Introduction Phosphatidylserine (PS), a ubiquitous, endogenously occurring phospholipid, is the major acidic phospholipid in the brain. PS and other phospholipids make up the basic structural components of the cell membrane. These membrane phospholipids play an important role in cell-to-cell communication and transfer of biochemical messages into the cell, which trigger cellular responses. The ...

Introduction Resveratrol (trans-3,4’,5,-trihydroxystilbene) is a polyphenol molecule found in many plant species including grapes, peanuts, cranberries, Japanese giant knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), and others. Polyphenols, including flavonoids, flavonols, catechins, and stilbenes are present in the human diet in plant materials, where they act as antioxidants and protect the plant from damag...

T his literature review explores the role that ventilation, assessed by air changes per hour (ACH), plays in infection transmission and disease control. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Position Document on Airborne Infectious Diseases (2009) notes the dilution effect that ACH has on infectious disease transmission. The Wells-Riley equation...

Biochemistry and Pharmacokinetics Thiamine functions as a coenzyme in more than 24 enzymes, most importantly pyruvate dehydrogenase (for energy production in the Krebs cycle), transketolase (for lipid and glucose metabolism, production of branched chain amino acids, and production and maintenance of myelin sheath), and 2-oxo-glucarate dehydrogenase (for synthesis of acetylcholine, GABA, and glu...

Description Quercetin is widely distributed in the plant kingdom and is the most abundant of the flavonoid molecules. It is found in many often-consumed foods, including apple, onion, tea, berries, and brassica vegetables, as well as many seeds, nuts, flowers, barks, and leaves. It is also found in medicinal botanicals, including Ginkgo biloba, Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s Wort), Sambucus c...

Introduction Niacinamide, also known as nicotinamide, is a water-soluble amide of nicotinic acid. Niacinamide is one of two principal forms of the B-complex vitamin, B3. Niacin was first isolated from rice bran in 1911. Niacinamide, the amide of niacin, was later isolated in 1934 by Warburg and Christian when coenzyme II, NADP, was extracted from horse erythrocytes. While niacinamide and niacin...

Introduction Riboflavin was originally recognized as a growth factor in 1879 and named vitamin B2 according to the British nomenclature system. It was first isolated from egg whites in 1934 and synthesized in 1935.1,2 Riboflavin fluoresces yellow-orange and gives the yellow-white hue to egg whites and milk. Riboflavin has two active coenzyme forms, riboflavin 5’-phosphate (R5P; flavin mononucle...

Introduction Neurological disorders, particularly diabetic neuropathy, have been treated with vitamin B1 (thiamine) for decades; however, the bioavailability of orally administered, water-soluble thiamine salts is low compared to fat-soluble analogs. For treatment to be successful, high levels of thiamine are needed in both blood and tissues. In 1954, Fujiwara discovered a group of lipid-solubl...

Description Diosmin is a naturally occurring flavonoid glycoside that can be isolated from various plant sources or derived from the flavonoid hesperidin. Diosmin was first isolated in 1925 from Scrophularia nodosa, and first introduced as a therapeutic agent in 1969. Diosmin is considered to be a vascular-protecting agent used to treat chronic venous insufficiency, hemorrhoids, lymphedema, and...