trong static magnetic field (SMF) treatment represents a promising physical strategy for regulating microalgal metabolism. This study investigated the effects of SMF on growth and lipid production in Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Results showed that SMF exposure at 3T for 10 min under photoperiodic conditions was optimal, achieving a biomass of 1.25 g/L (a 42% increase over the control). The biomass productivity increased 1.82-fold to 0.31 g/L/d, and the logarithmic growth phase was shortened by 2 days (Δt = 4 d). Lipid content reached 34.4% (1.26-fold of control), and total lipid yield increased 1.60-fold (439.17 mg/L), with the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) rising from 70.14% to 74.28%, and α-linolenic acid increasing from 48.45% to 54.12%. SMF induced an increase in reactive oxygen species, which was accompanied by enhanced non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity involving carotenoids, reduced glutathione, and α-tocopherol. Integrated physiological, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses indicated that short-term SMF treatment was associated with intracellular calcium elevation and proteomic-level enrichment of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-related regulatory processes, potentially contributing to cellular metabolic restructuring. SMF promoted photosynthetic light-harvesting capacity, DNA replication and repair-related networks, and motor protein-associated intracellular transport, while reorganizing central carbon metabolism under mixotrophic conditions to potentially favor lipid accumulation. This study highlights the potential of short-term SMF treatment as a strategy for improving microalgal biomass and PUFA-enriched lipid production.

This study evaluated the effects of roasting on the physical, chemical, and bioactive properties of açaí seeds (Euterpe oleracea Mart.). Roasted seed powder presented an average particle size of 432.55 μm, real density of 1.51 g/cm[3], and porosity of 0.43, along with low lipid content (1.8 g/100 g) and high dietary fiber (48 g/100 g). Relevant mineral levels were also observed, particularly calcium (67 mg/100 g), potassium (443 mg/100 g), and phosphorus (152 mg/100 g). The lipid fraction was obtained by Soxhlet extraction, while an aqueous extract was produced via optimized solid-liquid extraction, yielding two fractions for comparative analysis. High phenolic contents were detected in both, the oil (1387.13 ± 17.83 mg CAE/g) and aqueous extract (1272.3 ± 3.26 mg CAE/g), with significant antioxidant activity measured by DPPH (IC50: 257.82 ± 0.91 and 227.20 ± 3.69 mg/mL, respectively) and FRAP assays (1344.59 ± 17.67 and 2365.07 ± 2.46 μmol FeSO4/100 g, respectively). The lipid fraction contained α-tocopherol and tocotrienols (α-, γ-, and δ-), indicating its potential as a source of vitamin E-active compounds, and was mainly composed of oleic, linoleic, myristic, and palmitic acids. Thermal analysis revealed multiple crystallization events and a melting point near 30°C, suggesting a complex triacylglycerol profile. These findings highlight roasted açaí seeds as a promising agro-industrial by-product with relevant nutritional and functional properties, supporting their potential application in food and related industries.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic vascular disease characterized by the accumulation of lipid-filled foam cells in the arterial wall. Macrophage-derived foam cells play a key role in promoting plaque formation. α-Tocopherol (α-TOC), a common dietary antioxidant, is thought to have protective effects against atherosclerosis, but its specific mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, an in vitro foam cell model was established using oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced macrophages to investigate the effects of α-TOC on foam cell formation and related mechanisms. Network pharmacology predicted that α-TOC may act through autophagy-related pathways, particularly the mTOR-mediated autophagy pathway. We demonstrated that α-TOC enhanced autophagic function in macrophages, as evidenced by increased expression of Beclin1, LC3-II, ATG5, and ATG12, along with reduced p62/SQSTM1 levels. Rapamycin reproduced, and 3-methyladenine opposed, the direction of the autophagic and mTOR/ULK1 changes observed with α-TOC, consistent with involvement of this pathway. These in vitro findings suggest that α-TOC reduces lipid accumulation and inhibits foam cell formation in macrophages by enhancing autophagic activity in association with reduced mTOR phosphorylation and increased ULK1 Ser555 phosphorylation. This study provides mechanistic insights into the potential anti-atherosclerotic effects of α-TOC at the cellular level, offering a theoretical basis for its further investigation as a therapeutic candidate for atherosclerosis.

Due to the high saturated fat content, increasing cost, and supply instability of cocoa butter (CB), the development of structured lipid systems with improved nutritional profiles and suitable technological functionality has received increasing attention. This study aimed to optimize a coriander seed oil-based oleogel (COG) using a D-optimal mixture design and evaluate its potential as a structured lipid phase for dark chocolate formulation. The effects of coriander seed oil, monoglycerides, candelilla wax, xanthan gum, and polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) on the physicochemical, rheological, and mechanical properties of the oleogel were investigated. The optimized COG formulation exhibited a maximum crystallization temperature of 30.159 °C, enhanced viscoelastic characteristics, and a stable three-dimensional lipid network. The optimized oleogel retained substantial amounts of bioactive compounds, including α-tocopherol, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and linalool, together with antioxidant activity, and showed a lower accumulation of primary oxidation products during storage than the non-structured oil. Dark chocolate prepared with the optimized oleogel (COG-Ch) was evaluated in comparison with cocoa butter-based chocolate (CB-Ch) in terms of thermal behavior, rheological properties, texture, and storage-related whitening changes. Although COG-Ch showed comparable onset and maximum melting temperatures and a lower increase in whiteness index during storage at 35 °C, significant differences remained in melting enthalpy, hardness, and several rheological parameters compared with CB-Ch. These differences reflect the distinct lipid organization and crystallization behavior of the oleogel system. Therefore, the developed coriander seed oil oleogel should be considered a promising structured lipid phase for chocolate applications rather than a complete functional equivalent of cocoa butter. Further investigations involving sensory evaluation, crystal polymorphism analysis, microstructural characterization, and comprehensive oxidative stability assessment are required to determine its broader applicability in chocolate manufacturing.

Cartap hydrochloride is a widely used nereistoxin-derived insecticide; however, the mechanistic basis of its effects on the male reproductive system remains poorly characterised. We have previously reported that subacute oral exposure to cartap hydrochloride reduces sperm count, sperm viability and sperm membrane integrity, and lowers plasma testosterone concentrations in adult male Wistar rats, with partial amelioration by α-tocopherol. The present study examined the biochemical and molecular changes accompanying those phenotypic outcomes in testicular tissue from the same experimental model. Forty-two adult male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups (n = 6): control, vehicle control, α-tocopherol (100 mg/kg), cartap hydrochloride (16.25 and 32.5 mg/kg), and corresponding co-treatment groups, treated orally for 28 days. Body weight, absolute and relative testicular weight, testicular lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione and glutathione S-transferase were measured (n = 6); HSP70 mRNA expression was quantified by real-time qPCR using the 2[-ΔΔCt] method (n = 3). Percent body weight gain was significantly reduced at 32.5 mg/kg (P < 0.001), whereas absolute testicular weights were unchanged. Cartap produced significant (P < 0.001) dose-dependent increases in lipid peroxidation with concomitant depletion of antioxidant enzymes, and marked upregulation of HSP70 mRNA (8.17- and 27.70-fold at the low and high doses). α-Tocopherol co-administration attenuated these biochemical and molecular changes at the lower dose but not at the higher dose. These findings characterise the oxidative and transcriptional response accompanying cartap-induced reproductive toxicity and identify HSP70 as a sensitive marker of testicular biological response to cartap exposure.

Garcinoic acid (GA), a phytomolecule and long-chain metabolite of δ-tocotrienol, and its analogue α-13'-carboxychromanol (α-13'-COOH), derived from α-tocopherol metabolism, are bioactive compounds involved in the regulation of various processes, including immune function and inflammatory responses. Pharmacological properties of these compounds are constrained by the rapid metabolism and the poor target selectivity in distinct tissue or cell types, including macrophages, a main player in the inflammatory response. To overcome these limitations, in this study, the DSPE-PEG-S2P conjugate containing a stabilin-2 receptor-specific S2P peptide was synthesized and utilized for the preparation of nanoparticles (NPs) for macrophage targeting. Also, GA or α-13'-COOH were loaded into nontargeted or macrophage-targeted NPs, and their delivery efficiency was compared against bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). These NPs exhibited stability for at least 2 days at room and body temperature and provided pH-responsive drug release. Moreover, macrophage-targeted NPs demonstrated a linear dose-dependent increase of cellular levels for both metabolites, whereas nontargeted NPs induced dose-independent accumulation, which emphasizes the targeting ability of the S2P peptide. Additionally, both NPs had no adverse effect on cell morphology and viability. Present findings confirmed the improving effect of S2P-decorated NPs for delivering GA or α-13'-COOH metabolites specifically into these inflammatory cells via targeting macrophages. Cell selectivity and efficacy of this delivery system deserve further preclinical investigation in models of acute and chronic inflammation.

Vitamin E comprises eight structurally related isoforms, including α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols and their corresponding tocotrienols. These isoforms differ in the degree of methylation of the chromanol ring and the saturation of the side chain, structural features that critically influence their bioavailability, antioxidant capacity, and neuroprotective functions. This mini review systematically summarizes recent advances in the antioxidant and neuroprotective roles of vitamin E isoforms, with particular emphasis on their distinct mechanisms of action in the nervous system. Evidence from cell-based studies, animal models, and human investigations indicates that the neuroprotective effects of vitamin E isoforms vary considerably. Tocotrienols, characterized by their unsaturated side chains, exhibit enhanced membrane mobility and broader biological activity, demonstrating superior neuroprotective properties through modulation of signaling pathways, maintenance of mitochondrial function, and inhibition of abnormal tau hyperphosphorylation. In addition, different tocopherol isoforms show complementary roles in scavenging reactive oxygen species and/or reactive nitrogen species. Despite substantial experimental evidence, clinical data remain limited, and challenges such as differences in bioavailability and incomplete understanding of isoform-specific mechanisms persist. Overall, vitamin E should be regarded not as a single molecule but as a family of functionally complementary isoforms, whose synergistic actions may play a crucial role in maintaining brain health and in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Curcumin and α-tocopherol (vitamin E) are lipophilic antioxidants limited by poor stability. To overcome this, both compounds were co-encapsulated in tannic acid-crosslinked gelatine-sodium alginate microcapsules via complex coacervation, comparing Ultra-Turrax (UT) and ultrasonication (US) homogenisation across core-to-wall ratios (1/1, 1/2, 1/3). Ultrasonication at a 1/3 ratio yielded the highest encapsulation efficiencies (94.3% curcumin, 91.0% vitamin E, vs. ∼41-44% untreated). These US microcapsules were smaller (227 nm), less porous (36.7%), and demonstrated progressive pH-dependent release over 72 h without an initial burst. Antioxidant activity was fully retained during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Overall, ultrasonication-assisted complex coacervation provides an effective route for developing robust gelatine-alginate delivery systems for food and pharmaceutical formulations.

The development of novel olive cultivars with enhanced vitamin E levels in their virgin olive oil is a major goal in olive breeding programs. This study reports the cloning and characterization of an olive cDNA, which encodes tocopherol methyltransferase (TMT) that catalyzes the last reaction of tocopherol biosynthesis. Sequence analysis and bacterial functional expression confirmed that the gene encodes an active TMT enzyme. Expression profiling across different olive tissues and cultivars revealed a cultivar-dependent spatial and temporal regulation of TMT transcripts. When combined with tocopherol profiling, the data suggest that OeTMT is implicated in the biosynthesis of the α-tocopherol present in olive mesocarp and, consequently, in the olive oil. Additionally, the α-tocopherol biosynthesis in the olive mesocarp appears to be transcriptionally regulated in response to environmental factors, including water status, temperature, light, and wounding, indicating that OeTMT could play a role in the response to abiotic stress.

Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency (AVED) is a rare autosomal-recessive neurological disorder caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in TTPA. Early vitamin E supplementation may prevent or limit irreversible neurological damage, but diagnosis is often delayed. Multi-nucleotide variants (MNVs) in TTPA have rarely been described and may be misinterpreted when adjacent substitutions are evaluated independently. We investigated a 34-year-old woman with childhood-onset progressive ataxia using clinical, biochemical, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological assessments. Serum vitamin E levels were measured longitudinally during supplementation. Whole-exome sequencing, read-level inspection, and Sanger sequencing were used to identify and confirm a homozygous TTPA complex allele, NM_000370.3:c. 296G > A;299 A > C, predicted to result in NP_000361.1:p. Gly99_Tyr100delinsAspSer, and to assess familial segregation. Population-database review, in silico prediction, and exploratory structure-based analysis were performed to evaluate its potential clinical relevance. The patient had markedly reduced baseline serum vitamin E levels of 0.8 µg/mL, which increased to 7.5 µg/mL after 12 months of supplementation. This biochemical correction was temporally accompanied by qualitatively observed improvements in gait stability, coordination, speech, and fine motor performance. Read-level analysis supported the presence of both substitutions on the same allele, and Sanger sequencing confirmed the homozygous complex allele in the patient and heterozygous carrier status in both parents. The affected residues are conserved and located within the CRAL-TRIO domain of α-tocopherol transfer protein. Exploratory structure-based analysis suggested altered local residue interactions; however, no functional assay was performed, and effects on protein stability, α-tocopherol binding, or transfer could not be established. This report expands the molecular spectrum of AVED by describing a homozygous TTPA complex allele and highlights the importance of MNV-aware interpretation of closely spaced substitutions. Vitamin E supplementation resulted in biochemical correction and was accompanied by possible partial clinical improvement despite initiation in adulthood. Functional studies are required to determine the precise effect of this allele on α-tocopherol transfer protein function.

Lactic fermentation can restructure food matrices and modulate the molecular distribution of nutrients and bioactive compounds, thereby altering their technological and functional performance in complex food systems. In this study, Agaricus bisporus flour was used as a model mushroom matrix to investigate how fermentation-drive compositional remodeling influences the physicochemical and functional properties of gluten-free bread. Native and lactic-fermented mushroom flours were incorporated into a rice-corn-tapioca system, and their effects on dough expansion, crumb structure, nutritional composition, fatty acid profile, free sugar profiles, and antioxidant signatures assessed. Fermentation markedly altered the mushroom flour matrix, leading to reduced dough gas retention and denser crumb structures, consistent with microstructural modifications affecting viscoelastic behavior. More importantly, fermentation induced clear composition shifts, including redistribution of free sugars, modulation of fatty acid profiles, and increased α-tocopherol retention, indicating microbial metabolism-mediated molecular reorganization. These changes were directly associated with enhanced antioxidant capacity in the final breads, particularly in samples enriched with fermented flour. Multivariate analysis further confirmed that fermentation status, rather than incorporation level, was the main driver of variation across compositional and functional parameters, especially those related to lipid oxidation protection, sugar metabolism, and antioxidant potential. These findings demonstrate that lactic fermentation acts as a matrix-engineering strategy capable of redefining the structure-function role of A. bisporus flour in gluten-free bread, offering mechanistic insights into how fermented fungal ingredients can be leveraged to design nutritionally enhanced and functionally optimized cereal-free products.

Plants exposed to high light (HL) must dissipate excess excitation energy while preventing photooxidative damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. Tocopherols are major lipophilic antioxidants in chloroplasts, but whether replacement of α-tocopherol by γ-tocopherol preserves HL acclimation and NPQ-associated photoprotection remains unclear. Here, we investigated the response of Arabidopsis wild-type Col and the α-tocopherol-deficient mutant vte4-4, which accumulates γ-tocopherol instead of α-tocopherol, to acute HL stress. Under HL, vte4-4 showed more severe visible leaf damage than Col, together with higher malondialdehyde and jasmonic acid accumulation and a significant loss in the PSII reaction center protein D1. The mutant also displayed weaker induction of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), stronger decreases in Fv/Fm and ΦEo, and more pronounced alterations in OJIP-derived parameters due to HL stress. Although vte4-4 increased the total VAZ pool under HL, its lower Z/(VAZ) and higher A/(VAZ) ratios respect to Col indicate a qualitative impairment in xanthophyll-cycle operation rather than defective pigment accumulation. This phenotype was associated with lower HL-induced PsbS accumulation, loss of VDE protein and low AsA/DHA ratio, suggesting a redox limitation affecting both photooxidative buffering and VDE-dependent zeaxanthin formation. Together, our results indicate that γ-tocopherol accumulation is not sufficient to sustain wild-type-like HL acclimation in the absence of α-tocopherol. We propose that α-tocopherol functions not only as a membrane antioxidant, but also as a component of the photoprotective network that supports efficient NPQ engagement and preserves PSII performance under high light stress.

Pesticide use in extensive agriculture generates complex exposures for wildlife, however, early-life effects in reptiles remain underexplored. In this study, we evaluated whether embryonic exposure at manufacturer-recommended concentration for field use: glyphosate (GLY at 1 and 2%), 2,4-D (at 0.06 and 0.12%), chlorantraniliprole (CAP at 0.015 and 0.03%), imidacloprid (IMI at 0.1 at 0.2%) and three mixtures at the lowest concentrations (M1: GLY+2,4-D; M2: CAP + IMI; M3: M1+M2) disrupt lipid metabolism, lipoperoxidation and corticosterone levels in Caiman latirostris hatchlings. Hatching success declined under 2,4-D 0.06%, CAP 0.03%, and IMI 0.2%. Residual yolk showed alterations in polyunsaturated fatty acids, together with yolk-cholesterol and α-tocopherol depletion, particularly under CAP 0.03% and in the complex mixtures M1, M2, and M3. Changes in plasma lipid profiles, hepatic aminotransferase activities as well as alteration of NADPH-producing gene expression in blood were observed in M2 and M3. Higher lipoperoxidation levels were observed at the highest concentration across single compounds and in M1 and M3; whereas corticosterone increased in 2,4-D 0.12%. These findings demonstrate that early life stages of caimans are highly sensitive to these xenobiotics, affecting lipid metabolism and associated physiological processes. Moreover, mixtures induced stronger and more complex responses than single compounds, leading to metabolic disruption during early development. Our findings highlight the importance of evaluating realistic agrochemical mixtures to better assess their ecological risk.