Cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands have been recently identified in the brain as potent inhibitors of neurotransmitter release. Here we show that, in a rat model of Parkinson9s disease induced by unilateral nigral lesion with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), the striatal levels of anandamide, but not that of the other endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, were increased. Moreover, we observed a decreased activity of the anandamide membrane transporter (AMT) and of the anandamide hydrolase [fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH)], whereas the binding of anandamide to cannabinoid receptors was unaffected. Spontaneous glutamatergic activity recorded from striatal spiny neurons was higher in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Inhibition of AMT byN-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-arachidonoylamide (AM-404) or by VDM11, or stimulation of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor by HU-210 reduced glutamatergic spontaneous activity in both naı̈ve and 6-OHDA-lesioned animals to a similar extent. Conversely, the FAAH inhibitors phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and methyl-arachidonoyl fluorophosphonate were much more effective in 6-OHDA-lesioned animals. The present study shows that inhibition of anandamide hydrolysis might represent a possible target to decrease the abnormal cortical glutamatergic drive in Parkinson9s disease.

Identifying points of control in inflammation is essential to discovering safe and effective antiinflammatory medicines. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a naturally occurring lipid amide that, when administered as a drug, inhibits inflammatory responses by engaging peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α). PEA is preferentially hydrolyzed by the cysteine amidase N -acylethanolamine-hydrolyzing acid amidase (NAAA), which is highly expressed in macrophages. Here we report the discovery of a potent and selective NAAA inhibitor, N -[(3 S )-2-oxo-3-oxetanyl]-3-phenylpropanamide [( S )-OOPP], and show that this inhibitor increases PEA levels in activated leukocytes and blunts responses induced by inflammatory stimuli both in vitro and in vivo. These effects are stereoselective, mimicked by exogenous PEA, and abolished by PPAR-α deletion. ( S )-OOPP also attenuates inflammation and tissue damage and improves recovery of motor function in mice subjected to spinal cord trauma. The results suggest that PEA activation of PPAR-α in leukocytes serves as an early stop signal that contrasts the progress of inflammation. The PEA-hydrolyzing amidase NAAA may provide a previously undescribed target for antiinflammatory medicines.

Fermentation processes have been used for centuries for food production and preservation. Besides the contribution of fermentation to food quality, recently, scientific interest in the beneficial nature of fermented foods as a reservoir of probiotic candidates is increasing. Fermented food microbes are gaining attention for their health-promoting potential and for being genetically related to human probiotic bacteria. Among them, Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum strains, with a long history in the food industry as starter cultures in the production of a wide variety of fermented foods, are being investigated for their beneficial properties which are similar to those of probiotic strains, and they are also applied in clinical interventions. Food-associated Lpb. plantarum showed a good adaptation and adhesion ability in the gastro-intestinal tract and the potential to affect host health through various beneficial activities, e.g., antimicrobial, antioxidative, antigenotoxic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory, in several in vitro and in vivo studies. This review provides an overview of fermented-associated Lpb. plantarum health benefits with evidence from clinical studies. Probiotic criteria that fermented-associated microbes need to fulfil are also reported.

Upon the identification of anandamide (AEA) in the porcine brain, numerous studies contributed to the current state of knowledge regarding all elements that form the “endocannabinoid system (ECS).”How this complex system of receptors, ligands, and enzymes is integrated in helping to regulate fundamental processes at level of central nervous and peripheral systems and how its regulation and dysregulation might counteract disturbances of such functions, is nowadays still under investigation. However, the most recent advances on the physiological distribution and functional role of ECS allowed the progress of various research tools aimed at the therapeutic exploitation of endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling, as well as the development of novel drugs with pharmacological advantages. Here, we shall briefly overview the metabolic and signal transduction pathways of the main eCBs representatives, AEA, and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and we will discuss the therapeutic potential of new ECS-oriented drugs.

A new global interest in entomophagy, the practice of eating insects, and invertebrates, arise from the impellent necessity of preserving agriculture resources and to obtain a drastic reduction of the ecological impact of animal food on the planet. The composite nutritional content, direct consequences of a plant-based feeding, associated with the undoubtedly ecological properties, suggest for insects a role as sustainable and functional foods. We aim to investigate the ability of water and liposoluble extracts, obtained by 12 commercially available edible insects and two invertebrates, to display an antioxidant effect in vitro. Results show that water-soluble extracts of grasshoppers, silkworm, and crickets display the highest values of antioxidant capacity (TEAC), 5-fold higher than fresh orange juice, while evening cicada, giant water bugs, Thai zebra tarantula, and black scorpions have negligible values. Grasshoppers, African caterpillars, and crickets have the highest levels of reducing power (FRAP), double than fresh orange juice. Grasshoppers, black ants, and mealworms contain the highest levels of total polyphenols, while Thai zebra tarantula, black scorpions, and giant water bugs are positioned at the bottom of the ranking. The liposoluble fraction of silkworm, evening cicada, and African caterpillars shows highest level of TEAC, twice than olive oil, while Thai zebra tarantula, palm worm, and black ants are placed at the bottom of the ranking. Edible insects and invertebrates represent a potential source of antioxidant ingredients with an efficiency related to their taxonomy and eating habits. More evidences are needed in order to understand if the practice of eating insects and invertebrates might contribute to modulate oxidative stress in humans.