained by physical activation of residue left after supercritical extraction of hops. The effect of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties of the adsorbents prepared was tested. The carbonaceous materials were characterised by low-temperature nitrogen sorption, determination of pH and the number of surface oxygen groups. The thermal properties of the chars and activated carbons were identified by thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermogravimetry. The products of thermochemical treatment of the starting hops were carbonaceous adsorbents of specific surface area ranging from 2 to 416 m² g⁻¹, showing definitely basic character of the surface and moderate thermal stability as evidenced by a considerable mass loss at about 300–400 °C. The results obtained in our study have proved that residue left after supercritical extraction of hops (or similar plant materials) can be cheap, easily accessible and promising precursor for activated carbons. The results have also shown that future research should be aimed at the optimum choice of the temperature of carbonation and activation in order to significantly improve the textural parameters of the activated carbons as well as their thermal stability.

In this study, biocarbon was obtained from the waste material corn digest. Carbon adsorbents were obtained by physical activation of the precursor with CO₂. Detailed physicochemical characterization of the biocarbon was carried out using low-temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Boehm titration, zero-charge point (pH_pzc) and iodine number. In addition, the sorption capacity of the biocarbon agents towards an aqueous solution of methylene blue and methyl red was determined, and the kinetics of the adsorption process were determined. The biocarbon adsorbents were characterized by an average developed specific surface area covering the range from 320 to 616 m²/g. The sorption capacity of the biocarbon adsorbents against methylene blue ranged from 40 mg/g to 146 mg/g, and for methyl red it covered the range from 31 mg/g to 113 mg/g. It was shown that the efficiency of organic dye removal by the obtained biocarbons depends on the initial concentration of the adsorbate solution, its mass, shaking rate, adsorbent–adsorbate contact time and temperature. The results obtained from the Langmuir and Freundlich kinetic models showed that the Langmuir model is the most suitable model for describing the adsorption of the studied pollutants on biocarbon. In turn, the adsorption kinetics of dyes is described according to the pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption studies also showed that as the process temperature increases, the removal efficiency of methylene blue and methyl red increases.

Cannabinoids represent a highly researched group of plant-derived ingredients. The substantial investment of funds from state and commercial sources has facilitated a significant increase in knowledge about these ingredients. Cannabinoids can be classified into three principal categories: plant-derived phytocannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids and endogenous cannabinoids, along with the enzymes responsible for their synthesis and degradation. All of these compounds interact biologically with type 1 (CB1) and/or type 2 (CB2) cannabinoid receptors. A substantial body of evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies has demonstrated that cannabinoids and inhibitors of endocannabinoid degradation possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumour and antifibrotic properties with beneficial effects. This review, which spans the period from 1940 to 2024, offers an overview of the potential therapeutic applications of natural and synthetic cannabinoids. The development of these substances is essential for the global market of do-it-yourself drugs to fully exploit the promising therapeutic properties of cannabinoids.