Gedunin is an important limonoid present in several genera of the Meliaceae family, mainly in seeds. Several biological activities have been attributed to gedunin, including antibacterial, insecticidal, antimalarial, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects. The discovery of gedunin as a heat shock protein (Hsp) inhibitor represented a very important landmark for its application as a biological therapeutic agent. The current study is a critical literature review based on the several biological activities so far described for gedunin, its therapeutic effect on some human diseases, and future directions of research for this natural compound.

The Neem tree, Azadirachta indica A. Juss., is known for its large spectrum of compounds with biological and pharmacological interest. These include, among others, activities that are anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory. Some neem compounds are also used as insecticides, herbicides, and/or antifeedants. The safety of these compounds is not always taken into consideration and few in vivo toxicity studies have been performed. The current study is a literature review of the latest in vivo toxicity of A. indica. It is divided in two major sections—aquatic animals toxicity and mammalian toxicity—each related to neem’s application as a pesticide or a potential new therapeutic drug, respectively.

Background: Polypharmacy in older adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy leads to increased risks of drug interactions, translating in potential hazardous health outcomes. This study aims to assess the prevalence of polypharmacy, drug–drug interactions (DDIs), and severe-drug interactions (SDIs) in older patients with cancer. Antineoplastic agents (ANAs) involvement and possible risk contexts (comorbidities with cardiac risk, and high-risk medications) were also analysed. Methods: Observational study with older adults (≥ 65 years) diagnosed with cancer, who were treated with antineoplastic agents (ANAs); it was conducted in three hospitals from the north of Portugal. Data collection was obtained using self-reports and medical records. DDIs were identified and classified using Micromedex® software. Descriptive and association analyze statistics were performed. Statistical hypothesis tests with p value less than 0.05 were considered significant. All statistical procedures and analysis were performed with R version 4.1.3. Results: We enrolled 552 patients. Polypharmacy prevalence was 88.40%; 76.45% and 56.16% of the patients presented with DDIs and SDIs, respectively. SDIs with ANAs were found in 21.20% of the patients. High-risk medications were associated with a higher risk of polypharmacy, DDIs, and SDIs. Polypharmacy and DDIs were higher in patients with hypertension or diabetes. SDIs were higher in patients with diabetes. Conclusion: Polypharmacy, potential DDIs and SDIs were highly prevalent in older adults with cancer. A careful review of the medication administered is necessary to decrease it. These findings warrant further research to optimize medication in this population and decrease problems related to medication, which may lead to emergency room visits and hospitalisations, compromising patient safety and/or ongoing treatments.

The evaluation of the efficacy of incorporation of quercetin in nanoparticles is crucial, both for the development and quality control of pharmaceutical formulations. The validation of analytical methods for the precise quantification of quercetin is useful for the evaluation of various potential quercetin delivery systems and quercetin pharmacokinetics. This work aimed to validate a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method for quercetin detection and quantification in nanoparticles. Different mobile phase conditions and detection wavelengths (254 and 368 nm) were tested, and the major validation parameters were assessed (precision, accuracy, linearity, sensitivity, stability, and selectivity). The best peak resolution was obtained when quercetin was analyzed at 368 nm with a mobile phase of 1.5% acetic acid and a water/acetonitrile/methanol ratio of 55:40:5. Under these conditions, quercetin also eluted rapidly (retention time of 3.6 min). The method proved to be linear (R² > 0.995), specific, and repeatable (variation coefficient between 2.4% and 6.7%) and presented intermediate precision (variation coefficient between 7.2% and 9.4%). The accuracy of the analysis ranged between 88.6% and 110.7%, and detection and quantification limits were 0.046 and 0.14 µg/mL, respectively. Quercetin solutions were more stable when stored at 4 °C than at room temperature or −20 °C. This validated method satisfied more parameters of bias assessment than most recent methods for quercetin determination and presented itself as more sensitive and efficient than general spectrophotometric methods. The method was successfully used for the analysis of quercetin incorporation in nanoparticles and will be evaluated in the future for its adequacy for the determination of quercetin in more complex matrices.

There is an increase in the popularity of craft beer, which is produced by small, independent, and traditional breweries. Since craft beer popularity is rising in Portugal this research focused on assessing physicochemical parameters, total phenolic content (TPC) and the antioxidant capacity of Portuguese craft beers and raw materials used in beer production. In this experimental study, 19 beer samples were analyzed. Parameters such as pH, Total Acidity, Reducing Sugar Content and TPC were evaluated. For the determination of antioxidant activity, DPPH scavenging activity and metal chelating activity (MCA) were analyzed in all samples. Craft beers demonstrated a high phenolic content (ranging from 343.78 mg GAE/L to 2172.49 mg GAE/L), significantly different from industrial beers. Craft beers demonstrated a higher inhibition of DPPH radicals and higher MCA than the raw materials. DPPH inhibition ranged from 36.5% to 96.0% for malt and 64.7% to 79.6% in hops samples. MCA also varied between the different samples, with results of 12.0% to 24.8% in malt samples and 3.8% to 23.5% in hops. Raw materials can potentially influence the antioxidant activity of the resulting beer. Positive correlations between TPC and physicochemical properties can be useful to help consumers choose beers with added value for health.

Quercetin (QUE) is the most widely used flavonoid for therapeutic purposes. To improve the available knowledge about the properties of some natural products, determining the amount of QUE is crucial. The main objective of this systematic review is to identify the analytical methods validated for detecting and quantifying QUE in different matrices and characterize their sensitivity. A search was conducted until 30 June 2023 in the PubMed database for experimental studies that addressed the validation of chromatographic analytical methods to detect and quantify QUE from consumable natural products. Only studies published between 2018 and 2022, written in English, were included. The risk of bias was assessed by emphasizing methods of comparison according to previously published studies. Descriptive statistics were used to depict the obtained results. The studies were analyzed based on the type of QUE source, chromatographic method, and validation parameters. A total of 17 studies were included in this review. Plants were the most commonly analyzed source of QUE. Among the detection methods, spectrophotometry proved to be the most widely used, surpassing mass spectrometry (MS). After analyzing the bias, all the included studies mentioned/presented, totally or partially, at least four of the eight parameters.