The aims of this study were to determine the polyphenolic profile, to estimate the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and to evaluate the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the extract of Pistacia lentiscus leaves, and the hydroacetonic mixture was employed as an alternative for common solvents in the extraction process. In order to explain the antidiabetic activity, molecular docking has been performed on the main constituents of the leaf extract. The characterization of the extract has been performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) leading to the detection of 20 compounds of which gallic acid, ellagic acid, catechin, kaempferol, and quercetin 3-glucoside were identified using authentic standards. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, assessed using the FolinCiocalteu and quercetin methods, were 394.50.08mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry extract (mg GAE/g DE) and 101.20.095mg quercetin equivalent/g dry extract (mg QE/g DE), respectively. On the other hand, the antioxidant activity of leaf extract, quantified by determining the ability to neutralize the free radical DPPH and β-carotene/linoleate model system, reached the values of 0.00270.002mg/mL and 0.1280.04mg/mL, respectively. Regarding the antidiabetic activity, based on the inhibition of pancreatic α-amylase activity, a significant inhibition of about 68.20 with an IC₅₀ value of 0.266mg/mL had been observed. This finding is consistent with the molecular docking study of the main phenolic compounds of the extracts, where a remarkable binding affinity against α-amylase was observed, with values of 7.631(kcal/mol), 6.818(kcal/mol), and 5.517(kcal/mol) for the major compounds catechin, quercetin-3-glucoside, and gallic acid, respectively.

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is a microalga widely used as a dietary supplement in sports nutrition and in treating metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Spirulina’s cell structure limits digestibility and reduces the availability of bioactive compounds. The extraction processes, coupled with encapsulation, can enhance the bioavailability of nutritional and antioxidant compounds, protecting them from degradation, preserving their functional activity, and supporting controlled release. The physicochemical properties of liposomes (Lps), bilosomes (Bls), and gelatin-enriched bilosomes (G-Bls) with incorporated Spirulina extracts were investigated. The delivery systems exhibited small particle size (101.8 ± 0.5 to 129.7 ± 1.2 nm), homogeneous distribution (polydispersity index (PDI) 0.17 ± 6.67 to 0.33 ± 9.06), negative surface charges (−31.9 ± 5.2 to 31.1 ± 6.4 mV), and high entrapment efficiency (>80%). G-Bls demonstrated effective retention of the extract, with a low release rate at pH 1.2 (41.8% ± 6.1) and controlled release at pH 7.0 (52.5% ± 3.0). Biocompatibility studies on Caco-2 cells showed that G-Bls maintained high cell viability at 200 μg·mL⁻¹ (87.89% ± 10.35) and significantly mitigated H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress at 20 and 200 μg·mL⁻¹, increasing cell viability by 23.47% and 19.28%. G-Bls are a promising delivery system for enhancing the stability, bioavailability, and protective effects of Spirulina extracts, supporting their potential application in dietary supplements aimed at promoting sports performance and recovery, mitigating exercise-induced oxidative stress, and managing metabolic disorders.

A four-year survey was conducted to monitor the presence of multiple pesticide residues contaminating tomatoes, with the aim of evaluating the potential health and environmental risks. A multiresidue liquid chromatography–triple mass spectrometry with a multiple reaction monitoring (LC-MS/MS-MRM) method was fully validated and used to test 252 pesticides in 360 samples analysed. According to SANTE guidelines, the proposed method was considered suitable for the purpose. Dietary risk assessment was conducted using the Hazard Quotient (HQ) approach and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Pesticide Residue Intake Model; meanwhile, the cumulative environmental risk assessment was conducted using the Concentration Addition (CA) and Independent Action (IA) methods. Data obtained revealed multiple contaminations in most fields examined over the years. Twenty-two pesticide residues were identified, comprising 68.2% fungicides, 27.3% insecticides, and the remaining 4.5% acaricides. Higher levels were detected for Boscalid in 2022 in three fields, with an average value of 0.42 mg/kg. Multi-residue contamination occurred each year; the lowest abundance was detected in 2023 (3.9%), and the highest in 2022 (12.3%), with 5 pesticide residues as the maximum number of compounds detected in one sample in 2022. The consumer risk assessment identified no potential health concerns for adults or toddlers, and the combined risk was considered acceptable. The environmental assessment showed maximum cumulative ratio (MCR) values that were always ≥1, indicating a contribution to the toxicity of the mixture, only slightly higher than that of the single compound with the highest toxicity. The results of this study highlight the critical need to include cumulative dietary exposure assessments in pesticide risk evaluations, especially for food products that are susceptible to contamination by multiple residues.