Current Nutrition & Food Science - Volume 6, Issue 3, 2010

One of the most serious problems in food science, strictly linked to public health, is answering to the increasing consumer demand about high quality, fresh appearance and convenient products with natural flavour and an extended shelf-life, without compromising safety. In this frame identifying alternative preservation technologies is of utmost importance. In this review the attention is focused on the mechanisms of bioprotection involving trehalose, whose structural, dynamical and glass-forming properties make this disaccharide very effective as a shelf-life extending compound in food industry.

Diabetes mellitus is a global metabolic epidemic affecting essential biochemical activities in almost every age group. Over the last century changes in human behavior and lifestyle have resulted in a dramatic increase in the incidence of diabetes world over. Traditional medicinal plants and herbs having potential anti-diabetic activity are being used as part of diet since prehistoric time. Scientific data on a number of medicinal plants have proved remarkable for cure of diabetes and its complications. The current paper is aimed at providing an overview of the most effective hypoglycemic plants and herbs of Fabaceae Family along with the safety profile of the species used.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye disease that attacks the macula of the eye, the area responsible for the sharpest central vision, and affects 5% of people aged 65 and older. Current treatment strategies are of limited benefit and only to a minority of people with specific forms of the disease, thus prevention of macular degeneration at an early stage may be a key factor for both managing and reducing the public health burden of this condition. Due to their antioxidant properties and their location in the macula lutea (and therefore also referred to as macular pigments), lutein and zeaxanthin are believed to play a key role in the prevention of AMD by aiding in the filtration of damaging blue light and sunlight. This review will assess the evidence about the relationship of lutein and zeaxanthin to the prevention of AMD.

Annurca apple fruit is commonly cultivated in southern Italy and undergoes a typical reddening treatment and, is notable for its high firmness and its characteristic flavour. Apples may have selective effects on abnormalities associated with the plurimetabolic syndrome. Therefore, the effects of 20% lyophilized 'Annurca' apple supplementation on plasma and tissue lipids were investigated in Wistar rats. The experimental diets were equilibrated for sugar supply, containing 0.25g/100g cholesterol and provided only a third of the vitamin E requirement. The apple diet lowered plasma FFA and in parallel reduced triglyceride in heart and liver. Plasma leptin was also suppressed by the apple diet. In conclusion, despite their moderate fiber content, apples improve substantially the lipid status in Wistar rats, suggesting that other plant constituents such as the pectins are involved in these effects.

Propolis, a resinous bee-hive product referred as “bee glue”, is collected from various plant sources, such as buds of conifer and poplar trees, by honeybees (Apis mellifera). Honeybees blend this resinous non-toxic substance with their salivary secretions and wax flakes secreted from special glands on their abdomens. Propolis has been used as a healing agent for thousands of years in folk medicine. There is substantial evidence indicating that propolis exhibits a broad spectrum of therapeutic (biological/pharmacological) properties such as antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anticancer, anti-ulcer, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective properties. Propolis contains more than 200-300 natural compounds. The biological/pharmacological activities of propolis depend on the presence of a large number of polyphenols, mainly flavonoids (flavonoid aglycones), aromatic acids, phenolic acid esters (caffeates and ferulates), triterpenes, diterpenic acids and lignanes. The chemical composition and beneficial properties of propolis vary depending on the plant source, geographic origin and collection time. Present overview is an attempt to discuss the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the diverse biological effects of propolis.

We can often find organic foods or foods with no chemical fertilizers in the supermarket. Japanese people pay attention to food safety, and want to get information about its quality. The purpose of the paper is to reveal Japanese consumers’ preferences for agricultural spinach as fresh foods and preference heterogeneity among them. When they purchase it, what attribute they emphasize? Are they sensitive to price or quality of it? We assumed that their preferences are divided into few groups. Thus, we try to confirm this by using choice experiments (CE). The results revealed that there are economic benefits of organic products and local consumption of locally produced foods. On the other hand, the results indicated that there is a significant heterogeneity among Japanese consumers' preferences for agricultural spinach as fresh foods.

Background: Fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy are clinically distinct progressively deteriorating conditions in alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Factors responsible for the progression of ALD are poorly understood. Therefore we compared various biochemical parameters in these conditions to correlate them with disease progression. Methods: Thirty patients of alcoholic liver disease reporting to our hospital were recruited in the study. Analysis included hematological parameters, liver function tests, ammonia, amino acids and measurement of oxidative stress by measuring malanodialdehyde. Based on ultrasonography, patients were classified as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. Results: Hematological parameters showed significant change in the levels with the progression of the disease. Levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, biluribin were elevated in all the ALD conditions but were more pronounced in hepatitis and cirrhosis than fatty liver. Oxidative stress was increased with progression of disease. Also significant differences in the levels of ammonia and amino acids were obtained. Conclusions: Alcohol induced oxidative stress is the primary cause of the liver injury. The progressive deterioration of various parameters indicates the extent of liver injury. Therefore, antioxidant therapy may be best course that may halt or slow down the progression of ALD. These observations together, provide a rationale for the possible clinical application of antioxidants in the therapy for ALD. Thus, prevention and therapy opposing the development of steatosis and its progression to more severe injury can be attempted by a multifactorial approach.

Humans can be considered as super-organisms with an internal ecosystem of diverse symbiotic microbiota that have interactive metabolic processes. The homeostatic balance and the metabolome of an organism are then dependent upon not only the host but also the interaction between the host and its microflora complement or co-metabolome. Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), as end products of the gut microflora-host metabolic interactions, are the principal anions which arise from bacterial fermentation of undigested dietary carbohydrates in the colon. The SCFAs production, absorption and metabolism have presented various profound effects on the host lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, mineral absorption and satiety. The function of maintaining host metabolic homeostasis and colonic health might be attributable to the activation of SCFAs receptors. The SCFAs have currently become the subject of numerous physiologic and clinical studies. However, there is lack of a powerful tool for simultaneous assessment of the changes of the gut microflora and of the SCFAs production and ratio. With the advent of the post-genomic era, metabonomics has been identified as a very promising approach to understand the underlying mechanism occurred between SCFAs, gut microflora and host.

Malignant cells are known to contain high amounts of glutathione, a potent endogenous anti-oxidant, which is believed to contribute to their increased rate of mitosis and resistance to chemo and radiotherapies. But there is very little information as to the levels of glutathione in precancerous cells. In the present study, it was noted that the concentrations of total glutathione is significantly higher in human precancerous cells compared to cancerous cells. The higher amounts of glutathione noted in precancerous cells could be a protective mechanism adopted to prevent oxidative stress-induced DNA damage that aids malignant transformation process.