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The pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) generated a joint global effort to develop vaccines and other treatments that could mitigate the negative effects and the rapid spread of the virus. Single-domain antibodies derived from various sources, including cartilaginous fish, camelids, and humans, have gained attention as promising therapeutic tools against coronavirus disease 2019. Shark-derived variable new antigen receptors (VNARs) have emerged as the smallest naturally occurring antigen-binding molecules. Here, we compile and review recent published studies on VNARs with the capacity to recognize and/or neutralize SARS-CoV-2. We found a close balance between the use of natural immune libraries and synthetic VNAR libraries for the screening against SARS-CoV-2, with phage display being the preferred display technology for the selection of VNARs against this virus. In addition, we discuss potential modifications and engineering strategies employed to improve the neutralization potential of VNARs, such as exploring fusion with the Fc domain of human Immunoglobulin G (IgG) to increase avidity and therapeutic potential. This research highlights the potential of VNARs as powerful molecular tools in the fight against infectious diseases.

Research into various proteins capable of blocking metabolic pathways has improved the detection and treatment of multiple pathologies associated with the malfunction and overexpression of different metabolites. However, antigen-binding proteins have limitations. To overcome the disadvantages of the available antigen-binding proteins, the present investigation aims to provide chimeric antigen-binding peptides by binding a complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) of variable domains of new antigen receptors (VNARs) with a conotoxin. Six non-natural antibodies (NoNaBodies) were obtained from the complexes of conotoxin cal14.1a with six CDR3s from the VNARs of Heterodontus francisci and two NoNaBodies from the VNARs of other shark species. The peptides cal_P98Y vs. vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165), cal_T10 vs. transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and cal_CV043 vs. carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) showed in-silico and in vitro recognition capacity. Likewise, cal_P98Y and cal_CV043 demonstrated the capacity to neutralize the antigens for which they were designed.

Plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) have been included in Filipino’s diet since their availability in the Philippines, making it important to evaluate their nutritional profile to assist consumers in purchase and consumption decisions. This study identified various PBMAs in Metro Manila, Bulacan, and Pampanga. Information based on the labels of PBMAs and animal-based meats (ABM) was collected and evaluated. PBMAs (n = 37) included chicken products (n = 4), ground meat (n = 5), patties and sausages (n = 19), jerkies (n = 4), and others [i.e. tocino (Philippine sweet bacon), luncheon meat, and belly rolls]. PBMAs generally have lower energy, total and saturated fat, and higher price/g protein, dietary fiber, sodium, and calcium content compared to ABM. Proteins, carbohydrates, and other micronutrients (i.e. iron, potassium, and vitamin B complex) vary depending on the meat category and ingredient used. Current findings highlight the need to redesign existing PBMAs considering nutritional and economic factors to be at par with ABMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health and environmental issues regarding dairy consumption have been highlighted in recent years leading to tremendous consumer demand for plant-based substitutes. In this review, we focused on quality and health dimensions of pulse-based dairy alternatives (PuBDA) using chickpeas, lupins and mung beans. Appraisal of existing documents show that there is limited information on PuBDA with the said pulses compared to similar materials such as soy and pea. Most of the studies focused on milk or fermented milks, either in full or partial substitution of the dairy ingredients with the pulses. Issues on stability, sensory properties, shelf life and nutritional quality were underlined by existing literature. Although it was emphasized in some reports the health potential through the bioactive components, there is scarce data on clinical studies showing actual health benefits of the featured PuBDA in this paper. There is also a scant number of these PuBDA that are currently available in the market and in general, these products have inferior nutritional quality compared to the animal-based counterparts. Technological innovations involving physical, biological and chemical techniques can potentially address the quality problems in the use of chickpeas, lupins, and mung beans as raw materials in dairy alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se realizó un estudio con 80 pacientes en edades comprendidas entre 15 y 25 años, de cualquier raza y sexo que presentan queloides en cualquier parte del cuerpo, dividiéndose en 2 grupos, según tabla aleatoria confeccionada para este fin. Se le aplicó a un grupo un producto denominado quelbén, elaborado a base de lodo termal, y al otro grupo una crema esteroidea al 2 % en un período de 6 meses de tratamiento. La respuesta clínica al tratamiento se midió a través de 3 parámetros: el tamaño de la lesión y el grosor, la consistencia de la lesión, así como los síntomas subjetivos (prurito, dolor, hiperestesias y tirantez) acompañantes de la lesión. La respuesta al tratamiento con el quelbén fue favorable ya sea en pacientes limpios (11) o respondedores (21), lo que representa un 91,43 % en lo referente al grupo A, con una ostensible superioridad en cuanto a la eficacia del tratamiento en comparación con el grupo B (68,57 %), en el que se utilizó la crema esteroidea al 2 %.A study was conducted on 80 patients aged 15-25 years of any race and sex, who presented with keloids located in any part of their bodies. They were divided into two groups according to a random table designed for this end. One group was treated with a thermal mud-based product called quelbén and the other group was applied a 2% steroid cream for a period of 6 months. The clinical response to the treatment was evaluated on the basis of three parameters: size and thickness of lesion, consistency of lesion and accompanying subjective symptoms (rush, pain, hyperesthesia and tightness. The response to treatment with quelbén was positive either in clean patients (11) or responders to the treatment (21), which represented 91.3% in group A, a remarkably higher effectiveness of this treatment over the 2% steroidal cream used in group B (68.57%)

Beta-agonists (β-agonists) are feed additives used in animal production (20--40 d before slaughter) to simultaneously reduce fat gain and increase the muscle mass of animals, but the residues may remain in the tissues of animals if the withdrawal period is not observed. This is a concern due to the potential adverse health effects to humans symptomized by increased heart rate, palpitations, vasodilation, and reflex tachycardia. This study described the potential risks associated with the consumption of pork with β-agonists to the Filipino pork-consuming population through the risk profiling process. Specifically, it consolidated the available information and determined the data gaps relevant to the risk profiling process, including available risk management options for β-agonist residues in pork. The study identified and characterized β-agonist as the hazard and pork as the concerned commodity. The risk was estimated through the evaluation of β-agonist residue concentrations in pork kidneys and pork meat from the National Veterinary Drug Residue Monitoring Program of the Philippine National Meat Inspection Service and the pork consumption data of the adult Filipino consuming population from the Department of Science and Technology--Food and Nutrition Research Institute in consideration of identified uncertainties, variabilities, and assumptions. The mean and maximum dietary exposures of the adult Filipino consuming population, with an assumed average body weight of Asian adults, to β-agonists in pork meat (0.0111 and 0.1478 μg/kg bw) and pork kidney (0.0166 and 0.4847 μg/ kg bw) were estimated to exceed 100% of the acceptable daily intake of clenbuterol (0--0.004 μg/kg bw). These results indicate that there is an appreciable risk to the health of the Filipino population when it comes to the consumption of pork contaminated with β-agonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin (AFL) is a naturally occurring mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus spp. and is commonly associated with peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), a major field legume in the Philippines. The major types of AFL are B1, B2, G1, and G2 -- comprising the total aflatoxin (AFT). AFL exposure has been shown to cause both chronic and acute toxicity, with the liver as the main target organ. It is considered genotoxic and carcinogenic. The objective of this study is to establish the profile of the potential risks associated with the consumption of peanuts contaminated with aflatoxin to the Filipino consuming population. The study included [1] determination of data gaps in the risk profiling of AFL in the consumption of peanuts by the Filipino peanut-consuming population; [2] hazard identification and characterization; [3] estimation of dietary exposure (DE) and riskbased on uncertainties, variabilities, and assumptions; and [4] consolidation of available control measures and possible mitigation protocols for AFL in peanut. AFL was detected in 92% of all the peanut samples (n = 50) analyzed, with overall mean levels of 802.83 µg/kg AFT, 683.53 µg/kg AFB1, and 119.30 µg/kg AFB2 exceeding the maximum level (ML) of 15 µg/kg set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for AFT. Considering the assumptions made and data gathered in this study, the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of the Filipino adult (20-59 yr old) consuming population to AFT and to AFB1 in peanut -- at 97.5th percentile consumption -- were 1.22-6,527.18 ng/kg body weight (bw)/d and 1.22-5,574.90 ng/kg bw/d, respectively, which exceeded the recommended provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 1 ng/kg bw/d. The margins of exposure (MOE) were also generally estimated to be below 10,000, which indicates that it is a potential health concern and that it supports the need for further risk management actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health benefits arising from polyphenols found in plants have driven a steady increase in the manufacture of polyphenol-rich, plant-based food products. In line with quality assurance and compliance to local and international regulations, the polyphenol content of these products needs to be ascertained by manufacturers. The measurement of the total polyphenol content (TPC) in such products, therefore, should be part of the quality assurance of food manufacturers. This study involved the development of a cheap, user-friendly, and robust paper-based device (PBD) that can be potentially used by small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in determining the TPC of tea-based beverages - specifically, sweet potato leaf extract-based (SPLE) tea beverage products. The PBD relies on colorimetric detection of TPC based on the iron tartrate (IT) spectrophotometric. Validation studies of the PBD yielded good accuracy and precision, with limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 20.03 and 66.77 ppm gallic acid equivalents (GAE), respectively. The device also has good linearity and sensitivity. Likewise, the quantification of polyphenols using the PBD was not adversely affected by the presence of sugars and ascorbic acid. The PBD stored under refrigerated conditions remained usable for 57 d. The PBD's performance was found to be comparable to its counterpart instrumental method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylmercury (MeHg) is one of the most toxic forms of mercury (Hg) produced via methylation of its inorganic form from natural and anthropogenic sources. Fish that feed on phytoplankton, such as sardines, serve as the entry points of MeHg in the aquatic food web. Dietary exposure (DE) to MeHg leads to varying health risks such as ataxia, neurodevelopmental delays, and blindness in newborns and infants. The study aimed to develop a risk profile on the potential risk associated with the consumption of Philippine dried tamban (Sardinella lemuru) through 1) conceptualization of the risk profile, 2) review of related literature, 3) formulation of assumptions (i.e. identification of variabilities and establishment of uncertainties or data gaps), 4) exposure pathway assessment, and 5) risk characterization. The risk of MeHg was estimated using the total mercury (THg) concentrations in dried tamban samples collected from the major fishing grounds of sardines in the Philippines, consumption data of the adult Filipino consuming population, and the assumed average body weights of Asian adults. The estimated DEs ranged from 0.000043-0.008724 µg/kg bw (bodyweight)/wk, which is equivalent to about 0.003-0.545% of the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 1.6 µg/kg bw for MeHg established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 2007. Our findings imply that dried tamban does not pose a major health risk to the adult Filipino consuming population. However, it is also essential to note that aside from dried tamban, there are other potential sources of MeHg in the diet such as other fish and seafood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]