Biogenic amines are low molecular weight organic nitrogen compounds. They are formed by the decarboxylation of amino acids or by amination and transamination of aldehydes and ketones during normal metabolic processes in living cells and therefore are ubiquitous in animals, plants, microorganisms, and humans. In food and beverages, they are formed by the enzymes of raw materials or are generated by microbial decarboxylation of amino acids. The structure of a biogenic amine can be aromatic and heterocyclic amines (histamine, tryptamine, tyramine, phenylethylamine, and serotonin); aliphatic di-, tri-, and polyamines (putrescine, cadaverine, spermine, spermidine, and agmatine); and aliphatic volatile amines (ethylamine, methylamine, isopentylamine, and ethanolamine). Many of them possess a strong pharmacologic effect, and others are important as precursors of hormones and components of coenzymes. The biogenic amine intoxication leads to toxicological risks and health hazards that trigger psychoactive, vasoactive, and hypertensive effects resulting from consumption of high amounts of biogenic amines in foods. The toxicological effects of biogenic amines increase when the mono- and diaminoxidase enzymes are deficient or drugs that inhibit these enzymes (pain reliever, stress, and depression drugs) are used. In this chapter, biosynthesis of biogenic amines, their toxic effects as well as their physiological functions, and their effect on health will be described.

Background: Carvacrol, a natural phenolic monoterpenoid, has been suggested to exert anticancer effects; however, its underlying mechanisms in breast cancer (BC) remain incompletely defined. Methods: MCF-7 (HR⁺) and MDA-MB-231 (TNBC) BC cell lines were treated with carvacrol at various concentrations. Cell viability was assessed using CVDK8 kit, while migration was evaluated by wound healing assays. Apoptosis was determined using Annexin V-FITC Kit, and ROS levels were measured by DCFH-DA assay. Flow cytometry was used for CD44/CD133 cancer stem cells markers analysis, and genes expression were quantified using qPCR. Results: Carvacrol significantly inhibited cell proliferation, and migration in both HR⁺ and TNBC cells. Additionally, carvacrol increased the BAX/BCL2 ratio, induced apoptosis, and decreased ROS levels, with greater antioxidant activity observed in MCF-7 cells. Moreover, carvacrol suppressed CD44⁺ levels, whereas CD133⁺ levels were not affected. Gene expression analysis revealed subtype-specific effects where ABCG2 was upregulated in MCF-7 cells but downregulated in MDA-MB-231 cells, while NF_KB1 expression increased in both lines. Conclusions: Carvacrol exerts multitargeted anticancer effects in BC by promoting apoptosis, reducing ROS, and suppressing CD44⁺, with distinct subtype-specific responses. These findings highlight carvacrol as a promising natural therapeutic compound for BC treatment; however, further in vivo studies and clinical investigations are required to validate its translational potential.

The present study aimed to design, synthesize, and evaluate a new series of thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one-based Schiff bases as potential antileishmanial agents against Leishmania major (L. major). A series of twenty thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine Schiff base derivatives were synthesized and characterized using FTIR, NMR, and HRMS techniques. Their antipromastigote activities were evaluated in vitro against L. major, while cytotoxic effects were assessed on HUVECs to determine selectivity indices. The most active compound was further investigated using molecular docking against several L. major proteins. Among the tested compounds, compound 12, bearing a 2-hydroxy-5-bromophenyl moiety, exhibited the most potent activity against L. major promastigotes with an IC₅₀ value of 13.7 µM, along with a favorable selectivity index (SI = 17.5), outperforming the reference drug miltefosine (IC₅₀ = 31 µM and SI = 0.2). Docking studies demonstrated that compound 12 showed the strongest binding affinity toward phosphodiesterase B1, supported by a docking score of −9.042 kcal/mol and an MM-GBSA value of −67.21 kcal/mol. This study highlights thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one as a promising scaffold in the context of in vitro antileishmanial screening and suggests the role of ortho-phenolic substitution in enhancing activity and selectivity. Compound 12 emerges as a promising lead, warranting further optimization and biological evaluation in future studies.

The aim of the present study was to determine the mRNA expression profiles of TRAILmediated cell death related genes of the hypoxia-tolerant rodent Nannospalax nehringi under hypoxia. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of these genes were identified. Captured Nannospalax nehringi were randomly divided into normoxia and hypoxia groups. The hypoxia group was exposed to a 7% O2 + 93% N2 gas mixture for 52 h, while animals in the normoxia group were housed under normoxic conditions. Total RNAs were isolated from brain and lung tissues. The cIAP-1, cIAP-2, XIAP, DcR1, DcR2, FLIP and OPG genes were PCR amplified, and the cIAP-1, cIAP-2, XIAP, OPG, TRAIL and FLIP genes were sequenced. Sequenced genes were translated into amino acid sequences and compared with reliable sequences of closely similar species. The genes in the brain were regulated for protection against hypoxia; however, the genes in the lung were regulated differently. Many mutations and insertions were observed on the conserved regions of the cIAP-1, cIAP-2, XIAP, OPG and TRAIL genes in N. nehringi. We propose that these gene mutations and insertions contribute to the anti-hypoxic properties of N. nehringi.