The extracts of whole plants or specific organs from different plant species are gaining increasing attention for their phytotherapy applications. Accordingly, we prepared standardized gemmotherapy extracts (GTEs) from young shoots/buds of olive (Olea europaea), sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus), and black mulberry (Morus nigra), and analyzed the corresponding phytonutrient profiles. We identified 42, 103, and 109 phytonutrients in the olive, almond, and black mulberry GTEs, respectively, containing amino acids, vitamins, polyphenols, flavonoids, coumarins, alkaloids, iridoids, carboxylic acids, lignans, terpenoids, and others. In order to assess the physiological effects generated by the GTEs, we developed a translational nutrition model based on Drosophila melanogaster and Cyprinus carpio. The results indicate that GTEs could influence, to a variable extent, viability and ATP synthesis, even though both are dependent on the specific carbohydrate load of the applied diet and the amino acid and polyphenol pools provided by the GTEs. It seems, therefore, likely that the complex chemical composition of the GTEs offers nutritional properties that cannot be separated from the health-promoting mechanisms that ultimately increase viability and survival. Such an approach sets the paves the way for the nutritional genomic descriptions regarding GTE-associated health-promoting effects.

Lung cancer is the second cause of death in the world, being the most common type of cancer. Conventional therapies are not always recommended due to the particularities of patients. Thus, there is a need to develop new anticancer therapeutic agents. Medicinal plants constitute a source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential in lung cancer. The purpose of our narrative review is to evaluate and summarize the main studies on the cytotoxic effects of ten medicinal plants and their extracts, volatile oils, and bioactive compounds. We have also included studies that reported protective effects of these natural products against chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Studies were identified by assessing five databases using specific keywords. The investigated natural products possess cytotoxic effects on lung cancer cell cultures. Several mechanisms of action have been proposed including cell death by apoptosis, necrosis or autophagy, cell cycle arrest, the modulation of signaling pathways (PI3K/Akt and MAPK), the inhibition of migration, invasion and metastasis, antiangiogenesis, and targeting inflammation. Different bioactive compounds exhibit protective effects against chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Studies have shown promising results. To develop new therapeutic agents useful in treating lung cancer, the plants included in this review should be more deeply investigated to reveal their molecular mechanisms of action.

The aim of this study was to analyze the composition and dual beneficial and toxic effects of Achillea millefolium L., Mentha longifolia L., and Thymus serpyllum L. extracts. The phenolic profile, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, and drosopterin eye content (DEC) were determined by modern methods. The viability and developmental time of D. melanogaster were assessed by a diet-dependent viability test. The results show that the phenolic profile varied depending on the extract type and plant species. The TPC ranged between 5.32 and 29.32 mg GAE/g dry weight. All the plant extracts exert antioxidant effect in the applied in vitro tests. In the case of D. melanogaster fed with a normal diet supplement with different concentrations of the plant A. millefolium L. extract, a biphasic effect was observed. A more complex effect was recorded for the M. longifolia L. and T. serpyllum L. extracts. On a high-sugar diet, all the extracts were toxic. All the plant extracts in tested concentrations influenced the DEC, suggesting an impact on gene expression. This study contributes to the expanding knowledge about the beneficial and toxic effects of local medicinal plants, suggesting the need for future studies to elucidate the appropriate use of natural products in therapy.

Background/Objectives: Although Drosophila melanogaster is widely used in genetics and nutrition research, developmental kinetics are rarely analyzed using formal mathematical modeling. Most dietary studies present developmental curves without rigorous fitting, limiting quantitative interpretation. This study applies and compares three primary models, as well as develops secondary models, to characterize the effects of high-sugar diets on egg-to-adult (life cycle) development. Methods: Standardized husbandry and an embryo-to-pupa feeding assay were performed across 11 sucrose concentrations. Synchronized embryo collection and high-resolution monitoring were used for this assay. Three primary models—dose–response, Gompertz, and logit-based linearization—were fitted to developmental curves to extract timing (t_mid) and synchrony (s_dvp) parameters. Secondary modeling was used to evaluate how these parameters change with respect to sucrose concentration. Results: Increasing sucrose concentration markedly delayed pupariation and reduced viability at the highest levels. All models showed increasing t_mid and decreasing s_dvp with rising sugar concentration, with the Gompertz model providing the best overall performance. Secondary modeling revealed a consistent bilinear response with a breakpoint at 0.52–0.62 M, separating low-, medium-, and high-sucrose conditions. Reduced sampling frequency decreased model robustness, while twice-daily observations remained sufficient. Conclusions: Mathematical modeling provides a robust, practical framework for quantifying the effects of diet on D. melanogaster development. The Gompertz model provided the best fit and yielded biologically interpretable parameters. The bilinear secondary model effectively captured sucrose-dependent stress responses and quantified plasticity through environment-dependent changes in developmental timing and synchrony. Overall, this work establishes a quantitative practical framework for modeling developmental kinetics under nutritional perturbations, and the approach can be extended with additional secondary environmental factors to improve predictive analyses of nutritional effects.

Background: Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria L.) is a medicinal plant native to the spontaneous Romanian flora. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenolic profile, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant capacity (AC) of two L. salicaria L. extracts, a hydro-methanolic extract (LSmet-1) and a hydro-ethanolic extract (LSeth-2), and their putative toxicity, as well as the effect on eye pigment content in the case of Drosophila melanogaster of an extract derived from LSmet-1 (LSmet-3). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the influence of L. salicaria L. extracts on cytotoxicity and the expression of genes as determined by eye pigment levels, using a D. melanogaster-based model system. Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography was carried out to investigate the chemical composition of the extracts. Spectrophotometric methods were used to estimate their TPC and AC. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using an in vivo D. melanogaster diet-dependent viability assay and eye pigments of w^m4h males, suitable for position-effect variegation studies, which were quantified by a spectrophotometric method. Results: The results indicated that the main phenolic compounds were gallic acid, resveratrol, and rutin in LSmet-1, whereas in LSeth-2, gallic acid and quercetin were the most relevant. LSmet-1 had a higher TPC compared to LSeth-2. Both extracts exhibited notable efficacy in the applied in vitro antioxidant tests. The viability of flies on normal media increased in a concentration-dependent manner at lower concentrations, with the extract being toxic at higher concentrations. On a high-sugar diet, even lower concentrations were toxic. All tested concentrations influenced the eye pigment content. Conclusions: Our study brings new findings on L. salicaria L. extracts, suggesting the need for further investigation before introducing them in therapy.

This paper aimed to investigate the amino acid, fatty acid, proximate composition, total phenolic content (TPC), texture, color, and sensory properties of an Emmental type cheese from Ţara Dornelor, Romania as influenced by the processing technology (CA sample made in a stainless steel tank, with spontaneous microflora and ripening of 70 days, and TC sample made in a copper tank, with standard culture and 90 days ripening) and season (winter or summer). The results revealed that the winter samples had higher dry matter content, and were richer in some fatty acids such as palmitoleic acid, isooleic acid, 13-octadecenoic acid, and linoleic acid compared to summer. The season factor influenced significantly (p < 0.05) the amino acid profile, while the processing technology did not have a major impact. The TPC was affected by the processing technology, with the TC sample being the richest. The texture and sensory properties showed significant differences (p < 0.05) depending on the processing conditions and season. TC samples showed lower luminosity, greener, and less yellow nuance compared to CA. A reduction in the color parameters was observed in summer compared to winter. The global acceptance was correlated with the white index, the most appreciated sample obtained in summer, in a stainless steel tank.