α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity (AGL) of fruit wine samples made from blueberry, black chokeberry, blackberry, raspberry and sour cherry cultivars grown in Serbia was studied using an microvinification procedure. More precisely, both sugar and enzyme were added to the fruit must 2 before fermentation for half of the samples. This increased the extraction of phenolic compounds.All the samples showed higher bioactivity compared to acarbose, the compound used as a positive control. Blueberry (IC 50 ~27 ± 1 µg/ml) and black chokeberry (IC 50 ~28 ± 1 µg/ml) wine samples had the highest values regardless of the vinification method. In addition to this, chlorogenic and caffeic acids were recognised as their key AGL bioactives. Taken all together, the fruit wine samples or their lyophilised extracts may be considered as complementary medicine supplements of potential interest for the control of postprandial hyperglycemia.

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BackgroundDipeptidyl peptidase IV, a multifunctional serine protease, is implicated in regulation of malignant transformation, promotion and further progression of cancer, exerting tumor-suppressing or even completely opposite - tumor-promoting activities.The aim of present research was to determine the serum DPPIV activity, as well as the percentages of CD26+ lymphocytes, CD26+ overall white blood cells and the mean fluorescence intensity of CD26 expression on lymphocytes in patients with melanoma, people with vitiligo and in healthy controls.MethodsThe activity of DPPIV in serum was determined by colorimetric test. Expression of DPPIV (as CD26) on immunocompetent peripheral white blood cells was done using flow cytometry analysis.ResultsData from our study show for the first time statistically significant decrease: in the serum DPPIV activity, in the percentage of CD26+ overall white blood cells and in the percentage of lymphocytes in patients with melanoma in comparison to healthy control people. In addition, significantly lower serum DPPIV activity was found in the group of patients with melanoma in relation to people with vitiligo too.ConclusionThis study indicates the need for exploring the cause and the importance of the disturbances in the serum DPPIV activity and in the CD26 expression on immunocompetent cells in complex molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of melanoma.

Fucus virsoides J. Agardh is an endemic brown alga found only in the Adriatic Sea. Other members of the Fucus genus have shown anticancer potential, namely F. vesiculosus L. (1) and its most active component fucoidan. Algae from the Fucus genus are rich in active biological compounds such as polysaccharides, polyphenols, fatty acids and vitamins (2). Fucoidans have been documented for numerous biological activities such as antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, anti-angiogenic, immunomodulatory, and anti-adhesive activities (3, 4). The biological effects of these compounds can vary due to chemical structure differences that depend on the species from which they have been isolated (3). The anticancer or antidiabetic properties of Fucus virsoides have not been investigated in detail. Polyphenols, secondary metabolites, have been studied for their role in the prevention of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. Polyphenols exert antioxidant, free radical scavenging activities; they

In this work, the chemical composition, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of Heracleum verticillatum Pančić and H. ternatum Velen. root, leaf, and fruit essential oils were investigated. The composition was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Heracleum verticillatum and H. ternatum root oils were dominated by monoterpenes, mostly β-pinene (23.5% and 47.3%, respectively). Heracleum verticillatum leaf oil was characterized by monoterpenes, mainly limonene (20.3%), and sesquiterpenes, mostly (E)-caryophyllene (19.1%), while H. ternatum leaf oil by the high percentage of phenylpropanoids, with (Z)-isoelemicin (35.1%) being dominant constituent. Both fruit oils contained the majority of aliphatic esters, mostly octyl acetate (42.3% in H. verticillatum oil and 49.0% in H. ternatum oil). The antimicrobial activity of the oils was determined by microdilution method against eight bacterial and eight fungal strains. The strongest effect was exhibited by H. verticillatum root oil, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium (MICs = 0.14 mg/ml, MBCs = 0.28 mg/ml), and Trichoderma viride (MIC = 0.05 mg/ml, MFC = 0.11 mg/ml). Cytotoxic effect was determined by MTT test against malignant HeLa, LS174, and A549 cells (IC50 = 5.9 - 146.0 μg/ml), and against normal MRC-5 cells (IC50 > 120.1 μg/ml). The best effect was exhibited by H. verticillatum root oil on A549 cells (IC50 = 5.9 μg/ml), and H. ternatum root oil against LS174 cells (IC50 = 6.7 μg/ml).

In summary, fruit wines made from blueberry should be primarily taken into consideration as a medicinal food targeting diabetes mellitus type 2 in the early stage, if additional studies would confirm their therapeutic potential for the control of postprandial hyperglycemia.

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BackgroundThe aim of this study was to determine the presence and the intensity of humoral immunity to melanoma-associated antigens: tyrosinase and melanin, in patients with melanoma, in persons with vitiligo and in control healthy people.MethodsThe study involved 63 patients with melanoma and 19 persons with vitiligo. Control group consisted up to 41 healthy volunteers. Mushroom tyrosinase and synthetic melanin were used as the antigens.ResultsELISA test showed significantly (p < 0.0000004 and p < 0.04) lower levels of IgM anti-tyrosinase autoantibodies, in melanoma and vitiligo patients respectively, compared to controls.Although there was no significant difference between the levels of IgA anti-melanin autoantibodies in melanoma or vitiligo patients in comparison with controls, the enhanced concentrations of anti-melanin IgA autoantibodies were preferentially found in melanoma patients with metastatic disease. Significantly high percentage in the Fc alphaRI (CD89) positive cells was determined in melanoma patients (p < 0.002 and p < 0.008) in comparison to that found in healthy people or in patients with vitiligo, in the already mentioned order, pointing that IgA dependent cellular cytotoxicity is not important for the immune action against melanoma, even more that it is included in some immune suppression.Levels of IgG autoantibodies to mentioned antigens in melanoma patients although low were not significantly lower from controls. These findings analyzed together with the statistically significant low percentage of FcgammaRIII, (CD16) positive immunocompetent cells (p < 0.0007 and p < 0.003), which was found in patients with melanoma compared with healthy or vitiligo people respectively, and statistically significant low percentage of (CD16 + CD56+) natural killer (NK) cells (p < 0.005) found in melanoma patients in comparison to healthy controls pointed to the low probability for anti-melanoma IgG mediated, antibody mediated cellular cytotoxicity, (ADCC) and NK cytotoxicity. Moreover the ratio of the percentages of granulocytes and percentage of lymphocytes was statistically higher in patients with melanoma in relation to healthy people as well as to people with vitiligo (p < 0.0007 and p < 0.05 respectively).ConclusionAutoantibodies to tyrosinase and to melanin which are found even in healthy people, point that consummation of edible mushrooms that carry the antigen tyrosinase and melanin, could influence the humoral anti-melanoma immune response.Levels of different immunoglobulin classes of anti-melanin and anti-tyrosinase antibodies varied depending on the presence and the stage of studied diseases. Besides, the statistically enhanced ratio of the percentages of granulocytes and percentage of lymphocytes, together with statistically decreased percentage of NK cells is found in analyzed melanoma patients.