Background: While many factors contribute to weight regain after bariatric surgery, the role of dietary intake and behaviors remains underexplored in specific populations. This study aims to explore the long-term outcomes of bariatric surgery in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the impact of dietary intake and eating behaviors on weight regain. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using phone interviews to assess the dietary patterns and eating behaviors of 335 participants who underwent bariatric surgery at least three years prior. Data were collected through a structured validated questionnaire covering food consumption and eating habits. Results: Of the 335 participants who completed the survey, 81.8% experienced weight regain, defined as a ≥20% increase from their nadir weight, after bariatric surgery. Several dietary behaviors were associated with weight regain. Higher consumption of pastries (OR = 0.382, p = 0.014), sweets (OR = 0.498, p = 0.036), and moderate bread intake (OR = 0.287, p = 0.038) were associated with lower odds of obesity. Additionally, frequent consumption of traditional dishes such as kabsah (OR = 0.411, p = 0.008) was associated with lower odds of obesity. Conclusions: This study highlights the complexity of dietary patterns in post-bariatric surgery weight management. Although certain foods, such as pastries, sweets, and kabsah, were associated with lower odds of obesity in this sample, the cross-sectional design prevents causal interpretation. These findings should therefore be viewed as exploratory signals, emphasizing the need for cautious interpretation and reinforcing the call for longitudinal, representative studies to clarify the long-term determinants of weight regain and to guide clinical follow-up strategies.

Background: Salvadora persica (S. persica), commonly known as ‘Miswak,’ has been used in ethnotraditional applications since ancient times. This study was formulated to examine bioactive phenolics and flavonoids from the hydroethanolic extract of S. persica bark, anticancer activity, and in silico binding interaction analysis with key therapeutic targets of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Methods: UHPLC was used to identify the phytochemicals in S. persica bark extract. Cell death was analyzed by MTT assay in TNBC MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells. Moreover, cellular apoptosis, ROS generation, MMP, and cell cycle checkpoints were also carried out. AutoDock Tools 1.5.7 and PyRx 0.8 tools were used for molecular binding interaction analysis. Results: Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of total phenolic and total flavonoid content of 26.90 ± 0.46 μg GAE/mg and 54.51 ± 0.42 μg QE/mg of bark extract, respectively. UHPLC analysis confirmed the presence of fumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and quercetin in the extract. S. persica significantly reduced cell viability of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 144 and 128 μg/mL, respectively. S. persica extract elevated ROS generation, loss of MMP, late apoptosis induction, and G2/M-phase cell cycle arrest, while it did not show any significant effect against normal kidney Vero cells. Molecular docking studies revealed that rutin showed strong binding affinity towards EGFR with B.E. = −9.8 and −9.5 Kcal/mol; FGFR1 with B.E. = −7.4 and −7.5 Kcal/mol; FGFR4 with B.E. = −7.5 and −7.9 Kcal/mol; and csGRP78 with B.E. = −9.0 and −9.3 Kcal/mol, using Autodock Vina and PyRx tools, respectively. SwissADME and drug-likeness analysis confirmed acceptable drug-like characteristics and favorable pharmacokinetic profiles of the identified molecules. Conclusions: This study highlighted the potential of phytochemicals from S. persica bark as promising compounds for the development of novel anticancer therapeutics.

Background: Accurate dietary-intake assessment underpins nutrition research and clinical dietetics, yet self-report methods remain vulnerable to recall, portion-size and reporting error. Objective: This structured narrative review evaluates AI-enabled and sensor-supported dietary-assessment software, focusing on technical performance, measurement validity, user engagement, food-composition databases, cultural applicability and clinical readiness. Methods: Evidence was identified through searches of five electronic sources—PubMed (including MEDLINE-indexed records), Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, IEEE Xplore and ScienceDirect—covering January 2020 to March 2025, and a complete rerun of the same five sources on 7 August 2026, supplemented by backward and forward citation tracking. The retained primary screening record comprised 1620 electronic-source records and 42 additional records (1662 before deduplication); 478 duplicates were removed, 1184 records were screened, 212 full texts were assessed and 15 sources were retained for the primary-phase qualitative synthesis. These figures are retained aggregate review-log totals and should not be interpreted as a fully reconstructable systematic-review audit trail. The 2026 update incorporated 18 publications: 10 from the January 2020–March 2025 historical interval through separate recovery/reassessment, and eight published after March 2025 through the 497-record update-specific screening stream, with retrieval phase reported separately from evidence role. The higher, moderate and limited/emerging within-map convergence descriptors summarise patterns in the purposively selected literature and do not represent exhaustive retrieval, formal certainty of evidence or reproducible screening. Results: Food recognition is most mature for visually distinct foods under controlled conditions. Portion-size estimation, nutrient quantification, mixed dishes, sustained engagement and culturally diverse foods remain less consistent. Selected systems show reasonable group-level energy and macronutrient agreement under defined conditions, whereas validation in free-living and clinical settings remains variable; a 2026 doubly labelled water study reported substantial underestimation and poor individual agreement in females with obesity. Conclusions: Current tools may support self-monitoring, research screening and dietitian-assisted assessment, but stand-alone use for high-stakes therapeutic decisions requires independent, nutrient-specific validation in the target population.

Background/Objectives: Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, highlighting the need for safer and more effective therapeutic strategies. Curcumin has shown considerable anticancer potential; however, its clinical application is limited by poor aqueous solubility and low skin permeability. Methods: Therefore, a curcumin-loaded microemulsion (CUR-ME) was developed and optimized using a Box–Behnken design, followed by incorporation into a Carbopol 934 gel for topical breast cancer therapy. Results: The optimized formulation exhibited a particle size of 177.4 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.1309, and a zeta potential of −4.45 mV, indicating favorable physicochemical characteristics. CUR-ME demonstrated superior dose-dependent cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells, with a lower IC₅₀ 8.89 µg/mL than free curcumin IC₅₀ 9.83 µg/mL. Furthermore, Hoechst 33342 staining and the DCFDA assay confirmed enhanced apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species generation in CUR-ME-treated cells, indicating improved cellular uptake and anticancer activity. Rheological and texture profile analyses demonstrated suitable viscosity, firmness, and spreadability for topical application. In vitro drug release revealed sustained release from the CUR-ME gel, achieved through the polymeric gel matrix, which increased viscosity, entrapped microemulsion droplets, and acted as a diffusion barrier to prolong drug retention and release. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further confirmed enhanced skin penetration of CUR-ME. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the developed CUR-ME gel is a promising topical drug delivery system with sustained release, improved skin retention, and enhanced therapeutic potential for breast cancer management.

Breast cancer is among the most commonly diagnosed malignancies in women and remains difficult to treat due to therapy resistance and the adverse effects associated with conventional chemotherapeutic regimens. In this study, the anticancer activity of the ethanolic root extract of Salvadora persica (S. persica), commonly known as Miswak, was evaluated in human breast cancer cells using a combination of in vitro assays, phytochemical profiling, and computational analyses. HRLC-MS/MS characterization revealed a wide range of bioactive constituents, including alkaloids, flavonoid derivatives, glucosinolates, and fatty acid–based molecules detected under both ionization modes. The extract exhibited a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect on breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 144.1 and 176.3 µg/mL, respectively, as determined by the MTT assay, while exerting negligible toxicity toward normal Vero cells. Miswak extract enhanced intracellular ROS production, disruption of MMP, nuclear condensation, and increased apoptotic cell populations, along with S-phase cell cycle arrest, pointing toward activation of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. In silico docking results indicated that key phytoconstituents exhibit strong binding interactions with multiple breast cancer–relevant targets such as ERα, PR, EGFR, HER3, IGF-1R, and GPER. Additionally, pharmacokinetic and toxicity predictions suggested favorable drug-like properties with minimal safety concerns. Thus, these findings support its potential as a promising plant-derived therapeutic candidate for breast cancer.