Thermo-oxidative stability testing plays a critical role in accurately predicting shelf life. These tests are performed in real time and under stress conditions, where degradation processes are accelerated by increasing storage conditions. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses were performed to evaluate the degradation of resveratrol in nutraceutical tablets as a function of time under different storage conditions in terms of temperature and relative humidity (RH), namely 25 °C/60% RH, 30 °C/65% RH, and 40 °C/75% RH. The latter is an accelerated test and is used to estimate shelf life for long-term storage. Resveratrol is present in both pure form and as a solid dispersion on magnesium dihydroxide microparticles (Resv@MDH). Degradation kinetic constants were determined at 25 °C, 30 °C, and 40 °C, and the Arrhenius behavior of the kinetic constants as a function of temperature was verified. The main results of this work are as follows: (i) the stability of resveratrol in nutraceutical tablets is affected by temperature; (ii) the dependence of the kinetic constants on temperature does not follow the Arrhenius equation, determining an overestimation of the degradation rate at 25 °C; in this regard a modified version of the Arrhenius equation that takes into account the deviation from linearity has been used to estimate the dependence of the kinetic constant on the temperature. These results suggest that accelerated testing does not provide a general model for predicting the shelf life of foods and dietary supplements. The reason may be due to possible matrix effects that result in different degradation mechanisms depending on the temperature. In this regard, symmetry relationships in the kinetics of chemical reactions resulting from microscopic reversibility and their relationship to the deviation from the Arrhenius equation are discussed. However, further research is needed to characterize the degradation mechanisms at different temperatures. The results of these studies would allow accurate prediction of food degradation to improve food safety and risk management and reduce food waste. In addition, knowledge of stability processes is necessary to ensure the maintenance of physiological processes by dietary supplements.

Background: Varicocele still today represents a common cause of infertility in young men. The treatment strategy remains a surgical approach such as scleroembolization; however, the complete restoration of spermatic parameters afterward requires an average of six or more months to fully regain optimal seminal parameters. Recently, many studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of Resveratrol in male fertility, given its potential anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and mitochondrial effects. Therefore, Resveratrol-based nutraceuticals could be promising as an adjuvant to mitigate subfertility in patients with varicocele. Methods: In the present study, we retrospectively analyzed the effects of the administration of a Resveratrol-based nutraceutical after the scleroembolization procedure. The improvement of sperm quality in terms of number, motility, and morphology were considered to be the study’s main endpoints. A spreadsheet program was used for data analysis, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: We found a statistically significant improvement in the spermatic parameters (sperm count and total motility) and an increase in normal sperm after only 4 months of treatment. The supplementation with a Resveratrol-based nutraceutical associated with the surgical procedure showed encouraging results if compared to data from a control group and the results reported in the literature linked to scleroembolization practice alone. In fact, there was a clear improvement in the seminal parameters at 4 months. Conclusions: This suggests the positive impact of the Resveratrol-based nutraceutical in synergizing with scleroembolization in reducing the time needed to fully recover sperm function.

Based on low solubility in water and high membrane permeability, resveratrol is collocated in the second class of the Biopharmaceutical Classification System, with limited absorption derived from a low dissolution rate. Solid microdispersion of resveratrol supported by magnesium dihydroxide (Resv@MDH, trademark Revifast®) represents a physical mixture of resveratrol (30% w/w) and magnesium dihydroxide (70% w/w) obtained by traditional techniques, such as mixing and micronization under appropriate conditions. Establishing the wide use of Revifast® in food supplements, in the present work we deepen its physicochemical characterization by using diffractometric and infrared analysis. No novel species are found in the Resv@MDH mixture except magnesium dihydroxide and resveratrol extracted from Polygonum cuspidatum. The results herein reported strengthened the safety of Revifast® ingredients for resveratrol-based food supplements.

Urinary tract infections (UTI), which are among the most frequent cases of infectious diseases, mainly affect women. The most common treatment approach involves the use of antibiotics, although this solution is not always the most suitable, mainly because of the resistance that bacterial strains develop. Proanthocyanidins are a class of polyphenols, abundantly contained in cranberry extracts, which have shown beneficial effects in the treatment of urinary tract infections, due to their anti-adhesive properties toward bacteria, with respect to the membranes of the cells of the urothelium and intestine, thus reducing their virulence. In this work, we demonstrate via microscopy and scattering measurements how a mixture of cranberry and chondroitin sulfate can form a crosslinked structure with barrier properties. By using a design of experiment (DOE), we optimized the mass ratio to obtain a precipitate between cranberry extract and chondroitin sulfate in the presence of N-acetylcysteine and hyaluronic acid. By using transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) chambers, we confirmed the barrier properties of the best mixture obtained with the DOE. Lastly, the antibiofilm action was investigated against five strains of Escherichia coli with different antibiotic sensitivity. The precipitate displayed a variable inhibitory effect in biofilm formation with major effects in UTI with an antibiotic resistance profile.