Current Nutrition & Food Science - Volume 19, Issue 9, 2023

China announced the “Double Carbon” goals in 2020, aiming to achieve “Carbon Peaking” by 2030 and “Carbon Neutrality” by 2060. Achieving these grand goals demands substantial changes in China’s industrial system, the food industry included. Regarding the information needed to formulate viable plans and policies at the industrial level to help achieve the double-carbon goals, this article argues that research on the consumption side of the food industry can be instrumental in informing industrial policy compatible with these goals. Specifically, our discussion revolves around four questions. Why expect the food industry to play a significant role in achieving the double-carbon goals? Why are consumers’ food preferences key to the design of viable policy? What aspects of consumer preferences should be studied? Finally, how may findings from such research be incorporated into food policy?

Background: Aflatoxin is one of the most hazardous toxins produced by Aspergillus spp. and contaminates animal feed and therefore human food. Aflatoxin exposure causes several health problems including liver, kidney, and intestine disorders for human beings. Therefore, an efficient decontamination method for food stuff seems essential. Objective: The aim of this mini-review was to go over the recent advances in the decontamination of aflatoxins in foodstuffs and explain the bio-removal methods based on microorganisms during the last decade. Methods: Literature research was performed using the keywords “aflatoxin”, “bio removal”, “decontamination”, “food”, and “biomass” individually or all together, in Scopus, Web of Science, and Pubmed in the last decade. Results: LABs and yeasts are the most useful and successful microorganisms in this field. These methods are very efficient, specific, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective, also they do not affect the nutritional value of the foodstuffs, unlike the physical or chemical techniques. The bio-removal methods contain aflatoxin adsorption and degradation. Conclusion: Although more studies and researches are required to evaluate the different types of toxin removal using various microorganisms and their practical aspects and the highest efficiency should be determined.

Background: Medicinal plants have become the focus of intense researches through the identification and determination of their pharmacological benefits with their different chemical constituents. Objective: The aim of this mini-review is to highlight the most important health benefits of Syrian bean caper and parsnip. Methods: The manuscript consists of review articles, randomized control experiments, and analytical studies, which have been gathered from different sources such as Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and PubMed. A review of the literature was carried out using keywords such as health benefits, pharmaceutical properties, Syrian bean caper (Zygophyllum fabago L.), and Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.). Results: Syrian bean caper is good for diabetes, lower cholesterol, is appropriate for people aiming for weight loss, is a good source of vitamin K for healthy bones, protects skin from harmful ultraviolet rays, prevents cancer and skin ailments, protects from allergies, helps in digestion, increases immunity, treats anemia, moistens skin, helps in relieving congestion. Syrian bean caper is also anexcellent source of minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, and sodium which gives stronger teeth, is a source of anti-ageing, good for the eyes, and reduces skin disorders, it consists of a good amount of iron and vitamin B which makes it a good candidate to have healthy hair, and relieves constipation. Parsnips are a type of root vegetable, closely related to parsley roots and carrots. Parsnips are an excellent source of various nutrients, minerals, and vitamins such as folate, vitamins C and K, they are rich in antioxidants, a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber, a great source of a healthy weight loss diet, and support immune function. Conclusion: According to phytochemical advantages and pharmacological benefits, Syrian bean caper (Zygophyllum fabago L.) and Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) show their importance as medicinal plants in both traditional and modern medicine.

Food fermentation is one of the oldest food preservation and processing methods that uses live microorganisms and dates back thousands of years in human civilization. From those days, human society has used them without knowing the true value of these live microorganisms. But later, they understood the beneficial health effects of some organisms used in fermentation. Later they were named probiotics. With the advancement of science, the taxonomic and morphological details of probiotic bacteria and fungi were identified. In the early stage of human civilization, probiotics were used only for the preservation of excess food stuff, but now they have been used for many other aspects. Encapsulated probiotics and dried probiotics enhance the benefits of probiotics while reducing the major drawback of survivability in harsh conditions. Genetically engineered probiotics organisms open new avenues in the nutraceutical industry, having maximum benefits to the host. In modern medicine, probiotic functional foods have been used as nutraceuticals for multi-drug resisting organisms and as transport vectors. In the near future, Super probiotic organisms will be the new step in human civilization in terms of food and therapeutic medicine.

Background: Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is a characteristic Sapindaceae fruit native to China and is a seasonal non-climacteric fruit with unique flavor, rich nutrients, and high economic value. Longan was used as a traditional Chinese medicine for various purposes, such as soothing nerves, relieving insomnia and increasing blood metabolism. Longan fruits are alternately eaten fresh, and they have elegant and sweet-tasting flesh. This fruit can also be processed to make dried pulp, jam, drinks, wine and canned fruit. Objective: The aim of this manuscript is to survey the chemical and natural constituents of longan and show the importance of longan in both modern and traditional pharmaceutical sciences. Methods: The goal of this article was to emphasize the most important benefits and pharmaceutical advantages of longan. The manuscript consists of randomized control experiments, review articles, observations and analytical studies, which have been gathered from various sources such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct. A review of the literature was done by using the keywords such as longan Dimocarpus, longan natural products, traditional Chinese medicine, and pharmaceutical benefits. Results: The most important chemical constituents of the pericarp of longan are friedelin, friedelanol, (24R)-stigmast-4-en-3-one, β-sitosterol, β-(2-furly) acrylic acid, 6-hydroxy-7- methoxycoumarin, β-daucosterol, corilagin, gallic acid, heptyl p-hydroxybenzoate, methyl gallate, 4-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-ellagic acid, and ellagic acid. The most notable antioxidant compounds extracted from longan shells are scopoletin, isovanillin, astragalin, quercetin, β- phenylethyl alcohol and hyperin. The most important biological properties of longan pericarp are tyrosinase inhibitory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-glycated, anticancer, memory-increasing impact, and other parameters that have a significant contribution to human health. Conclusion: This review article finds that longan is an excellent source of constituents with beneficial nutritional and bioactive characteristics. More clinical research may be needed to reveal the countless substances and their impacts in longan that may affect public health.

Ingestion of microbial-contaminated food causes severe health issues due to the outburst of serious foodborne diseases. To prevent these situations, sensitive and precise detection of toxins and identification of pathogenic microbes are very important in today’s world. Different types of toxins include natural, chemical, and metal toxins. Based on their origin, natural toxins are classified into biotoxins which are produced by microorganisms (algal, bacteria, fungal), animal toxins, and phytotoxins. Researchers enabled the use of nanomaterials in biosensors, enhancing sensitivity, stability, and specificity. Nanomaterials like gold, silver, carbon nanotubes, graphene, magnetic nanoparticles, and quantum dots were commonly used to develop biosensors. Thus, this mini-review summarizes the old conventional and new analytical methods for detecting a few natural toxins present in different food samples.

Plant metabolites are known for their beneficial effects on human health. Whole grains are also called as a virtuous source of staple food and phenolic acids. These acids are present in whole grains abundantly in three forms, free, conjugated, and bound. From the entire content of phenolic acids in whole grains, an abundance of bound phenolic acids is about 70-95%. The bioavailability of phenolic acids varies from simple molecules to complex molecules. However, mechanical cooking influences phenolic acid's structural and functional composition. These natural phenolic acids exhibit several pharmacological activities such as antioxidant effect, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties within the physiological system. The present review covers the research and development of crucial whole grain products and nutraceuticals by providing insights to analytical methods, bioavailability, bioaccessibility and health benefits of phenolic acids. Additionally, this review encompasses recent information on the evaluation of complete grains, including contemporary strategies for assessing the bioavailability of phenolic acid.

In this mini-review article, two important dairies which can be considered as functional foods from west and center of Asia, particularly Iran, have been discussed. Doogh and kashkh are considered as national drinks in Iran, and have tremendous health benefits. The goal of this manuscript is to survey the principal roles of Doosh and Kash as natural products in the modern era. All relevant information was searched for terms of Doogh, Kashk, black kashk, and traditional drinks from reliable databases, such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Doogh is the national Iranian traditional fermented drink produced from diluted yoghurt in dairy manufacturing units. Doogh, an acidic drink, is flavored with dried mint and rose or other spices. It may provide high quality protein, vitamins, calcium, and minerals such potassium and magnesium. It is a good source of probiotics, the healthy bacteria that may aid the gut, and improve the immune system. The most important microbes in Doogh are Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbriuekii sp. bulgaricus. Kashk is a typical dairy product served in the Middle East, mainly in Iran, made from sour milk. It is available as a liquid or in a dried form, which is important to be soaked and softened before it can be utilized in cooking. Numerous alcohols, aldehyds, alkenes, alkanes, esters, sulfur compounds, FFAs, ketones, and terpenes were detected in dried kashk, and the most common volatile compounds reported in kashk samples were two sulfur compounds (carbon disulfide, disulfide dimethyl), two alkanes (tetradecane, hexadecane), one terpene (dl-limonene), one aldehyde (nonanal), and methyl naphthalene. Both Doogh and kashk are dominant sources of protein and minerals in comparison with milk with ability to hold them longer, which can be considered as functional foods.

Culturing meat in-vitro cell, also known as cellular agriculture, is an alternative to livestock meat production. By culturing meat instead of relying on conventional meat, the deleterious effects on the environment can be avoided. Moreover, depending on cultured meat resources will help improve animal welfare and aid in tackling the current sustainability challenges associated with animal rearing to produce meat. Multiple tissue culture methods and bioengineering techniques are currently being studied to design various cell types to develop muscle and fat cells for culturing meat. To succeed in the cellular agricultural industry, the public impression of cultured meat must also be considered. To better study and understand cultured meat perception among the public, we extensively studied papers on ‘cultured meat’ and ‘public perception’ from the past decade. Most recent research studies have discussed the public perception of a particular group toward cultured meat. However, to the best of our knowledge, no existing article provides a detailed study on recent advances in cultured meat and the views of public consumers from different backgrounds. Thus, this paper focuses on several religious and regional groups and their perceptions of cultured meat consumption. The consumers’ appeal and acceptability of cultured meat are crucial to manufacturing cultured meat. However, many existing studies on public perception of cultured meat have raised concerns despite their willingness to consume it. Therefore, organisations must carefully navigate for such an industry to reach its full potential. For instance, labels like ‘lab-grown meat’, ‘cultured meat’, or ‘artificial meat’ may elicit negative customer responses. On the contrary, tags like ‘clean meat’ or ‘healthy meat’ may promote better acceptance among consumers. Further research and development, especially on the alternative of serum-free culture media, cultured meat, and cellular agriculture, can transform the meat industry soon.

It is now a known fact that microbiota needs to be regulated in order to prevent obesity, which has become a global public health problem around the world. It is very important to acquire sustainable and easy-to-apply eating habits for microbiota health. Studies show that the type and amount of dietary protein, dietary polyphenol, and boron content can have positive effects on the microbiota. In the light of the research studies examined as a result of this review, it is thought that the microbiota health will improve with the acquisition of a diet with high protein, polyphenol, and boron content, and thus, many chronic health problems related to nutrition, including obesity, can be solved.

Mustard (Brassica spp.) is an annual oilseed crop that is widely cultivated in Asia and Europe for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It is a rich source of valuable nutritive and non-nutritive bioactive compounds which have gained importance for their pharmacological activities in recent years owing to increased attention towards achieving sustainable development goal of good health and wellbeing. The presence of traditional antinutrient factors like glucosinolates sustainable source of affordable nutraceuticals. The major bioactive components in mustard are glucosinolates (sinigrin and sinalbin) and its sulphur-rich degradation products (isothiocyanates), phenolic compounds, phytic acid and various phytosterols. These compounds possess specific activities like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, antimicrobial, antiobesity as well as anti-depressant activity. Nutraceutical products like food supplements can be formulated by extracting these compounds which possess desirable properties and thus allow maximum use of the plant.

Background: Brain disorders are presently one of the most serious and challenging health issues in the world. A significant portion of morbidities and fatalities worldwide are caused by these brain disorders. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological condition that develops when dopaminergic neurons are lost in the substantia nigra, causing cognitive and motor impairment. Objectives: Conventional treatment modalities, including dopamine replacement therapy and optimization of dopaminergic transmission approaches, don’t address the pathogenic processes primary to the symptoms of PD and usually become the least essential with time. Researchers are aiming to provide effective treatment in treating PD with minimizing adverse consequences. In the past few years, a number of studies on nutraceuticals have been conducted to produce foods with fewer adverse effects and increased therapeutic effectiveness. The use of these nutraceuticals is typically risk-free and can be coupled with the patient's current common pharmacological therapy to enhance the standard of living and lessen PD symptoms. Conclusion: The current review focuses on a number of important nutritional compounds and dietary changes that have been shown to be effective against a number of the pathogenic pathways involved in the onset and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD), and further lights the justification for their prospect use in the treatment and prevention of PD.

Introduction: Antioxidants derived from herbal plants can reduce malondialdehyde (MDA) and increase monocytes in experimental animals. The administration of manisrejo leaf extract is expected to reduce MDA and increase monocytes. Manisrejo leaves, which are still closely related to berries (Vaccinium sp), have been widely studied as natural antioxidants. This study aimed to elucidate the potential bioactive of manisrejo leaf extract against MDA and monocytes in rabbits. Methods: This study applied the posttest-only control group design. The object of the study was 20 male broiler rabbits aged 2 months treated with manisrejo leaf extract. During the 28 days, the objects were divided into 5 groups; P0 was given normal feed, P1 normal feed plus manisrejo leaf extract as much as 2.5 g/kg BW, P2 normal feed plus manisrejo leaf extract as much as 5 g/ kg BW, P3 normal feed plus manisrejo leaf extract as much as 10 g/kg BW, and P4 normal feed plus manisrejo extract as much as 20 g/kg BW. Results: The data were processed using SPSS using OneWay ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The results showed albumin levels (p = 0.899), AST (Aspartate transaminase) levels (p = 0.198), ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) levels (p = 0.216), cholesterol levels (p = 0.995), monocyte levels (p = 0.014), lymphocyte levels (p = 0.903), leukocyte levels (p = 0.934), neutrophil segment levels (p = 0.210), MDA levels (p = 0.001), and CD44 levels (p = 0.894). Conclusion: Manisrejo leaf extract may contain some potential bioactives that affect downregulating MDA levels and upregulating monocytes in rabbits.

Background: Banana (Genus Musa) cultivars have been farmed for a long time all over the world. Various parts of this plant have nutritional and therapeutic applications. According to research, various components of the banana can be used to cure ailments, such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, ulcers, diarrhea, urolithiasis, Alzheimer's, and infections. Despite such vast knowledge about bananas, there is a lacuna in exploring the different varieties with their nutritional value and suitability. Objective: The present study was carried out to analyze the nutritional composition of different varieties of bananas and their consumption. Methods: Robusta, Rasakadali, and Red banana varieties were studied for their chemical and nutrient composition and wide consumption. Results: Among the observed varieties, Robusta was found to have high protein (1.99 ± 0.10), fat (0.18 ± 0.01), carbohydrates (78.76 ± 0.01), ash (1.23 ± 0.1), fiber (1.00 ± 0.10), and energy (316.81 ± 0.00) as compared to other varieties. Minerals like calcium (6.25 ± 0.77), manganese (0.81 ± 0.00), and iron (0.10 ± 0.00) were found to be slightly high in Robusta. Furthermore, sensory acceptability results revealed that the cakes prepared by Robusta had the highest acceptability scores. Conclusion: Robusta had better nutrient and chemical composition along with a good sensory profile compared to the other two varieties and thus preferred for cake preparation.

Background: Nutrition is a fundamental need of human beings worldwide. Hunger has increased rapidly all over the world and reached a high level with more than one billion people living with chronic hunger. Objective: The main objective of the proposed study was to identify the challenges of food and nutrition insecurity. Methods: The research team conducted interviews in the respective union councils (UCs) with support of the field team, and subsequently collected and analyzed the data. Results and Discussion: The findings of the present study indicated that 32% of households gave their children food/fluids within one month, followed by breastfeeding. About 81% breastfeeding practice is strictly followed at the household level. Only 23%, 22%, 27% and 28% of children with the ages between 6 and 23 months were given one, two, three and four meals, respectively. The data indicates that about 11% of children faced issues during their feeding practices, while 89% of children did not face any feeding issues. The majority of pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) reported that they did not receive any additional food. The consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits was around 30% twice in a week. The vegetables and fruits, including watermelon, jujube, peroon, singari, pipoon, musk melon, keria and gangheti, were cultivated, which are solely dependent on the seasonal rain. The diseases, such as respiratory diseases, skin diseases, cardiac disease, malaria, dengue and mental illness, were reported; whereas, measles and night blindness were not reported in the selected area. Conclusion: There is a need of spreading the message through media at the district and province levels with the involvement of multi-stakeholders, so that the efforts are synergized to have a sustainable and long-term impact.