Plants frequently live in environments characterized by the presence of simultaneous and different stresses. The intricate and finely tuned molecular mechanisms activated by plants in response to abiotic and biotic environmental factors are not well understood, and less is known about the integrative signals and convergence points activated by plants in response to multiple (a)biotic stresses. Phytohormones play a key role in plant development and response to (a)biotic stresses. Among these, one of the most important signaling molecules is an oxylipin, the plant hormone jasmonic acid. Oxylipins are derived from oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Jasmonic acid and its volatile derivative methyl jasmonate have been considered for a long time to be the bioactive forms due to their physiological effects and abundance in the plant. However, more recent studies showed unambiguously that they are only precursors of the active forms represented by some amino acid conjugates. Upon developmental or environmental stimuli, jasmonates are synthesized and accumulate transiently. Upon perception, jasmonate signal transduction process is finely tuned by a complex mechanism comprising specific repressor proteins which in turn control a number of transcription factors regulating the expression of jasmonate responsive genes. We discuss the latest discoveries about the role of jasmonates in plants resistance mechanism against biotic and abiotic stresses. Finally, the deep interplay of different phytohormones in stresses signaling will be also discussed.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for over 80% of liver cancer cases and is highly malignant, recurrent, drug-resistant, and often diagnosed in the advanced stage. It is clear that early diagnosis and a better understanding of molecular mechanisms contributing to HCC progression is clinically urgent. Metabolic alterations clearly characterize HCC tumors. Numerous clinical parameters currently used to assess liver functions reflect changes in both enzyme activity and metabolites. Indeed, differences in glucose and acetate utilization are used as a valid clinical tool for stratifying patients with HCC. Moreover, increased serum lactate can distinguish HCC from normal subjects, and serum lactate dehydrogenase is used as a prognostic indicator for HCC patients under therapy. Currently, the emerging field of metabolomics that allows metabolite analysis in biological fluids is a powerful method for discovering new biomarkers. Several metabolic targets have been identified by metabolomics approaches, and these could be used as biomarkers in HCC. Moreover, the integration of different omics approaches could provide useful information on the metabolic pathways at the systems level. In this review, we provided an overview of the metabolic characteristics of HCC considering also the reciprocal influences between the metabolism of cancer cells and their microenvironment. Moreover, we also highlighted the interaction between hepatic metabolite production and their serum revelations through metabolomics researches.

Table olives are one of the most important traditional fermented vegetables in Europe and their world consumption is constantly increasing. In the Greek style, table olives are obtained by spontaneous fermentations, without any chemical debittering treatment. Evolution of sugars, organic acids, alcohols, mono, and polyphenol compounds and volatile compounds associated with the fermentative metabolism of yeasts and bacteria throughout the natural fermentation process of the two Italian olive cultivars Cellina di Nardò and Leccino were determined. A protocol was developed and applied aimed at the technological characterization of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast strains as possible candidate autochthonous starters for table olive fermentation from Cellina di Nardò and Leccino cultivars. The study of the main physic-chemical parameters and volatile compounds during fermentation helped to determine chemical descriptors that may be suitable for monitoring olive fermentation. In both the analyzed table olive cultivars, aldehydes proved to be closely related to the first stage of fermentation (30 days), while higher alcohols (2-methyl-1-propanol; 3-methyl-1-butanol), styrene, and o-cymene were associated with the middle stage of fermentation (90 days) and acetate esters with the final step of olive fermentation (180 days).

Phytochemicals constitute a heterogeneous group of substances with an evident role in human health. Their properties on cancer initiation, promotion and progression are well documented. Particular attention is now devoted to better understand the molecular basis of their anticancer action. In the present work, we studied the effect of resveratrol on the ovarian cancer cell line OVCAR-3 by a proteomic approach. Our findings demonstrate that resveratrol down-regulates the protein cyclin D1 and, in a concentration dependent manner, the phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B (Akt) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). The dephosphorylation of these kinases could be responsible for the decreased cyclin D1 levels observed after treatment. We also showed that resveratrol reduces phosphorylation levels of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. Chemical inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and ERK both increased the in vitro therapeutic efficacy of resveratrol. Moreover, resveratrol had an inhibitory effect on the AKT phosphorylation in cultured cells derived from the ascites of ovarian cancer patients and in a panel of human cancer cell lines. Thus, resveratrol shows antitumor activity in human ovarian cancer cell lines targeting signalling pathway involved in cell proliferation and drug-resistance.

Not just another P450: Shown here is a model of the overall structure of CYP74C3 with the putative membrane-binding region that is required for enzyme activation. Members of the CYP74 family of cytochrome P450 enzymes are specialised in the metabolism of hydroperoxides and play an important role in oxylipin metabolism, which is one of the main defence mechanisms employed by plants. In order to respond to their rapidly changing environments, plants have evolved complex signalling pathways, which enable tight control over stress responses. Recent work has shed new light on one of these pathways that involves the different classes of plant oxylipins that are produced through the CYP74 pathway. These phytochemicals play an important role in plant defence, and can act as direct antimicrobials or as signalling molecules that inducing the expression of defence genes. The fine-tuning regulation of defence responses, which depends on the precise cross-talk among different signalling pathways, has important consequences for plant fitness and is a new, challenging area of research. In this review we focus on new data relating to the physiological significance of different phyto-oxylipins and related enzymes. Moreover, recent advances in the biotechnological production of oxylipins are also discussed.

The jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo, Macrì 1778 (Cnidaria, Rhizostomae) undergoes recurrent outbreaks in the Mediterranean coastal waters, with large biomass populations representing a nuisance or damage for marine and maritime activities. A preliminary overview of the antioxidant activity (AA) of R. pulmo proteinaceous compounds is provided here based on the extraction and characterization of both soluble and insoluble membrane-fractioned proteins, the latter digested by sequential enzymatic hydrolyses with pepsin and collagenases. All jellyfish proteins showed significant AA, with low molecular weight (MW) proteins correlated with greater antioxidant activity. In particular, collagenase-hydrolysed collagen resulted in peptides with MW lower than 3 kDa, ranging 3–10 kDa or 10–30 kDa, with AA inversely proportional to MW. No cytotoxic effect was detected on cultured human keratinocytes (HEKa) in a range of protein concentration 0.05–20 μg/mL for all tested protein fractions except for soluble proteins higher than 30 kDa, likely containing the jellyfish venom compounds. Furthermore, hydrolyzed jellyfish collagen peptides showed a significantly higher AA and provided a greater protective effect against oxidative stress in HEKa than the hydrolyzed collagen peptides from vertebrates. Due to a high reproductive potential, jellyfish may represent a potential socioeconomic opportunity as a source of natural bioactive compounds, with far-reaching beneficial implications. Eventually, improvements in processing technology will promote the use of untapped marine biomasses in nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical fields, turning marine management problems into a more positive perspective.

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Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key feature of cancer and is frequently associated with increased aggressiveness and metastatic potential. Recent evidence has brought to light a metabolic rewiring that takes place during the epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that drives the invasive capability of malignant tumors, and highlights a mechanistic link between mitochondrial dysfunction and EMT that has been only partially investigated. In this study, we characterized mitochondrial function and bioenergetic status of cultured human breast cancer cell lines, including luminal‐like and basal‐like subtypes. Through a combination of biochemical and functional studies, we demonstrated that basal‐like cell lines exhibit impaired, but not completely inactive, mitochondrial function, and rely on a consequent metabolic switch to glycolysis to support their ATP demand. These altered metabolic activities are linked to modifications of key electron transport chain proteins and a significant increase in levels of reactive oxygen species compared to luminal cells. Furthermore, we observed that the stable knockdown of EMT markers caused functional changes in mitochondria that result in acquisition of a hybrid glycolysis/OXPHOS phenotype in cancer cells as a means to sustain their metabolic demand.