Functional Food Science Research Articles

Biological active compounds from edible mushroom: Effect on hela cells

Background: Mushrooms are unique organisms rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, which allows them to be used not only as a source of nutrition but also in cosmetics and medicine. The fungus P. ostreatus possesses two strong enzymatic complexes – lignin-decaying and cellulose-decaying. Objective: The research aimed to study the antitumor activity of treated mm-wave mycelial extracts of mushrooms on the HeLa cell line. Research on edible mushrooms against tumors is very actual and important for the field of functional food science and bioactive compounds field. Methods: The effect of the fungal culture extract on the cyto-photometric and morphometric indices of the HeLa cell line culture was studied according to the nature of proliferation and transcription of malignant tissues. Using high-resolution liquid chromatography, the amino acid composition of acid-soluble proteins in mycelial extracts of a mushroom culture treated with mm waves was studied. Results: Extracts of P. ostreatus mycelial culture significantly suppressed the growth of proliferative activity of human tumor cultures and completely suppressed the mitotic activity of continuous HeLa cell cultures to 72 hours. Our study revealed a significant increase in glutamic and aspartic acids in mycelial culture extracts treated by mm-waves. Conclusion: Based on HPLC analysis, we suggest polyfunctional peroxidase as the candidate for the role of biologically active compound in the composition of aqueous extracts of the mycelial culture. So, the polyfunctional peroxidase plays an active role in the therapeutic properties of the oyster mushroom. Keywords: anticancer activity, ant-inflammation activity, mm-waves, mushroom`s, mycelial extracts, HPLC of acid-soluble proteins, HeLa cell line.

Looking back at the achievements of functional food science in japan.

Functional food science in Japan actively began approximately 40 years ago in the form of specific research projects funded by Grants-in-Aids for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. Then, a new category of healthy food, i.e. "Food for Specified Health Use" (FOSHU), was established. Toshihiko Osawa organized and held the 1st International Conference on Food Factors in Hamamatsu, Japan, in 1995. As examples of key achievements in basic science, the chemical identification of numerous active principles in foods, elucidation of their metabolism pathways, and mechanistic findings by using "omics" technologies and the discovery of target molecules are remarkable. However, whether FOSHU truly contributes to public health is still unknown. In this mini-review, the author looks back on functional food science in Japan to date and, at the same time, describes the prospects to share a vision of the future in the next 10 years.

Quantum and tempus theories of function food science in practice

Functional food science has witnessed remarkable advancements in recent years, driven by our evolving understanding of quantum mechanics and the concept of time. The interplay between these two theories, namely the Quantum theory and the Tempus theory, has opened new avenues for research and innovation in functional food. Functional food science integrates these theories to better understand the complex relationship between food, chronic disease, and health. Quantum theory explores the molecular-level interplay between energy, matter, and bioactive compounds in functional foods, optimizing their development and utilization for chronic disease and health. The Tempus theory emphasizes timed consumption, aligning functional foods with circadian rhythms and metabolic processes for enhanced nutrient absorption, utilization, and metabolic responses. By synchronizing food intake with the body's natural rhythms, the Tempus theory enhances the efficacy of functional foods in promoting health and preventing disease. Integrating the quantum and tempus theories in functional food science provides a comprehensive approach to understanding and utilizing the potential of functional foods for personalized nutritional interventions and improving overall well-being.Keywords: functional food science, Quantum theory, Tempus theory, bioactive compounds, cellular interactions, timing, health promotion, personalized nutrition.

Exploring the effectiveness of lactobacillus probiotics in weight management: A literature review

The objective of this literature review was to evaluate the effectiveness of the exploring the effectiveness of lactobacillus probiotics in weight management: a literature review in weight management. Obesity is defined as the accumulation of excessive fat, which may result in many potential health risks. A body mass index over 30 is considered obese, and obesity rates have increased by over 400% since 1975. Obesity is one of the leading underlying causes of health issues in developed nations, causing problems such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Additionally, obesity is also known to be heavily associated with type ii diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), and musculoskeletal disorders. To combat the issues connected with obesity, diet, and exercise are essential. In this article, we recommend the use of probiotics’ biocompound from the genus lactobacillus in addition to diet and exercise as an intervention for obese individuals. Probiotics may facilitate weight loss by increasing microbiome quantity and variety, regulating immune responses, and improving metabolic rates. An online search was conducted in the following databases: pubmed® and the functional food center’s journal database. Studies published between January 1, 2010, and April 1, 2023, were included. More rcts are needed to increase the certainty of the evidence and to verify our conclusions, especially in those who have conditions that are comorbid with obesity, such as type 2 diabetes.Another major objective of this research will be reviewing accumulated data from the perspective of functional food definition and steps on how to create ideal functional food products. Functional foods, products that contain bioactive compounds, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial substances, are crucial in promoting health and preventing diseases. Functional food science involves isolating and combining bioactive compounds to create functional ingredients that provide targeted health benefits. The development of functional food incorporates a multidisciplinary approach to food science, nutrition, biotechnology, and other related fields. Hence, by accumulating data on functional food science and by using quantum end tempus theories about bioactive compounds, researchers can provide valuable insights for creating ideal and innovative functional food products that meet consumer demands for healthier food options. Keywords:Obesity, probiotics, Lactobacillus, quantum theory of functional foods, type 2 diabetes

An assessment of clinical trials used in functional food science

Abstract: The emergence of chronic diseases with nutritional origin has rendered the wide use of clinical trials and intervention strategies necessary. Clinical trials have become a “gold standard” for testing the health impacts of different dietary changes; however, they also pose a potential risk to participants. Particularly with clinical trials used in food studies, there is an added complexity of food chemistry and food behavior as well as unique ethical issues related to clinical nutrition trials such as a potential violation of the right to be fed, disruption of food culture, and the need for food security. Thus, it becomes imperative to have a basic understanding of the key principles and methodology of different clinical trials to enable researchers to determine the best type of clinical trial for their functional food nutrition study. The progression of clinical nutrition trials is promising, but there is an increased importance of reviewing different models to determine the best method of performing nutrition-based research that minimizes the potential risk to participants while increasing current food knowledge. In this article, we aim to achieve two major goals: the first is analyzing various types of clinical trials and the second is using this analysis to figure out which type of clinical trial is ideally suited for research related to food and nutrition. Conclusion: We conclude that randomized trials are the most effective type of clinical trial used in functional food studies. Randomized cluster trials and randomized parallel-group trials are particularly effective in diminishing the challenges in functional food studies that are outlined in this paper as they reduce the effects one intervention has on another intervention.Keywords: Clinical trials, Functional Food Science, Clinical research, Functional Food, Food, Nutrition

Quantum and Tempus Theories of Functional Food Science: Establishment of dosage and time of consumption of functional food products

Over the years the United States has seen an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases. For that reason, there has also been an increased need in products that can prevent or manage symptoms of disease. Functional food products are food products that contain bioactive compounds that have been shown to produce beneficial effects that increase health. The Functional Food Center has previously a 16-step process to develop functional food products and bring them to the market. As part of this process, researchers should establish the appropriate dosage of a bioactive compound at which the product can be consumed safely, and it can effectively improve health parameters. Previously, we suggested that Quantum theory of functional food science could be useful for finding the critical amount at which a bioactive compound will cause enough chain reactions to influence health and biomarkers of disease. In this paper, we propose that a new step be added to the 16-step process making the total steps to bring a functional food product to the market 17. This new step should occur after establishing the appropriate dose and should focus on establishing the appropriate time of consumption using the Tempus theory of functional food science. The word Tempus comes from the latin word for time. Similar to dosage, time of consumption can impact the effectiveness of a bioactive compound, which is why this new step is important. Recent studies on diabetic patients have applied the Quantum and Tempus theories of functional food science to determine the appropriate range of dosage and time of consumption at which squalene, which is a bioactive compound belonging to the triterpene class, can improve parameters of health in diabetics. The studies found that consumption of squalene improves parameters of health in diabetic patients, however higher doses produced the effects in less time than lower doses. Although the studies were able to provide more information about the appropriate dose and time range for consuming the bioactive compound in that population, more research is needed to find the exact ranges.Keywords: functional food product, bioactive compound, dosage, time, quantum theory of functional food science, tempus theory of functional food science

Edible insects – a new trend in Functional Food Science

Population growth, rising global food demand, and environmental concerns related to (animal) food production have indicated the use of edible insects as a sustainable and healthy food source. However, despite edible insects being considered a novel food in Western countries, entomophagy is a traditional food habit in many human cultures and ethnic groups. Many preclinical studies have highlighted the health benefits of edible insects and their bioactive compounds, although evidence in humans is still limited. Therefore, further clinical studies are urgently needed for the exploitation of edible insects as functional foods.Keywords: novel food; nutraceuticals; bioactive compounds; healthy diet; sustainability; traditional food; food security

Commentary on: functional food science and gastrointestinal physiology and function.

Commentary on: functional food science and gastrointestinal physiology and function.

Establishment of Dosage of Bioactive Compounds in Functional Food Products

As the prevalence of chronic diseases has increased in the United States there has also been an increase in the need for products that can help prevent, manage, or treat diseases. Functional food products can do this through components within them called bioactive compounds. These compounds can provide multiple health benefits that act on biomarkers of disease. However, there is not a set definition for functional foods, making it hard to classify and regulate them. The Functional Food Center has proposed a definition for functional food as well as a multi-step process for their development. As part of this process a bioactive compound is identified within a functional food product. To understand more about the safety and efficacy of this bioactive compound, an appropriate dose must be established. To find this dose, clinical research is conducted. In preclinical research animal subjects are used to identify the critical amount of a bioactive compound. Researchers also test for safety concerns and adverse effects from the product. After this, clinical trials are performed on human subjects to determine the efficacy of the functional food product. However, these trials are different from trials done on drugs. The quantum theory of functional food science can find the critical amount of a bioactive compound needed to create a chain reaction that leads to the claimed health benefits. This can also help researchers discover possible toxicities of bioactive compounds in doses above the critical amount. The use of quantum mechanics in the food industry could also allow for control of physical characteristics of functional food products as well as bioavailability of bioactive compounds within these products using nanotechnology. However, more research is needed to understand the safety of this technology. Keywords: functional food products, bioactive compounds, dosage, pre-clinical studies, clinical studies, quantum theory of functional food sciences, quantum mechanics

A comprehensive review on the role of food bioactive compounds in functional food science

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

Curcumin exerts a protective effect against obesity and liver injury induced by an atherogenic diet

Background: Curcumin (Cur) is a natural yellow polyphenol extracted from the turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa). Cur is known for its potential therapeutic properties as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, and anti-mutagenic, although some of these biological activities remain unproven. Epidemiological studies have shown a positive relationship between high-fat diets and diet-related chronic diseases. We hypothesized that some adverse effects of consuming atherogenic or high-fat diets (AD) can be ameliorated by Cur supplementation. Using an experimental model of rats, this study investigated the significance of Cur when it is given as a supplement in an AD.Methods: Healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Controls (C) received a standard diet and experimental rats were fed with AD or AD+Cur for 5 weeks. Cur (100 mg/kg body weight) was given orally daily, plus piperine (5 mg/kg body weight). The effect of Cur supplementation was studied on zoometrics, visceral fat content, serum lipids profile, hepatosteatosis, liver function and oxidative status. Results: Diets did not alter energy consumption. As compared to the other groups, AD+Cur group showed a lower total visceral fat content, percentage of perirenal, mesenteric, and pelvic fat, and body weight gain (P< 0.05). Serum total cholesterol (P<0.0001), non-HDL-C (P<0.0001) levels were significantly higher in AD groups as compared with C. Serum triglycerides and HDL-C levels remained similar among groups (P>0.05). AD induced a liver injury with macrovesicular steatosis and portal inflammation. AD+Cur rats presented microvesicular steatosis with no inflammation, achieving the lowest level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT; P<0.0001) and reductions of aspartate aminotransferase (AST; P<0.0001). Liver homogenates from AD+Cur showed that Cur supplementation reduced the dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) oxidation rate induced by AD by 25 % and deferoxamine and superoxide dismutase inhibited DCFH-DA. Conclusion: Cur as a dietary supplement showed a protective effect against obesity and inflammation, but its cardioprotective ability remained unproved. Cur may develop as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases induced by oxidative stress. This study provides supporting evidence to confirm the beneficial effects of curcumin from the point of view of functional food science. Keywords: curcumin, liver injury, ROS, atherogenic diet, visceral fat, obesity

Functional food science: Differences and similarities with food science

Many nations are facing rising healthcare costs. The field of functional food science (FFS) has been introduced to combat this. Functional foods are foods with added bioactive compounds which provide a clinically proven health benefit. However, FFS and food science (FS) are often viewed as one and the same. To progress in development and research in the field of FFS, the two must be viewed as separate. Currently, the FDA has not issued or accepted a formal definition for functional foods. In contrast, the FDA accepts and actively uses FS. This makes it difficult to regulate functional foods and weakens public trust.The FDA currently has a health claim authorization system in place, but it still fails to properly regulate functional foods. Other countries, such as Japan, have regulatory systems set in place specifically for functional foods. This increases public trust as there is a strict process that a product has to go through before it is authorized for consumption. Countries such as Japan could serve as a model for a functional foods regulatory system in the United States. The Functional Food Center (FFC) has proposed a 15 step system similar to Japan’s to authorize functional foods in the U.S. Due to a lack of governmental recognition, there is a large educational gap in secondary schools and higher educational institutions when it comes to FS and FFS. Courses and lessons regarding FS are more available to students than courses and lessons concerning FFS. In addition, the challenges that the field of FFS faces also work to separate the field from FS. Because FFS is concerned with creating functional food products (FFPs) that have a clinically proven health benefit, the scientific research in this field must meet rigorous standards to ensure that the FFP in question truly has substantial evidence for the health claim. It is important to not only acknowledge the distinction between these two fields but to also understand the benefit this will have on the well being of the general population. With FFS as an established field, research can be funded accordingly and new functional foods can be developed that can prevent or lessen the symptoms of disease. Through regular analysis and measurements through specific biomarkers, FFP can work alongside western medicine to combat disease and dysfunction. Finally, it is important that a major area that differs is the emphasis on quantity when it comes to FFS. Specific quantities must be outlined and followed in order for FFP to function as they are intended.Keywords: Functional Food Science, Food Science, Bioactive Compound, Biomarker, Functional Food Product, Foods for Specific Health Use

Can functional foods reduce the risk of disease? Advancement of functional food definition and steps to create functional food products

The definition of functional foods (FFs) has been in development for many years by the Functional Food Scientists of the Functional Food Institute/Functional Food Center (FFC). The status of the FFC’s definition is currently unrecognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),but recognition is important for the safe, uniform development and disbursement of functional food products (FFPs) that could improve the health of Americans and people around the world struggling with chronic and viral diseases. If functional foods were to be properly termed using the FFC’s current definition, they would be classified as a drug according to the FDA. Thus, the FFC is in communication with governmental representatives to determine the next steps for functional foods to be properly acknowledged. To that end, the FFC is revising its current definition of functional foods to fit a more accurate and encompassing idea of the nature of what functional foods do. This includes a shift to stressing how functional foods promote optimal health, reduce the risk of chronic/viral disease, and manage their symptoms.Additionally, the process of developing a functional food product must be standardized to ensure the safety of administering bioactive compounds as a health optimization tool. This process follows the methodology of functional food science, which is a potential new form of life science proposed by the Functional Food Center. Over time, the FFC has been developing the appropriate steps to create a functional food product, however, in this article, new steps are emphasized, such as epidemiological studies and after-market research—vital steps to ensuring the safest and most efficacious product is released to the public. Functional foods are not meant to take the place of conventional medicine. They can, however, be used in conjunction with Western medicine and serve as an aid to health optimization for people with chronic/viral diseases and prioritize the management of symptoms associated with those diseases.Keywords: functional foods, bioactive compounds, biomarkers, functional food science, functional food products, epidemiological studies

FFC’s Advancement of the Establishment of Functional Food Science

The Functional Food Center (FFC) has previously defined functional food as foods which have scientifically-proven benefits toward improving general health and ameliorating the effects of chronic diseases. Given this useful working definition of functional food, it’s now imperative to delineate and establish a field of functional food science. Currently, there are no published articles on what functional food science is. Defining functional food science is necessary so that a legitimate field can be established and recognized by the government as well as a global network of researchers and scientists. In this way, appropriate funding and advancements can be made, and functional foods can make their way towards significantly improving the lives of people in the United States and also around the world, as is the goal. As a result of this need, functional food science will be defined as the process of preparing functional foods as well as a field intersecting the realms of health and medical treatment. In this sense, functional food science not only deals with preparing functional foods but also with the efficacy of their health benefits. More specifically, as sciences are often defined by their processes, functional food science can be defined as the comprehensive, aggregate, interdisciplinary, and collaborative processes of: establishing a target and finding a bioactive compound that enables that effect, finding the correlated measurable biomarker, running testing to find proper dosage and effectiveness, performing clinical trials to ensure efficacy, creating the functional food with an informative label, releasing to market and running epidemiological studies to verify it. Although this understanding and definition is nascent, this can be a starting ground for the FDA and other governmental bodies, as well as the scientific and functional food community, to develop a robust, extrapolatable, and useful outline of functional food science. With an established field of functional food science, functional foods can be researched, produced, and made official and trustworthy, so that there can be large positive impacts on public health, both in disease prevention and in maintenance of good health.

Green fabrication and characterization of debranched starch nanoparticles via ultrasonication combined with recrystallization.

With recent advances in nanotechnology, debranched starch nanoparticle (DBS-NP) materials have attracted considerable interest from the fields of functional food, biomedicine, and material science, thanks to their small size, biodegradability, biocompatibility, sustainability, and non-hazardous effects on health and the environment. In this study, DBS-NP was fabricated using an eco-friendly method involving ultrasonication combined with recrystallization. The effects of ultrasonication and recrystallization times on the morphology, particle size, and crystal structure of the DBS-NPs were systematically investigated. Compared with the DBS-NPs prepared using ultrasonication treatment only, the DBS-NPs formed using ultrasonication combined with recrystallization were uniform in size and well distributed in aqueous solution. Moreover, the maximum encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in the DBS-NPs with ultrasonication treatment reached 88.35% and 22.75%, respectively. The particle sizes of the EGCG@DBS-NP were more stable at a neutral pH (7.4) than at an acidic pH (2.1). The EGCG in the EGCG@DBS-NP displayed excellent radical scavenging activity and antibacterial effects, and cell assays demonstrated that the EGCG@DBS-NP was non-toxic and highly biocompatible.

Nutraceuticals, supplements and probiotics in type 2 diabetic people: what the real evidence?

Nutraceuticals (“nutrition” and “pharmaceutical” crases) is a term coined by Dr. Stephen De Felice in 1989 and refers to the study of foods with beneficial effects on human health. A nutraceutical is therefore a food that combines nutritional components selected for their characteristics, such as high digestibility and hypoallergenicity, to the healing properties of natural active ingredients. The European Commission Concerted Action on Functional Food Science (FUFOSE) defines a “functional food” as one whose positive effect on one or more functions of the organism is such that it is relevant for improving health and/or reducing risk of disease, regardless of its nutritional effect; it must also be able to exert its effects on the amounts normally consumed with the diet. Otherwise, the “nutraceutical” is a real pharmaceutical preparation with active ingredients naturally present in food but extracted, purified, concentrated and taken in a pharmacological dose. In this discussion we will focus only on the evidence available in the literature on the use of nutraceuticals, supplements and probiotics in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. KEY WORDS nutracetuticals; supplements; probiotics; diabetes.

Drying colloidal systems: Laboratory models for a wide range of applications.

The drying of complex fluids provides a powerful insight into phenomena that take place on time and length scales not normally accessible. An important feature of complex fluids, colloidal dispersions and polymer solutions is their high sensitivity to weak external actions. Thus, the drying of complex fluids involves a large number of physical and chemical processes. The scope of this review is the capacity to tune such systems to reproduce and explore specific properties in a physics laboratory. A wide variety of systems are presented, ranging from functional coatings, food science, cosmetology, medical diagnostics and forensics to geophysics and art.

Funkcionális élelmiszerek előállítása, forgalmazása és fogyasztása Magyarországon

A funkcionális élelmiszerek a különleges (speciális) élelmiszerek közé tartoznak, melyeknek a tápértéken és élvezeti értéken kívül még egészségvédő hatást is tulajdonítanak. Az utóbbi évtizedben új élelmiszerek készültek a krónikus szív- és érrendszeri, daganatos betegségek kockázatának csökkentése céljából. A funkcionális élelmiszerek olyan hagyományos, minden piacon megtalálható termékek, melyeket a jobb egészségvédő hatás érdekében módosítottak. Magyarországon az élelmiszereket vásárlók 16%-a választ egészségtudatosan, a táplálkozási útmutatókat követve. Legtöbben a tejtermékeket keresik, mert kalcium-tartalmuk révén csökkenthetik a csontritkulást, melynek előfordulása idősebb korban már egyre gyakoribb. Utóbbi években megnőtt az érdeklődés a gyümölcsök és zöldségek iránt, melyek jelentős antioxidáns-kapacitással rendelkeznek. A biológiailag aktív anyagok (vitaminok, ásványi anyagok, antioxidánsok) rendkívül eltérő mértékben halmozódhatnak fel az általunk ismert és termesztett növényekben, a tenyésztett állatokban, vagy a hasznos mikroorganizmusok sejttömegében. Intenzív gazdálkodásban a növény gyorsabban növekszik, több termést ad egységnyi területen, de kevesebb biológiailag aktív anyagot tartalmaz. Emiatt a belőlük előállított élelmiszereket mesterségesen kell kiegészíteni, dúsítani. Felmérések szerint az így készített élelmiszerek piaca nagyon jelentős és gyorsan növekvő, mert a rendszeresen sportolók, testépítők és nagyobb fizikai aktivitásra képes testedzők is érdeklődést mutatnak az egészséges táplálkozást biztosító élelmiszerek fogyasztására. JEL-kód: D12

In silico genotoxicity of coumarins: application of the Phenol-Explorer food database to functional food science.

Coumarins are a group of phytochemicals that may be beneficial or harmful to health depending on their type and dosage and the matrix that contains them. Some of these compounds have been proven to display pro-oxidant and clastogenic activities. Therefore, in the current work, we have studied the coumarins that are present in food sources extracted from the Phenol-Explorer database in order to predict their clastogenic activity and identify the structure-activity relationships and genotoxic structural alerts using alternative methods in the field of computational toxicology. It was necessary to compile information on the type and amount of coumarins in different food sources through the analysis of databases of food composition available online. A virtual screening using a clastogenic model and different software, such as MODESLAB, ChemDraw and STATISTIC, was performed. As a result, a table of food composition was prepared and qualitative information from this data was extracted. The virtual screening showed that the esterified substituents inactivate molecules, while the methoxyl and hydroxyl substituents contribute to their activity and constitute, together with the basic structures of the studied subclasses, clastogenic structural alerts. Chemical subclasses of simple coumarins and furocoumarins were classified as active (xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin, esculin, scopoletin, scopolin and bergapten). In silico genotoxicity was mainly predicted for coumarins found in beer, sherry, dried parsley, fresh parsley and raw celery stalks. The results obtained can be interesting for the future design of functional foods and dietary supplements. These studies constitute a reference for the genotoxic chemoinformatic analysis of bioactive compounds present in databases of food composition.

A new definition of functional food by FFC: what makes a new definition unique?

Background: Functional food science has gained momentum recently in response to the changing health status of developed countries. As healthcare costs and average life expectancy rise, the public has sought ways to become healthier and develop higher qualities of life. The concept of “functional food” developed as a convenient and inexpensive solution to chronic health problems, and is becoming influential in numerous branches of science and policy. Since its conception in 1984, “functional food” changed its meaning per country and culture. The term migrated from Japan to the EU and the United States where it generated profit but bred confusion among experts and non-experts. In this chapter, we review how “functional food” has been defined and redefined over the past 30 years, as well as the benefits of our current definition. The goal of this new definition is to strengthen communication between nutrition scientists, the public, and other groups as well as legitimize functional food science around the world.Keywords: Functional foods definition; bioactive compounds; biomarkers