Current Nutrition & Food Science - Volume 11, Issue 1, 2015

The sterols naturally occurring in plants, known as “phytosterols”, constitute a class of secondary metabolites of the triterpene family with important biological functions. Phytosterols are in fact very important in some scientific and industrial fields. Thus, they are widely used by the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries, which obtain them from various natural sources but especially from oil deodorizer oil distillates (ODDs), which are by-products of the oil refining industry. In fact, ODDs contain variable proportions of various interesting compounds including phytosterols. This paper reviews recent methods for recovering phytosterols from ODDs, which essentially rely on four different principles: molecular distillation, enzyme treatment, crystallization or extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide.

Genetically modified (GM) foods are derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), especially genetically modified plants (GMPs). In recent years GM foods have developed with the aim to achieve food security, health and food production. Tarom genetically modified (GM) rice has been created using cry1Ab gene transfer from Bacillus thuringiensis in Agriculture Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran. cry1Ab gene expresses a delta-endotoxin protein which is toxic to rice stem borer larvas. The use of bioinformatics screening for allergenicity assessment of novel proteins is recommended by the world health organization. Therefore, Bioinformatics analysis was implemented in order to study allergenicity of Cry1Ab protein. Cry1Ab protein sequence was aligned to seven allergen databases including FARRP, SDAP, ADFS, Allergome, Algpred, PSD, and Allermath. Sequence alignment was performed with the allergen proteins by three approaches including the full sequence, the 80 amino acids, and the 6-8 amino acids. The results showed neither significant alignment nor similarity of Cry1Ab protein at full sequence, domain, and epitope level with any of the known allergens. Our results indicate that Cry1Ab protein has no allergenic property based on bioinformatics analysis.

The present study investigated the mutagenicity of fruit and leaf extracts of five Iranian grape cultivars and their effect on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) proliferation. The grape cultivars studied were: Bidane sefid, Shahroodi, Halvaie, Yaghoti and Ghermez yaghoti dorosht. The effect of the methanol extracts of Vitis vinifera cultivars on PBMC proliferation were measured using MTT assay at different concentrations (100, 1000, 2000, 3000 µg/ml). The mutagenicity of these extracts at two concentrations (1000, 3000 µg/ml) was also investigated on Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98. Among these five species, methanol old leaf and seed extracts strongly increased PBMC proliferation. The grape juices of all cultivars did not have any effect on PBMC proliferation. The grape juices of all species were also found to have potent mutagenicity on S. typhimurium. But skin, seed and leaf extract of all cultivars didn’t show any mutagenicity on this strain. This study provides data concerning the Immune-enhancing activity of fruit, leaf extracts of grape as well as weak mutagenic potency of grape juice.

Healthy, ripened fruits of Guava pink variety Punjab were used for guava-wine production. After selection, juice extraction and pasteurization, the pre-fermentation of guava “must” was carried out by a commercial pectinase using Response Surface Methodology where a 47.2% decrease in OD550 nm and 95% juice yield were observed in the statistical combination of 45°C, 6h and 0.50 mg/100ml. The effect of different fermentation parameters viz. sugar, temperature, inoculum size and DAHP supplementation revealed 25°B, 25°C, 9% and 300 mg/100ml as optimum respectively, with an ethanol production of 13.8% (v/v) in 6 days. The volatile characterization of guava-wine identified 68 volatile compounds, including 33 esters, 8 alcohols, 5 terpenes, 5 phenols (aromatic hydrocarbons), 2 ketones, 1 alkene derivative and 14 miscellaneous compounds. The sensory analysis of matured wine categorized it as a ‘Superior” grade wine with a mean sensory score of 68.4±2.56.

To understand the antioxidant activities of extracts of red sour (P. cerasus L.) cherries, known to have substantial antioxidant properties, L-ascorbic acid, phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins were measured under a variety of extraction conditions (mild heating and intermittent microwave exposure) for: i) whole juice extracts (WJE), ii) methanol-extracted juice (MEJ), iii) ddH2O-extracted pomace (dPOM), and iv) methanol-extracted pomace (mPOM). The antioxidant activity for WJE was changing with mild and prolonged exposure to heating or microwave, following a positive correlation (heating, 5 – 20 min.; microwave, 1 – 2 min.), and significantly variable with MEJ, dPOM, and mPOM. L-Ascorbic acid content was not affected with mild to prolonged heating or microwave exposure (WEJ and mPOM), except a mild increase with MEJ and dPOM. Similarly, total phenols assessed showed no significant variations, except mild increase (WEJ and mPOM), decrease (dPOM), and no significant change (MEJ). Total flavonoids content was increased under those conditions for WEJ, decreased for MEJ, and not affected for dPOM and mPOM. In contrast, anthocyanins showed differential variations with exposure (increase [WJE, MEJ, and mPOM], and decrease [dPOM]). Assessment of extraction means as compared with WJE revealed an increase in the antioxidant activity for MEJ, a decrease for dPOM and mPOM, significant increase in L-ascorbic acid, total phenols, and flavonoids contents for MEJ, dPOM and mPOM, and mild decrease in anthocyanin contents for MEJ, dPOM, and mPOM. These results confirm that red P. cerasus extracts contain a variety of antioxidants and that those antioxidants are sensitive to temperature variations.

The properties of fatty acids (FA) of four olive cultivars (Mari, Zard Golole, Roghani, and Souri) during crude state, lye treatment, water washing, fermentation, and pasteurization steps were studied. According to the results obtained, during the processing steps, in all the cultivars, oleic, palmitic, linoleic, and stearic acids were higher; the highest changes in saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (SFAs (saturated fatty acids) and UFAs (unsaturated fatty acids), respectively) were in water washing and lye treatment steps, and water washing and pasteurization steps, respectively; the highest and the lowest ratios of ω6/ ω3 fatty acids were in Zard Golole (crude state) and Souri (water washing step), respectively.

The health benefits of oligosaccharides should be accurately offered to the consumer based on scientific evidence. In particular, the prebiotic effect of nondigestible oligosaccharide is concerned with the digestibility and fermentability in the gastrointestinal tract. Since galactosylsucrose is resistant to the digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, it is widely used as a prebiotic. But, it is still unknown whether it is partially hydrolyzed by small intestinal enzymes. This is the first report that galactosylsucrose is slowly hydrolyzed by human small intestinal enzymes. The present study investigated the hydrolysis of galactosylsucrose using human and rat small intestinal enzymes. Galactosylsucrose was slowly hydrolyzed by small intestinal enzymes from both humans and rats, although the hydrolyzing activity was lower than that for lactose. Galactose, which is bonded via a β-4, 1 linkage to the glucose residue of sucrose, was the first moiety to be released from galactosylsucrose; this increased linearly during the incubation. Glucose and fructose produced from sucrose (which is the hydrolyzed residue of galactosylsucrose) also increased linearly after a delay during the early period of incubation. These results suggest that initially lactase attacks the lactose unit of galactosylsucrose, and sucrase then hydrolyzes the resulting sucrose unit. Thus, hydrolysis of galactosylsucrose starts from the β-4,1-linkage between galactose and glucose at the non-reducing terminal.

The brown seaweed Himanthalia elongata presents great dietary fibre (DF) content (29-37 g/100 g dm). Alginates, laminarans and the sulphated polysaccharides fucans are the DF main constituents. The scavenging activity on DPPH of the enzymatic extracts obtained by hydrolysis with the food grade enzymes Viscozyme, Ultraflo, Glucanex, Peelzym, Celluclast, Novozym, Promozyme, Mannaway, Shearzyme, after a previous treatment to eliminate fat and pigments, protein (Alcalase and Flavourzyme) and available carbohydrate (AMG and Fungamyl) were measured. The highest antioxidant activity was developed by the enzymatic extract from Novozyme and Peelzym. The extracts from Mannaway and Ultraflo showed high amount of oligosaccharides with notable sulphate content and develop high antioxidant activity. However, Promozyme was one of the enzymes that produces high amount of oligosaccharides with high sulphate content, and presented low antioxidant activity. Thus, other factors such as oligosaccharide type, structure or spatial pattern of sulphates may be involved in the development of antioxidant activity.

Overweight/obesity, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia are all significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the most common cause of mortality in the USA. Therapeutic lifestyle change is considered to be a critical component of any treatment plan to reverse these metabolic problems, however, most primary care physicians do not provide nutritional counseling to their patients with hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and obesity due to lack of time and training in nutrition science. In an effort to educate local physicians about nutrition, we conducted a seminar where we presented a proprietary clinically tested eating plan (Current Nutrition and Food Science 2011 Vol. 7 number 4 P 271-271) designed to reverse hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and overweight/obesity. In addition participating MDs received 10 copies of an explanatory booklet that used the eating plan to provide to their patients. Twenty nine MDs were given pamphlets and 18 of them attended the 90 minute seminar. Of those, 10 MDs distributed pamphlets to 85 patients, whilst the rest either did not hand out the pamphlet or were unable to track their patients for follow up. 74% of men were in the compliant group as were 55% of women. Average weight loss in the compliant group was 14lbs for men and 12 lbs for women over 2.7 months, LDL cholesterol dropped by 20% in both compliant groups, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure dropped by 5mm/Hg respectively and hba1c dropped from 7.5--> 6.5% in compliant men and 6.2--> 5.9% in the compliant women. There were no statistically significant improvements in any of the metabolic indices in the non compliant groups. Of the 10 MDs in the study, 8 were primary care, one was a cardiologist and the other was an endocrinologist. The MDs with the highest numbers of compliant patients had received additional training in nutrition. In conclusion, this study provides an additional evidence of the clinically effectiveness of our proprietary eating plan. In addition, it illustrates that in order for MDs to be able to provide effective nutrition counseling they require additional training beyond that provided in graduate medical education.

Calcium is an essential nutrient required for various biological functions. Several studies have shown an association between calcium deficiencies and chronic diseases such as osteoporosis. The aim of this review was to collect relevant information about the importance of healthy bones, general requirements of calcium intake and special requirements during pregnancy and the lactation period. The risk of a fracture in elderly people is related to inadequate intake and metabolism of calcium during life that can affect the bone structure. In addition, some plant sources have high calcium content, proving the requirements of calcium especially to people with intolerance to common sources of calcium like milk. The effects of a balanced nutrition and physical activity during early life have long lasting beneficial effects in bone health in adulthood.

In the present study, addition of fenugreek seed powder (FSP) and oat flour (OF) were used for the production of extruded snack products with increased health benefits and good nutritional value. Based on preliminary evaluation, the experiments were conducted by varying the proportion of FSP (1-5%) and OF (3-15%) using central composite rotatable design. Properties like bulk density (BD), hardness (HD), water absorption index (WAI) and water solubility index (WSI) were significantly (p<0.05) affected by proportions of FSP and OF. Increase in the content of FSP and OF, an increase in BD and HD was observed. Whereas increased WSI was observed with the increase in OF, and increased WAI was observed with the increase in FSP. The storage studies of quality extruded product (1.65 % FSP and 5.24 % OF) showed increased moisture uptake at atmospheric storage condition as compared to the accelerated storage condition. The shelf life of the extrudates packed in aluminum lined polyethylene was higher as compared to extrudates packed in high density polyethylene that happened to be due to higher water vapor transmission rate of the high density polyethylene.