Health Functional Properties Research Articles

Antioxidant Properties of Kombucha Made with Tartary Buckwheat Tea and Burdock Tea.

Kombucha is a beverage fermented by SCOBY, which is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Recently, kombucha has received significant attention due to its health benefits, which include antioxidant and anti-obesity effects. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of kombucha made with Tartary buckwheat and burdock, both known for their high polyphenols content. First, the total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging assays, which revealed a polyphenol content of 180 ug/mL in Tartary buckwheat kombucha and a high radical scavenging ability of over 90% in both kombucha preparations. Analysis of the changes in the organic acid content during fermentation revealed increases in various organic acid contents, such as glucuronic acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid. Glucuronic acid, especially, which has many functional properties in health, was found to be produced at a concentration of 4.03 g/L in Tartary buckwheat kombucha. Pancreatic lipase inhibitory ability analysis revealed inhibitory effects of 40.47% and 57.68% for Tartary buckwheat and burdock kombucha, respectively. The results of this study confirmed the antioxidant and anti-obesity effects of kombucha made from Tartary buckwheat and burdock, indicating the potential value of these ingredients as functional kombucha ingredients.

Selenium-enriched plant foods: Selenium accumulation, speciation, and health functionality.

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for maintaining human health. The biological effects and toxicity of Se compounds in humans are related to their chemical forms and consumption doses. In general, organic Se species, including selenoamino acids such as selenomethionine (SeMet), selenocystine (SeCys2), and Se-methylselenocysteine (MSC), could provide greater bioactivities with less toxicity compared to those inorganics including selenite (Se IV) and selenate (Se VI). Plants are vital sources of organic Se because they can accumulate inorganic Se or metabolites and store them as organic Se forms. Therefore, Se-enriched plants could be applied as human food to reduce deficiency problems and deliver health benefits. This review describes the recent studies on the enrichment of Se-containing plants in particular Se accumulation and speciation, their functional properties related to human health, and future perspectives for developing Se-enriched foods. Generally, Se's concentration and chemical forms in plants are determined by the accumulation ability of plant species. Brassica family and cereal grains have excessive accumulation capacity and store major organic Se compounds in their cells compared to other plants. The biological properties of Se-enriched plants, including antioxidant, anti-diabetes, and anticancer activities, have significantly presented in both in vitro cell culture models and in vivo animal assays. Comparatively, fewer human clinical trials are available. Scientific investigations on the functional health properties of Se-enriched edible plants in humans are essential to achieve in-depth information supporting the value of Se-enriched food to humans.

Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation on Physicochemical Properties, Functional Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Edible Grass

Fermented foods are known worldwide for their functional health properties. In order to promote the relative product development of edible grass, Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Lr) were used to ferment edible grass in this study. Effects of fermentation using Lp and Lr in monoculture and binary mixture on physicochemical properties, the contents of functional compounds and the antioxidant activity of edible grass at different fermentation times were investigated by colorimetric method and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results show that the pH value and total sugar content of the three fermented edible grasses at the 4th day were lower than those of unfermented water extract (defined as the control sample) and kept almost unchanged at the 7th day. The total polyphenol content and total flavonoid content of the three fermented edible grasses were lower than those of the control sample by the oxidation of phenolic compounds caused by polyphenol oxidases. The highest soluble protein content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were found in the binary mixture of Lp and Lr fermentation at the 7th day, which were respectively 11 and 1.78 times higher than those of control sample. The oxalic acid content of all fermented edible grasses shows a significant decrease with increasing fermentation time, especially for the binary mixture at the 7th day, reaching only 24% of the control sample. However, the contents of lactic acid and succinic acid of the three fermented edible grasses were higher than those of the control sample because of the metabolism of the microorganism. Functional compounds including soluble protein, SOD, lactic acid and succinic acid played the main positive roles in antioxidation, while oxalic acid had a negative correlation with antioxidation. Therefore, the antioxidant activity of edible grass was dramatically enhanced by Lactobacillus strain fermentation.

Evaluation of lycopene content in industrial tomato derivatives for the development of products with particular nutraceutical and health-functional properties

Evaluation of lycopene content in industrial tomato derivatives for the development of products with particular nutraceutical and health-functional properties

In vitro Studies of the Utilization of Industrially Important Substrates by Lactobacillus sp. AAF-1 Isolated from Coconut Water

Coconut water (Cocos nucifera L.) possesses natural hydrating qualities, functional health properties and various nutritional benefits. Lactobacillus species AAF-1 has been isolated and purified from coconut water. The isolated culture was screened for the production of extracellular secreted enzymes having industrial value. Growth of the Lactobacillus sp. AAF-1 on MRS agar containing respective substrates showed that the Lactobacillus sp. AAF-1 is the potential producer of amylase, protease, cellulase and beta galactosidase. Further cell free filtrates of the Lactobacillus sp. AAF-1 showed large zone of hydrolysis of starch, gelatin, cellulose and lactose that reflected the extracellular production of the above enzymes in culture medium at 50 °C. It has been observed that activities after 72 h of incubation in cell free filtrates of protease, amylase, cellulase and beta galactosidase as the zone of respective substrate hydrolysis measured as 10, 8, 6 and 10 mm respectively. Thus, Lactobacillus sp. AAF-1 could be the potential producer of the enzymes having industrial value.

Determination of commodity characteristics of emulsion based on low-methoxylated pectin for dishes of the «Eat Healthy» system in the restaurant service

The object of research is emulsions based on low-methoxylated apple pectin for dishes of the «Eat Healthy» system in the restaurant industry. The subject of the research is the commodity characteristics of emulsions for dishes of the «Eat Healthy» system. In the course of the study, methods were used to determine commodity characteristics based on sensory and physicochemical analysis. The proposed ingredient composition of emulsions based on low-methoxylated apple pectin makes it possible to form not only high consumer qualities, but also to provide the target product with functional health properties. The sorption activity of pectin makes it possible to bind and remove heavy metals, radionuclides from the body; removal of strontium isotopes has a high activity. As a highly hydrophilic, biocompatible biopolymer of plant origin, it provides a high viscosity of the structure at low concentrations, has a pronounced neutral, pleasant sour taste. Low-methoxylated apple pectin is one of the most common hydrocolloids, which is used in the technology of products with therapeutic, prophylactic, sorption, bactericidal properties. In addition, low-methoxylated pectin substances are a harmless and economical material, and can be considered as an alternative to antibiotics and synthetic preservatives to prevent bacterial spoilage and extend the shelf life of health food for public catering with high consumer properties. The influence of the technological properties of low-methoxylated pectin in the formation of commodity characteristics for food products based on emulsions in healthy food products of restaurant establishments of different styles and concepts has been determined. Samples of food emulsions were studied using different amounts of low-methoxylated pectin as a stabilizer to obtain a sedimentation-stable emulsion system. The use of low-methoxylated apple pectin in the composition of food emulsions increases the aggregate stability of the product, functional and merchandising characteristics. On the basis of a complex quality indicator, the optimal parameters of the emulsion formulation were determined. High-quality consumer characteristics are ensured due to the size of uronic particles up to 0.78–0.81 μm in size.

A Machine Learning Method for the Fine-Grained Classification of Green Tea with Geographical Indication Using a MOS-Based Electronic Nose.

Chinese green tea is known for its health-functional properties. There are many green tea categories, which have sub-categories with geographical indications (GTSGI). Several high-quality GTSGI planted in specific areas are labeled as famous GTSGI (FGTSGI) and are expensive. However, the subtle differences between the categories complicate the fine-grained classification of the GTSGI. This study proposes a novel framework consisting of a convolutional neural network backbone (CNN backbone) and a support vector machine classifier (SVM classifier), namely, CNN-SVM for the classification of Maofeng green tea categories (six sub-categories) and Maojian green tea categories (six sub-categories) using electronic nose data. A multi-channel input matrix was constructed for the CNN backbone to extract deep features from different sensor signals. An SVM classifier was employed to improve the classification performance due to its high discrimination ability for small sample sizes. The effectiveness of this framework was verified by comparing it with four other machine learning models (SVM, CNN-Shi, CNN-SVM-Shi, and CNN). The proposed framework had the best performance for classifying the GTSGI and identifying the FGTSGI. The high accuracy and strong robustness of the CNN-SVM show its potential for the fine-grained classification of multiple highly similar teas.

Nutritional and Functional Properties of Fermented Mixed Grains by Solid-State Fermentation with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 245.

Fermented foods have several advantages, including increased nutritional value, improved bioavailability, and functional health properties. We examined that these outcomes were also observed in fermented mixed grains (FMG) containing wheat germ, wheat bran, oats, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and lentils following solid-state fermentation (SSF) by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 245. The metabolic profile during fermentation was screened using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOF-MS). The amino acids were quantitatively measured for the validation of the changes in metabolites. The activity of enzymes (e.g., amylase, protease, and fibrinolysis) and antioxidant capacity was also assessed to elucidate the functionality of FMG. The essential amino acid contents gradually increased as fermentation progressed. As the metabolites involved in the urea cycle and polyamine pathway were changed by fermentation, arginine was used as a substance to produce citrulline, ornithine, and agmatine. FMG showed dramatic increases in enzyme activity. FMG incubated for 36 h also displayed higher total phenolic contents and free radical scavenging ability than MG. The data suggest that FMG produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 245 possess improved nutritional and functional quality, leading to their potential use as dietary supplements.

Sodium-Calcium Exchangers of the SLC8 Family in Oligodendrocytes: Functional Properties in Health and Disease.

The solute carrier 8 (SLC8) family of sodium-calcium exchangers (NCXs) functions as an essential regulatory system that couples opposite fluxes of sodium and calcium ions across plasmalemmal membranes. NCXs, thereby, play key roles in maintaining an ion homeostasis that preserves cellular integrity. Hence, alterations in NCX expression and regulation have been found to lead to ionic imbalances that are often associated with intracellular calcium overload and cell death. On the other hand, intracellular calcium has been identified as a key driver for a multitude of downstream signaling events that are crucial for proper functioning of biological systems, thus highlighting the need for a tightly controlled balance. In the CNS, NCXs have been primarily characterized in the context of synaptic transmission and ischemic brain damage. However, a much broader picture is emerging. NCXs are expressed by virtually all cells of the CNS including oligodendrocytes (OLGs), the cells that generate the myelin sheath. With a growing appreciation of dynamic calcium signals in OLGs, NCXs are becoming increasingly recognized for their crucial roles in shaping OLG function under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. In order to provide a current update, this review focuses on the importance of NCXs in cells of the OLG lineage. More specifically, it provides a brief introduction into plasmalemmal NCXs and their modes of activity, and it discusses the roles of OLG expressed NCXs in regulating CNS myelination and in contributing to CNS pathologies associated with detrimental effects on OLG lineage cells.

Contact maps and brain disease risk.

A new study in Science has mapped regulatory elements for major cell types of the human brain to help elucidate the transcriptional mechanisms underlying their developmental and functional properties in health and disease.

Sourdough bread: A contemporary cereal fermented product

Nutraceutical products have gained prominence nowadays owing to their plethora of suggested positive health attributes. Several types of foods have likewise been indicated to provide a wide variety of functional health properties. Especially, functional foods with probiotic properties, such as fermented milks containing lactic acid bacteria and yeast, have generated considerable regard, sourdough bread has received recent attention as wheat fermentation could improve essential mineral bioavailability and provide additional health and nutritional benefits including the provision of probioticmicrobes. Sourdough fermentation is also associated with anti‐fungal and anti‐bacterial properties that can improve bread shelf life and quality including the provision of attractive organoleptic characteristics. In addition, this review succinctly highlights the fermentation of wheat from Pakistani perspective, antinutritional factors, and their pros and cons, allergic compounds in wheat and their degradation by fermentation and various other methods to improve nutritional value and quality that have appeared in the recent research. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The field of sourdough microbiology and technology is currently limited by the number of comprehensive review articles with study on novel microorganisms known to degrade gluten, with much research focus on phytic acid and gliadin degradation. This review article will broaden the knowledge of food scientist who are working in the field of sourdough bread. This review article also discusses the microbiota responsible for nutraceutical bread production in baking industry. Sourdough technology is mushrooming in many areas of the world due to its myriad health and quality benefits.

Production of fermented skim milk supplemented with different grape pomace extracts: Effect on viability and acidification performance of probiotic cultures

The addition of polyphenolic compounds to probiotic dairy products has been proposed as a promising strategy to enhance the beneficial health effects of milk-derived functional foods. In this study, probiotic fermented skim milk was supplemented with pomace extracts obtained from Pinot Noir, Freisa, Croatina and Barbera grape varieties. Regarding acidification kinetics, the addition of Pinot Noir extract increased the maximum acidification rate (Vmax) of skim milk by 39.4% compared with control (no pomace extract supplementation). The time required to complete the fermentation (tpH4.5 = 3.5 h) was shortened when grape pomace extracts were added to the fermented skim milk. It was also observed that after 28 days of storage at 4 °C, polyphenolic compound supplementations had a positive effect on cell viability of both Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus acidophilus. The concentration of polyphenols was also determined in the fermented skim milk samples. These results suggest that Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus acidophilus can metabolize the supplemented polyphenols, although not all to the same extent. Moreover, this study demonstrates the feasibility of adding phenolic compounds to probiotic products in order to further improve their functional health properties.

Enrichment of Biscuits with Matcha Green Tea Powder: Its Impact on Consumer Acceptability and Acute Metabolic Response.

Matcha green tea powder (MGTP) is made with finely ground green tea leaves that are rich in phytochemicals, most particularly catechins. Shortbread biscuits were enriched with MGTP and evaluated for consumer acceptability and potential functional health properties. Baking decreased the content of total catechins by 19% compared to dough, although epimerization increased the amount of (+)-gallocatechin gallate at the expense of other catechins such as (−)-epigallocatechin gallate. Consumer acceptability tests using a 9-point hedonic scale showed that consumers preferred enriched biscuits with low content of MGTP (2 g of MGTP 100 g−1 of flour), and an increase of sugar content did not significantly improve the acceptability of MGTP-enriched biscuits. Overall, enrichment of biscuits with MGTP did not significantly affect the postprandial glucose or triglyceride response (area under curve) compared to non-enriched biscuits consumed with water or MGTP drink. Enriching biscuits with Matcha green tea is acceptable to consumers, but may not bring significant postprandial effects.

Development and evaluation of a fermented coconut water beverage with potential health benefits

Coconut water is a liquid obtained from coconuts (Cocos nucifera L.) with natural hydrating qualities, functional health properties and nutritional benefits. The aim of this work was to develop an innovative, non-dairy, fermented functional beverage using coconut water as the main ingredient for providing the intrinsic health properties. Among seven autochthonous lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from natural fermentation of coconut water, Lactobacillus plantarum was selected due to its inhibitory activity against some pathogens and its characteristics that favor survival under some technological and gastrointestinal conditions. The fermentation was carried out for 8 h at 37 °C in the presence of yeast extract, soy protein hydrolysate and sucrose. Coconut water is a non-dairy substrate that can be introduced as a new vehicle for the consumption of functional cultured beverage, especially by vegans and/or vegetarians and lactose intolerant consumers.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PROBIOTIC KOUMISS FROM GOAT MILK WITH ADDITION OF ROSELLE EXTRACT (Hibiscus Sabdariffa Linn)

Goat milk and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn) are food ingredients with health functionalproperties. This research used Lactobacillus acidophilus RRAM-01 and Lactococcus lactis RRAM-01which had been proven as probiotic, and Saccharomyces cereviceae. Saccharomyces cereviseae wasused to produce specific flavor components in koumiss (bacterial fermentation product). The objectiveof this research was to study the characteristics of goat milk probiotic koumiss added that with roselleextract. The results showed that the addition of different concentration of roselle extract (0%, 0.5%, and1%) in the goat milk probiotic koumiss had no effect on chemical and microbiological characteristics ofkoumiss. Goat milk processed into koumiss had ability to suppress the growth of coliform and hadstrong inhibition activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 as tested by agar diffusion test.Microbiological analysis used in this research was the pour plate method. Population of lactic acidbacteria indicated that the product fulfilled standards as probiotics koumiss (1011 cfu/mL), coliform wasnot detected in the products, therefore the products met the criteria of The National Agency of Drug andFood Control (NA-DFC) as probiotic functional food. Sensory evaluation was conducted by usinghedonic quality test. Based on the hedonic quality test, addition of different concentrations of roselleextract increased the intensity of red color and koumiss viscosity, but had no effect to the aroma andsourness of koumiss.

Amazing T-type calcium channels: updating functional properties in health and disease

T-type Ca(2+) channels have gained, 15years after cloning, an immense interest as novel players in very unexpected cell functions, and its many relations to diseases have been discovered. This special issue provides a state-of-the-art overview on novel functional properties of T-type Ca(2+) channels, unexpected cellular functions, and most importantly will also summarizes and review the involvement of this "tiny, transient" type of Ca(2+) channels in several diseases. It is tried to bridge the gap between molecular biophysical properties of T-type Ca(2+) channels and diseases providing finally a translational view on this amazing ion channel.

Flaxseed and Human Health: Reviewing Benefits and Adverse Effects

Consumption of flaxseed has been increased due to its possible functional properties in health. However, its chronic consumption may offer risks considering the effects of lignans in men and in pregnant women, as well as the existence of other phytochemicals and toxic factors with adverse health effects in the seed. The present review focuses on the growing body of evidence on the potential health benefits of flaxseed in humans, with supporting evidence from human and animal studies. It also raises questions that provide input for future research on the effects of flaxseed ingestion in terms of nutrient bioavailability and human fertility.

Glucocorticoid actions on airway epithelial responses in immunity: Functional outcomes and molecular targets

Research on the biology of airway epithelium in the last decades has progressively uncovered the many roles of this cell type during the immune response. Far from the early view of the epithelial layer simply as a passive barrier, the airway epithelium is now considered a central player in mucosal immunity, providing innate mechanisms of first-line host defense as well as facilitating adaptive immune responses. Alterations of the epithelial phenotype are primarily involved in the pathogenesis of allergic airways disease, particularly in severe asthma. Appreciation of the epithelium as target of glucocorticoid therapy has also grown, because of studies defining the pathways and mediators affected by glucocorticoids, and studies illustrating the relevance of the control of the response from epithelium in the overall efficacy of topical and systemic therapy with glucocorticoids. Studies of the mechanism of action of glucocorticoids within the biology of the immune response of the epithelium have uncovered mechanisms of gene regulation involving both transcriptional and posttranscriptional events. The view of epithelium as therapeutic target therefore has plenty of room to evolve, as new knowledge on the role of epithelium in immunity is established and novel pathways mediating glucocorticoid regulation are elucidated.

Consumer response to functional foods produced by conventional, organic, or genetic manipulation

AbstractThe agro‐food industry is developing a “second generation” of genetically modified (GM) foods that can offer functional health benefits to consumers. Many consumers, however, are turning to organic foods in order to avoid GM foods. This report attempts to differentiate consumer valuation of functional health properties in conventional, organic, and GM foods. A representative sample of 1,008 Canadian household food shoppers responded to twelve stated‐choice experiments during a telephone survey. Because opinions about organic and GM foods varied greatly, random parameters logit models were used to analyze their choices. Results indicate that many Canadian consumers will avoid GM foods, regardless of the presence of functional health properties. For others, the introduction of GM functional plant foods should increase acceptance of GM production methods, but many consumers will likely avoid functional foods derived from GM animals. The organic food industry could also profit from the introduction of organic functional foods. [EconLit citations: I120; D120.] © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 20: 155–166, 2004.

The airway epithelium: structural and functional properties in health and disease.

The major function of the respiratory epithelium was once thought to be that of a physical barrier. However, it constitutes the interface between the internal milieu and the external environment as well as being a primary target for inhaled respiratory drugs. It also responds to changes in the external environment by secreting a large number of molecules and mediators that signal to cells of the immune system and underlying mesenchyme. Thus, the epithelium is in a unique position to translate gene-environment interactions. Normally, the epithelium has a tremendous capacity to repair itself following injury. However, evidence is rapidly accumulating to show that the airway epithelium of asthmatics is abnormal and has increased susceptibility to injury compared to normal epithelium. Areas of detachment and fragility are a characteristic feature not observed in other inflammatory diseases such as COPD. In addition to being more susceptible to damage, normal repair processes are also compromised. Failure of appropriate growth and differentiation of airway epithelial cells will cause persistent mucosal injury. The response to traditional therapy such as glucocorticoids may also be compromised. However, whether the differences observed in asthmatic epithelium are a cause of or secondary to the development of the disease remains unanswered. Strategies to address this question include careful examination of the ontogeny of the disease in children and use of gene array technology should provide some important answers, as well as allow a better understanding of the critical role that the epithelium plays under normal conditions and in diseases such as asthma.