Daniela Palazzetti

Bio: Daniela Palazzetti is an academic researcher from University of Rome Tor Vergata. The author has contributed to research in topics: Physical exercise & Palmitoylethanolamide. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 3 publications receiving 19 citations.

Vegan Diet Health Benefits in Metabolic Syndrome.

Abstract: Plant-based diets (PBDs) are increasingly consumed by the Italian population and around the world. In particular, among PBDs, the vegan diet is a food pattern characterized by the exclusion of all animal-origin foods. What drives people to adopt this model are mainly ethical, health and environmental reasons. A vegan diet, if well-balanced and varied, can help in achieving and maintaining an optimal state of health. However, this nutritional approach, if not well-balanced, can cause deficiencies in proteins, ω-3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin D and calcium, zinc, iodine and, above all, vitamin B12. Oral food supplements especially fortified foods are recommended in these cases to restore the nutritional deficiencies. A vegan diet generally reduces the risk of developing chronic non-communicable degenerative diseases, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) and, in addition, requires fewer natural resources for food production than an omnivorous diet. The aim of this review is to analyze the possible impact of the vegan diet on MetS onset and its treatment.

Effects of Caloric Restriction Diet on Arterial Hypertension and Endothelial Dysfunction.

Abstract: The most common manifestation of cardiovascular (CV) diseases is the presence of arterial hypertension (AH), which impacts on endothelial dysfunction. CV risk is associated with high values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and depends on the presence of risk factors, both modifiable and not modifiable, such as overweight, obesity, physical exercise, smoking, age, family history, and gender. The main target organs affected by AH are the heart, brain, vessels, kidneys, and eye retina. AH onset can be counteracted or delayed by adopting a proper diet, characterized by a low saturated fat and sodium intake, a high fruit and vegetable intake, a moderate alcohol consumption, and achieving and maintaining over time the ideal body weight. In this review, we analyzed how a new nutritional approach, named caloric restriction diet (CRD), can provide a significant reduction in blood pressure values and an improvement of the endothelial dysfunction. In fact, CRD is able to counteract aging and delay the onset of CV and neurodegenerative diseases through the reduction of body fat mass, systolic and diastolic values, free radicals production, and oxidative stress. Currently, there are few studies on CRD effects in the long term, and it would be advisable to perform observational studies with longer follow-up.

Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide (um-PEA): A New Possible Adjuvant Treatment in COVID-19 patients

Abstract: The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused more than 100,000,000 cases of coronavirus infection in the world in just a year, of which there were 2 million deaths Its clinical picture is characterized by pulmonary involvement that culminates, in the most severe cases, in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) However, COVID-19 affects other organs and systems, including cardiovascular, urinary, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems Currently, unique-drug therapy is not supported by international guidelines In this context, it is important to resort to adjuvant therapies in combination with traditional pharmacological treatments Among natural bioactive compounds, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) seems to have potentially beneficial effects In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized an ongoing clinical trial with ultramicronized (um)-PEA as an add-on therapy in the treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection In support of this hypothesis, in vitro and in vivo studies have highlighted the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and pain-relieving effects of PEA, especially in its um form The purpose of this review is to highlight the potential use of um-PEA as an adjuvant treatment in SARS-CoV-2 infection

Vegan Diet Health Benefits in Metabolic Syndrome.

Abstract: Plant-based diets (PBDs) are increasingly consumed by the Italian population and around the world. In particular, among PBDs, the vegan diet is a food pattern characterized by the exclusion of all animal-origin foods. What drives people to adopt this model are mainly ethical, health and environmental reasons. A vegan diet, if well-balanced and varied, can help in achieving and maintaining an optimal state of health. However, this nutritional approach, if not well-balanced, can cause deficiencies in proteins, ω-3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin D and calcium, zinc, iodine and, above all, vitamin B12. Oral food supplements especially fortified foods are recommended in these cases to restore the nutritional deficiencies. A vegan diet generally reduces the risk of developing chronic non-communicable degenerative diseases, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) and, in addition, requires fewer natural resources for food production than an omnivorous diet. The aim of this review is to analyze the possible impact of the vegan diet on MetS onset and its treatment.

Natural Bioactive Compounds Useful in Clinical Management of Metabolic Syndrome.

Abstract: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clinical manifestation characterized by a plethora of comorbidities, including hyperglycemia, abdominal obesity, arterial hypertension, and dyslipidemia. All MetS comorbidities participate to induce a low-grade inflammation state and oxidative stress, typical of this syndrome. MetS is related to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and early death, with an important impact on health-care costs. For its clinic management a poly-pharmaceutical therapy is often required, but this can cause side effects and reduce the patient’s compliance. For this reason, finding a valid and alternative therapeutic strategy, natural and free of side effects, could represent a useful tool in the fight the MetS. In this context, the use of functional foods, and the assumption of natural bioactive compounds (NBCs), could exert beneficial effects on body weight, blood pressure and glucose metabolism control, on endothelial damage, on the improvement of lipid profile, on the inflammatory state, and on oxidative stress. This review focuses on the possible beneficial role of NBCs in the prevention and in the clinical management of MetS and its comorbidities.

Management of Acute Lung Injury: Palmitoylethanolamide as a New Approach.

Abstract: Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are common and devastating clinical disorders with high mortality and no specific therapy. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is usually used intratracheally to induce ALI in mice. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an ultramicronized preparation of palmitoylethanolamide (um-PEA) in mice subjected to LPS-induced ALI. Histopathological analysis reveals that um-PEA reduced alteration in lung after LPS intratracheal administration. Besides, um-PEA decreased wet/dry weight ratio and myeloperoxidase, a marker of neutrophils infiltration, macrophages and total immune cells number and mast cells degranulation in lung. Moreover, um-PEA could also decrease cytokines release of interleukin (IL)-6, interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-18. Furthermore, um-PEA significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IκBα) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation in ALI, and at the same time decreased extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38/MAPK) expression, that was increased after LPS administration. Our study suggested that um-PEA contrasted LPS-induced ALI, exerting its potential role as an adjuvant anti-inflammatory therapeutic for treating lung injury, maybe also by p38/NF-κB pathway.

What makes a plant-based diet? a review of current concepts and proposal for a standardized plant-based dietary intervention checklist.

Abstract: Within the last decades, plant-based diets have received increasing interest for their potential benefits to human and environmental health. The concept of plant-based diet, however, varies widely in its definition. Current definitions range from the exclusion of all animal products to diets that include meat, fish, and dairy in varying quantities. Therefore, the main objectives of this review were twofold: (a) to investigate how researchers use the term plant-based diet in nutrition intervention studies and (b) what types of food a plant-based diet may include. Searching two databases, we found that the term "plant-based diet" evokes varying ideas to researchers and clinicians. Fifty percent of the retrieved studies that included a plant-based dietary intervention completely proscribed animal products and used the term plant-based diet interchangeably with a vegan diet. In contrast, an ~33% of trials included dairy products and 20% of dietary interventions emphasized a semi-vegetarian dietary pattern. Based on specific examples, we point out how the usage of the umbrella term "plant-based diet" may cause significant ambiguity. We often encountered incomplete descriptions of plant-based dietary interventions, which makes comparison and reproducibility of studies difficult. As a consequence, we urge others to use the term "plant-based diet" only in conjunction with a detailed dietary description. To facilitate this process, we provide a template of a standardized plant-based intervention reporting checklist. Finally, the present review also highlights the urgent need for a consensus definition of the term plant-based diet and its content.

Lupin-Derived Bioactive Peptides: Intestinal Transport, Bioavailability and Health Benefits

Abstract: There is a renewed interest on the reliance of food-based bioactive compounds as sources of nutritive factors and health-beneficial chemical compounds. Among these food components, several proteins from foods have been shown to promote health and wellness as seen in proteins such as α/γ-conglutins from the seeds of Lupinus species (Lupin), a genus of leguminous plant that are widely used in traditional medicine for treating chronic diseases. Lupin-derived peptides (LDPs) are increasingly being explored and they have been shown to possess multifunctional health improving properties. This paper discusses the intestinal transport, bioavailability and biological activities of LDPs, focusing on molecular mechanisms of action as reported in in vitro, cell culture, animal and human studies. The potentials of several LDPs to demonstrate multitarget mechanism of regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, chemo- and osteoprotective properties, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities position LDPs as good candidates for nutraceutical development for the prevention and management of medical conditions whose etiology are multifactorial.