Precise nutritional modulation of cancer biomarkers through the employment of functional foods and bioactive compounds

Bioactive food ingredients are non-essential substances found in foods that can modulate one or more metabolic processes, resulting in enhanced health. Functional diets have attracted more critical than ever as an alternative to conventional treatments of many diseases. The medicinal potential of functional foods and nutraceuticals is due to some unique functional groups produced due to food metabolism and their molecular variants. Phytochemicals are biologically active, naturally occurring chemical compounds in plants with various biological properties and therapeutic benefits. While functional foods and natural bioactive compounds have been used as conventional medicines to treat chronic diseases for decades, recent scientific findings identify functional foods' health advantages and present their behavior's basic mechanisms. Phytochemicals have essential bioactive roles in the prevention and treatment of oxidative and inflammatory diseases. Plant-derived bioactive compounds can help suppress inflammation by inhibiting oxidative damage and communicating with the immune system. Many bioactive components are capable of binding to intestinal tract toxins or carcinogens. These bioactive peptides control Diet-related medical conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and other metabolic diseases. Various bioactive compounds in common food and their therapeutic role is discussed in this review.Keywords: Functional food, phytochemicals, bioactive peptides, therapeutic effects.

The bioactive food compounds have various health benefits including prevention of chronic health problems, however poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability and stability issues limit its clinical use. The applications of nanoemulsion in various food industries for the delivery of bioactive and nutritional food compounds have generated a huge market demand in comparison to conventional emulsions. Nano emulsion formulation can overcome the challenges by encapsulating the bioactive compounds to prevent their degradation caused by temperature, pH and oxidation. Moreover, the small particle size of nanoemulsions can enhance the absorption of bioactive compounds from the gastro-intestinal tract, thus increasing bioavailability. This chapter includes an overview about formulation of nanoemulsions containing bioactive and nutritional food compounds. The chapter also discusses the contemporary research and applications of various bioactive compounds, such as bioactive lipids, flavonoids, vitamins, oils, carotenoids containing nanoemulsions to preserve or enhance its therapeutic efficacy.

Health promotion and reducing disease risk are the primary benefits of functional foods. However, the definition of functional foods is still unclear and undecided. This has made it difficult to produce a general consensus of functional food products and consumers often have to rely on companies rather than an official definition. As a result, the Functional Food Center (FFC) has previously proposed a multi-step outline of the processes needed to develop a functional food product and ways to introduce them to the market. This process of identifying a functional food involves rigorous, systematic research to determine the nutritive components of the food that promote positive health effects. An integral step that functional food science uses to identify functional foods is to determine the food bioactive compound(s) that influence beneficial health. Food bioactive compounds are the foundations to all functional foods and come from a variety of sources, like plants, mushrooms, and animals. While more research needs to be done on food bioactive compounds, this is the first step closer to legitimizing functional foods. The purpose of this review is to support appropriate and advanced research methods for the identification and screening of food bioactive compounds to define and legitimize the health claims of functional foods. In addition, this review will also discuss the future of food bioactive compounds with our current understanding of them.Keywords: functional foods, bioactive compounds, anti-inflammatory, health, nutrition, bioavailability, biomarkers, extraction

Bioactive compounds (BCs) are key components in the development of functional foods (FFs) that offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids, flavonoids, fatty acids, fiber, and probiotics contribute to metabolic regulation, immune support, and a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. This review examines the classification, mechanisms of action, and safety considerations of BCs, drawing on recent research and the framework of the Functional Food Center (FFC). It also highlights the impact of environmental factors on BC composition and explores technologies, such as encapsulation, to improve bioavailability. Functional food science (FFS) emerges as an interdisciplinary field linking food technology, biomedical research, and nutrition policy. The review highlights the importance of standardized terminology, regulatory clarity, and scientifically validated interventions in advancing FF development and combating non-communicable diseases globally. Novelty: This review offers a structured and integrative framework on FF that unites scientific, technological, and regulatory perspectives on BC. It highlights the value of FFS as a discipline that proposes updated, evidence-based definitions for FF and BC. The focus on dosage, delivery mechanisms, and long-term efficacy provides a framework for future FF evaluations designed for targeted health outcomes. Keywords: bioactive compounds, pharmaceutical bioactive compounds, functional food science, functional foods, Functional Food Center

8 - Nanoencapsulation of bioactive food ingredients

Food colloids binary and ternary nanocomplexes: Innovations and discoveries

Backgrounds and Aims: Functional foods or nutraceuticals are innovative foods that contain substances that may improve health or prevent disease, as long as the concentration is safe and high enough to provide the desired benefit. Nutrients, dietary fiber, phytochemicals, other compounds, and probiotics are a few examples of added functional ingredients. Food can be deemed "functional" if it positively impacts specific bodily processes that go beyond nutritional effects to promote health and well-being and/or prevent the development of chronic diseases. Therefore, this paper aims to elaborate opinions based on the latest evidence to introduce the molecular docking simulation approach in the discovery and development of functional foods. Results and Conclusions: In functional food research, the computer-based approach allows for the virtual screening of bioactive compounds in foods. Instead of performing extensive laboratory experiments, researchers can simulate the interactions between bioactive compounds and molecular targets using molecular docking simulations. This virtual screening process helps identify bioactive compounds in foods that have the potential to interact with specific targets, providing insights into their mechanisms of action and potential health benefits. Now the technology field continues to receive significant attention from several researchers so technological progress never goes out. This technological advancement can be integrated between functional food and digital platforms. This platform may contain personalized recommendations, track health parameters, and empower individuals to make informed choices and monitor progress.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a major public health concern, with five-year mortality rates following first admission for HF being approximately 50%, thereby stressing the need for novel therapeutic approaches. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) govern lysine acetylation of histone tails that regulates nucleosmal DNA. HDAC inhibitors have emerged as efficacious therapies in pre-clinical models of HF. Interest in diet-gene interactions has given rise to the study of ‘food bioactives’ as epigenetic regulators of gene expression that control human health and disease. These reports demonstrate that bioactive food compounds regulate epigenetic marks that link diet to gene regulation. In fact, others have also shown that bioactive compounds can target HDACs for inhibition; accordingly, bioactive food compounds offer unique opportunities for therapeutic intervention and prevention of heart failure. Lastly, there is emerging interest into how these food bioactives function together or as additives within foods ‘functional foods’ to regulate epigenetic disease. This review will highlight bioactive compound HDAC inhibitors and their role in the heart.Keywords: acetylation, bioactive compounds, dietary HDAC inhibitors, HDACs, histone deacetylases

Flavonoids are a diverse group of polyphenolic compounds produced by plants, playing multiple roles in plant defense and human health. In plants, flavonoids mitigate oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), enhance resilience to abiotic stresses (e.g., drought, salinity, UV), and defend against biotic stresses (e.g., antimicrobial signaling). Food bioactive compounds (FBCs) are found in small doses of flavonoids. FBCs are used to formally identify functional foods and promote health in the human body, as high intake has been shown to decrease the risk of cancer, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases. Phenolic compounds, characterized by one or more hydroxyl groups attached to an aromatic ring, are significant bioactive compounds due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, making them essential in health-related applications and disease prevention. Flavonoid phytochemicals such as quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol exhibit significant therapeutic potential in human health. These phytochemicals have shown the ability to regulate glucose metabolism and immune responses, reduce cancer risk, and manage cancer symptoms. In this review, we will review studies showing the flavonoids’ ability to: Induce cancer cell apoptosis Reduce cell proliferation Inhibit cell viability Biomarkers such as cell proliferation and angiogenesis will be used to track the flavonoids’ cancer-preventative metrics for patients in remission. This review's novelty is its comprehensive evaluation of flavonoids in plant stress resilience and cancer treatment. It identifies key bioactive compounds, biomarkers, and mechanisms of action while applying the 17-step framework to propose future studies for advancing functional food products. Keywords: Flavonoids, oxidative stress, anti-cancer, apoptosis, breast cancer, colon cancer, biotic stress, abiotic stress, foods, health benefits

Electrohydrodynamic encapsulation: A novel technique to enhance the stability of bioactive compounds in food

The aging population and skyrocketing medical costs are an urgent problem in some countries, which necessitates the prevention of diseases and postponement of disease progression with non-medical means. Functional foods are those that exhibit beneficial effects on human health and play a vital role in supporting part of normal diets. In order to produce functional foods with safe and effective active compounds, it is necessary to define functional foods and to identify the bioactive compounds, the mode(s) of action, and the proper daily dosage. Furthermore, functional foods should undergo a neutral evaluation by an independent organization to ensure only safe and effective products will be released to the market. Japan’s Foods for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU) approval system will be described in this review as an example in which individual functional foods are evaluated with numerous criteria by a governmental agency. Whilst the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluates and authorizes health claim petitions, a definition of functional foods and a distinct functional food category are lacking in the U.S.. The Functional Food Center (FFC) has been supporting functional food scientists worldwide through research and the publishing of numerous educational materials on functional foods. Thus, the FFC and the Academic Society for Functional Foods and Bioactive Compounds (ASFFBC) can and are willing to help the FDA and other governmental agencies establish the category of functional foods and the field of functional food science, which needs to be highly collaborative and multidisciplinary. This review will also describe the current health claim authorization by the FDA and the FFC’s vision on the definition of functional foods, bioactive compounds, and the establishment of functional food science that will eventually contribute to human health and well-being in the US and across the globe.Keywords: functional food definition, functional foods, FOSHU, bioactive compounds, functional food science, health claim, foods for specified health uses

Functional foods and beverages are becoming one of the leading food products on the global market today. This is predominately due to the consumer, industry and research-related interests in the use of food-derived products for the management of several chronic conditions. The diversity of currently available functional food products also provides an opportunity for the use of fruit-based sorbets as a carrier of functional ingredients. Therefore, the aim of this literature review is to explore the use of sorbets as a functional food product, which is one commercial method that can be utilized to provide health benefits, extend the shelf life of foods, and preserve nutrients and improve taste. Firstly, we provide an overview of sorbets as a functional food matrix, their development and implications for the absorption of functional ingredients in humans. We discuss the developmental considerations of functional foods, such as the technical conditions and physicochemical and organoleptic properties through which functional foods can provide beneficial health effects. These include product stability, metabolism of the functional food ingredient, its interactions with the food matrix and limitations related to its production. There is a paucity of clinical data that investigate the long-term health effects of products claiming additional functional benefits. Given the extensive potential benefits of functional bioactive food compounds and their heavy prevalence in the market, extensive research and further regulation is needed to ensure health recommendations for large populations in longitudinal clinical studies warranting any functional claim.

Functional clinical nutrition is an integrative science; it uses dietary strategies, functional foods and medicinal plants, as well as combinations thereof. Both functional foods and medicinal plants, whether associated or not, form nutraceuticals, which can bring benefits to health, in addition to being included in the prevention and treatment of diseases. Some functional food effects from Avena sativa L. (oats), Linum usitatissimum L. (brown flaxseed), Glycine max L. (soya) and Moringa oleifera have been proposed for nutritional disorders through in vitro and in vivo tests. A formulation called a bioactive food compound (BFC) showed efficiency in the association of oats, flaxseed and soy for dyslipidemia and obesity. In this review, we discuss the effects of BFC in other nutritional disorders, as well as the beneficial effects of M. oleifera in obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, metabolic syndrome, intestinal inflammatory diseases/colorectal carcinogenesis and malnutrition. In addition, we hypothesized that a BFC enriched with M. oleifera could present a synergistic effect and play a potential benefit in nutritional disorders. The traditional consumption of M. oleifera preparations can allow associations with other formulations, such as BFC. These nutraceutical formulations can be easily accepted and can be used in sweet preparations (fruit and/or vegetable juices, fruit and/or vegetable vitamins, porridges, yogurt, cream, mousses or fruit salads, cakes and cookies) or savory (vegetable purees, soups, broths and various sauces), cooked or not. These formulations can be low-cost and easy-to-use. The association of bioactive food substances in dietary formulations can facilitate adherence to consumption and, thus, contribute to the planning of future nutritional interventions for the prevention and adjuvant treatment of the clinical conditions presented in this study. This can be extended to the general population. However, an investigation through clinical studies is needed to prove applicability in humans.

Cardiovascular events due to decompensated lipid metabolism are commonly found in Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients using anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the effect of a bioactive food compound (BFC) containing functional foods on individuals with HIV undergoing HAART. Particularly, this study aims to verify the clinical outcome in the change of the lipid profile due to the use of this compound. This study includes 115 individuals with HIV on HAART. All patients received dietary guidelines; however, sixty-one consumed BFC while fifty-one did not (NO BFC). Biochemical examinations and socio-demographic and clinical profiles were evaluated. As result, in patients using hypolipidemic and/or hypoglycemic drugs, there was 28.6% decrease in triglyceride levels (p < 0.001) in the NO BFC group, and 18.3% reduction in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (p < 0.001) in the BFC group. In patients who did not use hypolipidemic and/or hypoglycemic drugs in the NO BFC group, there was 30.6% increase in triglycerides, 11.3% total cholesterol and 15.3% LDL-C levels (p < 0.001) while for the BFC group there was 4.5% reduction in total cholesterol (p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study evidenced that the dietary intervention containing BFC positively affected in lipid control, since these HIV/AIDS patients using HAART are more vulnerable to lipid disorders.

Functional foods are a class of bioactive compounds that have proven benefits on the human health, especially the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The foods having these benefits are components of our daily diets. Functions foods have the capability of lowering the blood lipid levels, reducing the low-density lipoproteins, prevention plaque deposition and also platelet aggregation. Nutrition composition of the foods matters because of their phytoprotective substances and bioactive compounds which reduce the cardiovascular risk. The functional foods such as flavonoids, phytochemicals and antioxidants present in plant and animal sources act as cardio-protective agents. The legumes, peas and lentils are rich in iron, antioxidants and healthy proteins which are helpful in maintaining heart health and reducing the blood levels of atherosclerotic LDL cholesterol. The interaction of functional food bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids, omega-3 fatty acids and PUFA is linked to prevention of degeneration of heart muscles and arteries. One of the animal sources that rich in functional foods is the Fish. It has Omega-3 fatty acids and the intake of fish twice a day strengthens the heart muscles. As concluded in many researches, the fish is a functional food source that has high levels of good fats and high proteins which are recommended for heart. Therefore, this area has many science-based evidences which would be elaborated to enlighten the subject further.