The aim of the present work is the characterization of biscuit doughs enriched with pomegranate peel powder (PPP) at 3 (PPP3) and 5 (PPP5) wt% in the prospect of developing a fortified aliment as a support of the therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases of the intestinal tract. The total phenolic content of the powder was preliminarily evaluated. Then, the main compounds present in the PPP were identified by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS analysis, being mainly hydrolysable tannins. The PPP was then treated at 180 °C for 20 min to mimic the baking treatment, and its water-soluble fraction (PPPwsf) was then added in the Caco-2 cell culture as a model of the intestinal epithelial barrier to verify its dose-dependent toxicity, ability in counteracting the oxidative stress, and anti-inflammatory action. Rheological experiments were performed to predict the macroscopic behavior of the PPP-added doughs during lamination and biscuit baking. SEM investigations gave their contribution to the microscopic comprehension of the dough structure. Finally, a consumer panel composed by thirty volunteers was enrolled to express its opinion on the sensory agreeableness of the biscuits prepared with two different concentrations of PPP compared with the reference dough. The discussion is focused on the biological effects of the main components found in the PPP.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly. The two cardinal neuropathological hallmarks of AD are the senile plaques, which are extracellular deposits mainly constituted by beta-amyloids, and neurofibrillary tangles formed by abnormally phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) located in the cytoplasm of neurons. Although the research has made relevant progress in the management of the disease, the treatment is still lacking. Only symptomatic medications exist for the disease, and, in the meantime, laboratories worldwide are investigating disease-modifying treatments for AD. In the present review, results centered on the use of peptides of different sizes involved in AD are presented.

The aim of this work is the evaluation of the addition of Moringa leaf powder (MLP) in cookies in terms of antioxidant properties, dough processability and sensorial properties of the cookies. The total content of biophenols and flavonoids in MLP was detected and the identification of the bioactive molecules was performed by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS measurements, before and after oven treatment at 180 °C for 20 min. After a preliminary evaluation of the MLP water soluble fraction (MLPsf) cytotoxicity, its protective effect against an oxidative injury induced in the SH-SY5Y cells was assessed. Data evidence that the bioactive molecules present in MLPsf are effective in preventing ROS production and in protecting neuronal cells against oxidative stress. Prototypes of cookies containing MLP in different concentrations were then produced and evaluated by a consumer panel. Selected doughs containing MLP were analysed to determine the total content of biophenols in the cookies after baking and their enrichment in terms of valuable chemical elements. The influence of MLP on the viscoelastic behaviour and morphology of the doughs was also assessed. Finally, the potential role in counteracting the insurgence of not treatable neurodegenerative pathologies of two main MLP components, glucomoringin and kaempferol derivatives, present also after the thermal treatment, was discussed.

Hydrogels have become popular for biomedical applications, such as patches and scaffolds for tissue engineering, due to their high-water content, biocompatibility, and tunable physico-chemical and mechanical properties. For instance, chronic wounds remain one of the major global healthcare burdens and, therefore, demand sophisticated ways of managing dressings for fast wound healing to reduce pain, prevent infection, and accelerate healing. κ-Carrageenan (kC) is a polysaccharide extracted from red seaweeds and has been widely considered a promising wound dressing material owing to its biocompatibility and hemostatic properties. Degalactosylated xyloglucan (dXG), obtained through the partial enzymatic removal of galactose from xyloglucan, has demonstrated biocompatibility, anti-inflammatory activity, and excellent scaffolding potential for cells. Both polymers show temperature-induced sol-to-gel transition; however, none of the two form hydrogels that can be used as wound dressings; dXG is too soft, while kC is too brittle, lacking adhesiveness and interconnected porosity. To address these limitations, this study explores interpenetrating hydrogel networks composed of kC and dXG. The resulting kC/dXG hydrogels demonstrate improved mechanical integrity due to the structural contribution of kC, while dXG imparts enhanced swelling capacity and surface adhesiveness. Together, these features make the kC/dXG hydrogel films promising candidates for bioactive wound dressings, yielding hydrogels with good mechanical stability due to kC and enhanced biological properties attributed to dXG.