A wide variety of probiotic products has been introduced into the market in the past decade. Research trends and activity on probiotics help understand how these products were evolved and their potential future role in medicine. The objective of this study was to assess the research activity on probiotics in pediatrics using bibliometric indicators and network visualization. Original and review articles on probiotics in pediatrics published worldwide were retrieved from SciVerse, Scopus (1994–2014) and analyzed. VOSviewer was used for network visualization. The total number of documents published on probiotics in pediatrics was 2817. Research activity on probiotics in pediatrics showed approximately 90- fold increase during the study period. Approximately 22 % of published articles originated from USA and has the greatest share, however, Finland ranked first when data were stratified by population or income. The most productive institution in this field was Turku University in Finland with 82 (2.91 %) articles. Half of the prolific authors were also from Finland. Most of the published research activity appeared in Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Most frequently encountered title terms include nutrition, infant formula, necrotizing enetrocolitis, allergy, and diarrhea. The total number of citations for the retreived documents documents was 70991, and the average citation per article was 25.20. Interest in probiotic research and its potential benefits in pediatric ailments is relatively recent but significantly increasing. Bibliometric analysis can be used as an indicator of the importance and growth of probiotic use in pediatrics.

Background: Plants have historically been a rich source of medicinal compounds, with many modern pharmaceuticals derived from botanical origins. In contemporary healthcare, there is a resurgence in utilizing botanical substances as recognized medicinal agents. This study delved into understanding the phytochemical makeup and the multifaceted biological activities of an aqueous extract from Cymbopogon citratus (C. citratus). The investigated activities were its effect on AMPA receptors, antioxidant capacity, anti-lipase, anti-α-amylase actions, cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial properties. Methods: The extract of C. citratus received a comprehensive investigation, which included the study of its phytochemical composition, assessment of its antioxidant and anti-lipase properties, evaluation of its capacity to inhibit α-amylase, analysis of its impact on cell viability, and assessment of its antimicrobial activity. The approaches are used to clarify the complex physiological and biochemical characteristics. Results: The results were compelling; receptor kinetics had a marked impact, notably on the GluA2 subunit. Regarding its medicinal potential, the extract demonstrated potent antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities with IC₅₀ values of 15.13 and 101.14 µg/mL, respectively. Additionally, it displayed significant inhibitory effects on the lipase enzyme and showed cytotoxicity against the Hep3B cancer cell line, with IC₅₀ values of 144.35 and 148.37 µg/mL. In contrast, its effects on the normal LX-2 cell line were minimal, indicating selectivity. Conclusion: The aqueous extract of C. citratus shows promising therapeutic properties. The findings advocate for further research into its compounds for potential isolation, purification, and in-depth pharmacological studies, especially in areas like nervous system disorders, diabetes, obesity, and combating oxidative stress.

Despite the fact that synthetic preservatives and antioxidants have strong antibacterial and antioxidant activity, they are frequently associated with negative health consequences. Currently, there is an increasing interest in pharmaceutical products that are excellent in quality and free of synthetic preservatives. As a result, the purpose of this research is to assess the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of olive leaf extract, oleuropein, and thymol in various pharmaceutical products. Furthermore, the efficacy of these natural extracts to substitute synthetic preservatives (methyl-propylparaben and benzalkonium chloride) and antioxidants (butylhydroxytoluene) will be investigated. The results revealed that oleuropein, olive leaf extract, and a blend of oleuropein and thyme oil may be utilized as preservatives at concentrations of (0.6 % w/v), (0.4 % w/v), and (0.4 %/0.1 % v/v), respectively. The results demonstrated that thyme oil and oleuropein have synergistic efficacy against the studied microorganisms. By assessing antibacterial activity, and physical properties, the results demonstrated that pharmaceutical formulations containing natural preservatives were stable and effective for three months under accelerated settings (40 °C/75 % RH). Natural compounds such as oleuropein, olive leaf extract, and thyme oil have shown antibacterial effectiveness equivalent to synthetic preservatives in selected pharmaceutical products. Furthermore, there was synergy in antimicrobial activity between thyme oil and oleuropein and this facilitates the use of these compounds at different levels.

Validating ethnobotanical data from underexplored traditional plant remedies provides an infinite source of new pharmaceutical chemicals. The purpose of this study was to determine the phytochemical composition and several biological activities (antioxidant, anti-lipase, anti-α-amylase, anti-α-glucosidase, and antimicrobial) of aqueous, ethanol, hexane, and acetone Artemisia scoparia leaf extracts. An exhaustive technique was employed to extract A. scoparia four extracts. At the same time, standard analytical and biochemical assays were utilized to determine preliminary phytochemical screening, anti-DPPH, anti-lipase, anti-α-glucosidase, and anti-α-amylase activities. Furthermore, the antimicrobial effects against seven microbial strains were evaluated using a broth micro-dilution assay. Acetone A. scoparia extract exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging and anti-α-glucosidase activities (IC₅₀ = 21.87 ± 0.71, and 149.75 ± 1.33 µg/mL, respectively), as well as the ethanol extract, exhibited the highest anti-α-amylase activity (IC₅₀ = 251 ± 1.34 µg/mL) while the aqueous extract had the best anti-lipase activity (IC₅₀ = 102 ± 0.27 µg/mL) among other extracts. Moreover, A. scoparia hexane extract has more powerful activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa than Ciprofloxacin and Ampicillin antibiotics with MICs of 0.78 ± 0.01, 0.39 ± 0.01, 0.78 ± 0.01, and 1.56 ± 0.22 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, hexane and acetone extracts of A. scoparia have the same antifungal power as Fluconazole (1.56 ± 0.22 µg/mL). The outcomes of the current study indicated that the A. scoparia acetone, ethanol, and aqueous extracts had promising antioxidant, anti-lipase, and anti-α-amylase effects, while hexane and acetone extracts had interesting antimicrobial potential. A. scoparia four extracts of potentially bioactive compounds can be selected for further isolation and purification. Moreover, clinical investigations and in vivo approaches should be implemented to confirm the pharmaceutical benefits of these extracts against diabetes, obesity, oxidative stress, and microbial infections.

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are the by‐products of the brewing process. There are financial and environmental consequences associated with the production of millions of tons of SCG every year. This research explores the possibility of using SCGs, a significant by‐product of the coffee industry, as a useful component in cookie recipes. This study is aimed at evaluating the effects of different SCG inclusion levels (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) on the physicochemical, antioxidant, sensory, and volatile characteristics of cookies. The findings demonstrated that SCG‐enriched cookies, especially those with a 5%–10% inclusion rate, retained acceptable sensory attributes while demonstrating increased dietary fiber and antioxidant activity. However, greater inclusion levels of SCG (15%) negatively impacted taste and texture. Electronic nose revealed that when the amount of SCG increased, there were discernible changes in the volatile profiles. Our research revealed that when the amount of SCG in baked cookies increased, the L ∗ and b ∗ values gradually and significantly decreased. SCG offers a promising sustainable alternative for functional cookies, with an optimal inclusion level of 5% for broad consumer acceptability. Particle size and encapsulation process improvement should be investigated in future studies to enhance antioxidant stability and sensory acceptance.