The most common malignancy in women is breast cancer. During the development of cancer, oncogenic transcription factors facilitate the overproduction of inflammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules. Antiapoptotic proteins are markedly upregulated in cancer cells, which promotes tumor development, metastasis, and cell survival. Promising findings have been found in studies on the cell cycle-mediated apoptosis pathway for medication development and treatment. Dietary phytoconstituents have been studied in great detail for their potential to prevent cancer by triggering the body’s defense mechanisms. The underlying mechanisms of action may be clarified by considering the role of polyphenols in important cancer signaling pathways. Phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, lignans, lignins, naphthoquinones, anthraquinones, xanthones, and stilbenes are examples of natural chemicals that are being studied for potential anticancer drugs. These substances are also vital for signaling pathways. This review focuses on innovations in the study of polyphenol genistein’s effects on breast cancer cells and presents integrated chemical biology methods to harness mechanisms of action for important therapeutic advances.

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) have emerged as green and sustainable alternative solvents for extracting valuable bioactive compounds from agro-industrial by-products. NaDESs are stable, soluble, and biodegradable with low melting points and a wide range of applications. These characteristics align closely with the principles of green chemistry, making NaDESs promising for use in the food industry. Recent studies demonstrate that NaDESs can effectively extract proteins, polysaccharides, polyphenols, carotenoids, alkaloids, and other bioactives from sources such as vegetable waste, cereal by-products, and fruit pomace, often performing better than traditional solvents such as methanol and ethanol. The bioactive components of these extracts may exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, anticancer, or antimicrobial activity and can be used as functional ingredients, nutraceuticals, or preservatives. Furthermore, NaDES-derived extracts have been shown to have hypoglycemic effects by inhibiting enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and reducing oxidative stress. As a result, they may find use as functional food ingredients in diabetes management. This review presents the recent research on the extraction of bioactive compounds from agro-industrial by-products using NaDESs and an evaluation of their antidiabetic potential.

Information availability through the web has been both a challenge and an asset for healthcare support, as evidence-based information coexists with unsupported claims. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), this situation may be enhanced or improved. The aim of the present study was to compare the quality assessment of online dietary weight loss information conducted by an AI assistant (ChatGPT 4.5) to that of health professionals. Thus, 177 webpages publishing dietary advice on weight loss were retrieved from the web and assessed by ChatGPT-4.5 and by dietitians through (1) a validated instrument (DISCERN) and (2) a self-made scale based on official guidelines for weight management. Also, webpages were assessed by a ChatGPT custom scoring system. Analysis revealed no significant differences in quantitative quality scores between human raters, ChatGPT-4.5, and the AI-derived system (p = 0.528). On the contrary, statistically significant differences were found between the three content accuracy scores (p < 0.001), with scores assigned by ChatGPT-4.5 being higher than those assigned by humans (all p < 0.001). Our findings suggest that ChatGPT-4.5 could complement human experts in evaluating online weight loss information, when using a validated instrument like DISCERN. However, more relevant research is needed before forming any suggestions.

Background: Given the limited evidence in the field, the present study aimed to explore the association of UPF intake with food literacy levels in an adult Mediterranean-based population. Methods: Self-reported demographic and anthropometric data were collected from 317 apparently healthy adults (52.5% males) Food literacy and dietary intake of this population were also assessed. Foods were classified as ultra-processed according to the NOVA system, and their contribution to total daily energy intake (%) was calculated. Then, participants were grouped into the (1) higher UPF intake (HUPFI), and (2) lower UPF intake (LUPFI) groups, based on the median value of this population as a cut-off. Results: Between-group analysis revealed that LUPFI scored statistically significantly higher than the HUPFI group in total food literacy (93.5 [84.0–104.0] vs. 86.0 [78.0–99.0], p < 0.001) and in three out of five food literacy sub-dimensions. Sub-analysis revealed no differences between LUPFI and HUPFI groups of individuals with normal weight. In participants with overweight or obesity, the LUPFI group scored lower than the HUPFI in the total food literacy score (95.0 [87.0–104.0] vs. 81.0 [70.0–94.0], p < 0.001) and in each sub-dimension. Conclusions: Higher UPF intake was associated, in adults with overweight or obesity, with lower levels of food literacy.

Background/Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a major public health challenge. Phytochemicals have gained attention for their potential role in glucose regulation. This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary phytochemical intake, assessed using the Dietary Phytochemical Index (DPI), and fasting plasma glucose in adults with established T2D. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 340 adults with T2D attending the Diabetes Clinic of the General Hospital of Kalamata, Greece. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire and DPI was calculated as the percentage of total daily energy derived from fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts/seeds and olives/olive oil. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the association between DPI and fasting plasma glucose, adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, anthropometric and clinical characteristics. The fully adjusted analysis included 199 participants with complete data. Additional models adjusted for Mediterranean diet adherence, total energy intake and socioeconomic factors. Results: Each 1-percentage-point increase in DPI was associated with 0.65 mg/dL lower fasting plasma glucose (b = −0.652, 95% CI: −1.177 to −0.127; and p = 0.015). The association remained after additional adjustment for Mediterranean diet adherence, total energy intake and socioeconomic factors and was supported by multiple-imputation analysis. Food-group component analyses were exploratory; no component remained statistically significant after false discovery rate correction. Conclusions: Higher DPI was associated with lower fasting plasma glucose in adults with T2D after adjustment for measured covariates. Prospective studies and randomized trials are needed to confirm this association and determine its clinical relevance.

Interest in plant-derived proteins and cardiometabolic health is growing, yet evidence directly comparing plant- and animal-derived protein intake in middle-aged and older adults remains inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of plant-versus animal-derived protein interventions on nutritional status, cardiometabolic health, and inflammatory outcomes in adults aged ≥50 years. PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between January 2000 and August 2025. Eligible studies included adults aged ≥50 years, intervention durations of >1 month, and direct comparisons between plant- and animal-derived protein interventions. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed, and risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. Exploratory subgroup analyses were conducted according to daily plant- and animal-protein intake, using 27 g/day as the data-derived median for both protein sources; intervention duration, using 12 weeks as the data-derived median; sex composition; and the presence or absence of an exercise intervention. Twenty-nine RCTs involving 2363 participants were included; 61.3% of participants were female, with 1174 assigned to animal-protein group and 1189 to plant-protein group. Most trials compared soy-based protein interventions with dairy-derived proteins; 25 of the 29 (86%) included RCTs used soy as the plant-protein source, and 23 of 29 (79%) evaluated purified protein isolates or isolate-based products rather than whole foods. Seven trials included an exercise intervention. Pooled analyses showed no significant differences between plant- and animal-protein interventions on body composition, including lean mass and handgrip strength, and on most blood indices. A marginal reduction in total cholesterol (T-CHOL) favored plant protein with substantial between-study heterogeneity (Hedges' g = -0.31, 95% CI: -0.62 to -0.00; I² = 86.20%). Exploratory analyses suggested that plant protein favored T-CHOL among comparisons with plant-protein intake <27 g/day, animal-protein intake <27 g/day, or no exercise intervention. Conversely, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) favored animal protein among comparisons with animal-protein intake <27 g/day. Findings were accompanied by increased heterogeneity. Plant- and animal-derived protein interventions produced generally similar effects on nutritional, cardiometabolic, and inflammatory outcomes in adults aged ≥50 years. However, the predominance of soy-based isolates and dairy-derived comparators, together with substantial between-study heterogeneity, limits the certainty and generalizability of the findings. The results should be interpreted as evidence from controlled protein-source interventions rather than as evidence of equivalence between whole-food plant and animal protein substitutions. Further RCTs evaluating diverse whole-protein foods within protein-adequate, isocaloric, and nutritionally well-characterized dietary patterns are warranted. CRD420261304953.