Nutritional Bioactivity Research Articles

Formulation of vegan nutritional gummy supplements and their textural-organoleptic analysis

Gummy supplements are an exceptional medium for delivering pharmaceuticals and nutritional bioactives, especially for children. Interestingly, they are increasingly finding favor among adults as effective bioactive delivery systems. This study aimed to identify and select natural vegan components for creating and developing gummy prototypes. The gelling agent was agar-agar, sourced from red algae, and combined with carrageenan to enhance compressibility. Phycocyanin from Spirulina and anthocyanin from purple cabbage were used as colorants to provide a range of natural hues. The study resulted in five distinct formulations: Blueberry Anthocyanin Vitamin D (BAD), Blueberry Anthocyanin Vitamin C (BAC), Mango Antacid Anthocyanin (MAA), Mango Flavored Phycocyanin (MFP), and Kiwi Flavored Spirulina (KFS) gummies. Notably, the MAA gummy exhibited suboptimal texture quality during preliminary assessments and was consequently excluded from further analysis.Across the formulations, no visible color changes were noted upon room temperature storage for a week. The BAD gummy displayed heightened adhesiveness and springiness in texture, while the KFS gummy demonstrated superior cohesiveness, chewiness, and gumminess in its fresh state.Interestingly, the BAD gummy exhibited the highest adhesion even in the one-week-old samples.The outcome of the 9-point hedonic sensory evaluation unveiled that the cyan shade, derived from the phycocyanin pigment of Spirulina, was the most preferred color among the gummies. Regarding overall likability, the MFP and BAC formulations garnered the highest responses for being 'liked extremely'. The uniqueness of the present work lies in its meticulous exploration and selection of natural vegan ingredients to craft gummy formulations with diverse bioactive and sensory attributes.

Dysregulation of cellular membrane homeostasis as a crucial modulator of cancer risk.

Cellular membranes serve as an epicentre combining extracellular and cytosolic components with membranous effectors, which together support numerous fundamental cellular signalling pathways that mediate biological responses. To execute their functions, membrane proteins, lipids and carbohydrates arrange, in a highly coordinated manner, into well-defined assemblies displaying diverse biological and biophysical characteristics that modulate several signalling events. The loss of membrane homeostasis can trigger oncogenic signalling. More recently, it has been documented that select membrane active dietaries (MADs) can reshape biological membranes and subsequently decrease cancer risk. In this review, we emphasize the significance of membrane domain structure, organization and their signalling functionalities as well as how loss of membrane homeostasis can steer aberrant signalling. Moreover, we describe in detail the complexities associated with the examination of these membrane domains and their association with cancer. Finally, we summarize the current literature on MADs and their effects on cellular membranes, including various mechanisms of dietary chemoprevention/interception and the functional links between nutritional bioactives, membrane homeostasis and cancer biology.

EDESIA: Plants, Food and Health: Across-disciplinary PhD programme from crop to clinic.

In an era where preventive medicine is increasingly important due to an ageing population and rising obesity, optimised diets are key to improving health and reducing risk of ill health. The Wellcome Trust‐funded, EDESIA: Plants, Food and Health: a cross‐disciplinary PhD programme from Crop to Clinic (218 467/Z/19/Z) focuses on investigating plant‐based nutrition and health, from crop to clinic, drawing on the world‐class interdisciplinary research expertise of partner institutions based on the Norwich Research Park (University of East Anglia, John Innes Centre, Quadram Institute and Earlham Institute). Through a rotation‐based programme, EDESIA PhD students will train in a wide range of disciplines across the translational pathway of nutrition research, including analyses of epidemiological datasets, assessment of nutritional bioactives, biochemical, genetic, cell biological and functional analyses of plant metabolites, in vitro analyses in tissue and cell cultures, investigation of efficacy in animal models of disease, investigation of effects on composition and functioning of the microbiota and human intervention studies. Research rotations add a breadth of knowledge, outside of the main PhD project, which benefits the students and can be brought into project design. This comprehensive PhD training programme will allow the translation of science into guidelines for healthy eating and the production of nutritionally improved food crops, leading to innovative food products, particularly for prevention and treatment of chronic diseases where age is a major risk factor. In this article, we summarise the programme and showcase the experiences of the first cohort of students as they start their substantive PhD projects after a year of research rotations.

Neuronutrition in the perspective of the prevention and treatment of depressive disorder / Neuronutrição na perspectiva da prevenção e tratamento da desordem depressiva

The father of medicine was a pioneer in suggesting the healing power of food nutrients, however it took a long time for science to recognize that food has functional properties and the ability to interfere with mood and brain health. Currently, neuroscience is showing research results, demonstrating the effectiveness of nutritional bioactive compounds with neuroprotective potential. Some metabolic changes are the basis of common neuropsychiatric diseases, such as depressive disorder, characterized by mood dysregulation, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disorders, appetite, fatigue and metabolic or inflammatory changes. Objective: to describe the potential of dietary and bioactive nutrients that interfere in the neurobiology of depressive disorder. Methodology: This is a systematic review, stratified in a time window of 2012-2021. As a search criterion for the articles, a guiding question was formulated: how does the relationship between food nutrition and its potential connections in the neurobiology of depression appear? DesCs-MESH indexes were pre-established in the English language: food nutrition, bioactive, neurobiology depressive disorders, in the vernacular: food nutrition, brain, bioactive, depressive disorder, allied to Boolean operators, to the StArt resource, to exclude duplicate manuscripts. Results: This short-review included 31 articles that met the criteria and demonstrated nutritional bioactivity involved in the neurobiological process of depressive disorder. Conclusion: the connection between diet and depression emerges with promising perspectives when demonstrating the potential of nutrients and bioactive with a neuroprotective effect. The clinical approach combined with the diet designed to produce antidepressant effects can work as an adjunct to the treatment and prevention of depressive symptoms.

The Brassica napus (oilseed rape) seeds bioactive health effects are modulated by agronomical traits as assessed by a multi-scale omics approach in the metabolically impaired ob-mouse

Beside oil, oilseed rape (Brassica napus) seeds contains nutritional bioactives such as polyphenols and glucosinolates. However, to date their nutritional properties have been overlooked in the new “double zero” breeds.Seed alcoholic extracts from two B. napus cultivars most contrasting in their phytochemical contents as measured by mass-spectrometry were given to ob-mice. Biological outcomes including clinical metrics, gut and plasma metabolomes, liver transcriptome and metabolome were compared to ob-mice given a similar broccoli extract (Brassica oleracea).One B. napus extract induced a reduction of the oxidative stress indicated by the decrease of plasma isoprostanoids. This was associated to the regulation of the antioxidant stress defense Nrf2 pathway, to ‘omic’ oxidative stress functions, metabolic and cell process regulations, and the metabolomics microbiota profile.Extracts of B. napus seeds demonstrated health effects that may be improved by selecting appropriate agronomical traits, highlighting the potential benefits of better utilizing agronomy for improved human and animal nutrition

Nutritional Health Benefits and Bioactive Compounds of Mangifera indica L (Mango) Leaves Methanolic Extracts

Mango leaves (Mangifera indica) contain a lot of beneficial phytopharmacological compounds to remedy various diseases through its nutritional bioactives. Mangifera indica leaves were successfully collected from healthy mango tree. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of obtained, indicated the presence of many medicinally important secondary metabolite present which are alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, and total phenol with no trace of cardiac glycosides. This indicates that the (Mangifera indica) possess high profile values and can be used to treat various kinds of diseases. The quantitative phytochemical analysis of mango leave extract obtained revealed that, the content of total phenol was high (1.342 ± 0.001mg/g) and the least concentration was observed in cardiac glycosides (0.136 ± 0.001mg/g). It also contain 1.054 ± 0.001mg/g of flavonoid. The extract was found to contain 0.977 ± 0.001mg/g of tannins. The concentration of alkaloid observed was 0.300 ± 0.141mg/g. Saponins was 0.244 ± 0.001mg/g concentration. The proximate composition of a nutritional benefits of mango leaves. It has crude protein value of 18.59%, for the carbohydrates is higher in it has a value of 30.60%. The percentage ash content which is an indicator of the quality of mineral nutrients present has a value of 11.49%. Crude firbre content has a value of 13.99%. Estimation of vitamins in the leaves of Mango, where vitamin A, B, C, E (121, 189, 30, 10). The mineral compositions in the leaves of Mango are Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, P, N, Mn (28, 589, 368, 98, 343, 14, 480, 2, 3). The metalocompounds play a vital roles in human health physiology. This research classified a large number of nutritional benefits available from various sources and used in the treatment of various diseases such as Cardiovascular, anemia, Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer, Alzheimer, Parkinson, Inflammation, and Allergy. These are cured by herbal nutrition or food herb dietary condiment for phytotherapeutic purposes. The presence of various phytochemicals in the tested plant reveals that this plant may be a good source for production of new drugs for various ailments.

Microbiota Modulating Nutritional Approaches to Countering the Effects of Viral Respiratory Infections Including SARS-CoV-2 through Promoting Metabolic and Immune Fitness with Probiotics and Plant Bioactives.

Viral respiratory infections (VRIs) can spread quickly and cause enormous morbidity and mortality worldwide. These events pose serious threats to public health due to time lags in developing vaccines to activate the acquired immune system. The high variability of people’s symptomatic responses to viral infections, as illustrated in the current COVID-19 pandemic, indicates the potential to moderate the severity of morbidity from VRIs. Growing evidence supports roles for probiotic bacteria (PB) and prebiotic dietary fiber (DF) and other plant nutritional bioactives in modulating immune functions. While human studies help to understand the epidemiology and immunopathology of VRIs, the chaotic nature of viral transmissions makes it difficult to undertake mechanistic study where the pre-conditioning of the metabolic and immune system could be beneficial. However, recent experimental studies have significantly enhanced our understanding of how PB and DF, along with plant bioactives, can significantly modulate innate and acquired immunity responses to VRIs. Synbiotic combinations of PB and DF potentiate increased benefits primarily through augmenting the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate. These and specific plant polyphenolics help to regulate immune responses to both restrain VRIs and temper the neutrophil response that can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This review highlights the current understanding of the potential impact of targeted nutritional strategies in setting a balanced immune tone for viral clearance and reinforcing homeostasis. This knowledge may guide the development of public health tactics and the application of functional foods with PB and DF components as a nutritional approach to support countering VRI morbidity.

Polyphenols From Grape and Blueberry Improve Episodic Memory in Healthy Elderly with Lower Level of Memory Performance: A Bicentric Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study.

Polyphenols are promising nutritional bioactives exhibiting beneficial effect on age-related cognitive decline. This study evaluated the effect of a polyphenol-rich extract from grape and blueberry (PEGB) on memory of healthy elderly subjects (60-70 years-old). A bicentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted with 215 volunteers receiving 600 mg/day of PEGB (containing 258 mg flavonoids) or a placebo for 6 months. The primary outcome was the CANTAB Paired Associate Learning (PAL), a visuospatial learning and episodic memory test. Secondary outcomes included verbal episodic and recognition memory (VRM) and working memory (SSP). There was no significant effect of PEGB on the PAL on the whole cohort. Yet, PEGB supplementation improved VRM-free recall. Stratifying the cohort in quartiles based on PAL at baseline revealed a subgroup with advanced cognitive decline (decliners) who responded positively to the PEGB. In this group, PEGB consumption was also associated with a better VRM-delayed recognition. In addition to a lower polyphenol consumption, the urine metabolomic profile of decliners revealed that they excreted more metabolites. Urinary concentrations of specific flavan-3-ols metabolites were associated, at the end of the intervention, with the memory improvements. Our study demonstrates that PEGB improves age-related episodic memory decline in individuals with the highest cognitive impairments.

Abstract 1160: Integrated microRNA and mRNA expression profiling in a rat colon carcinogenesis model: Effect of a chemoprotective diet

Abstract Recent studies have demonstrated that nutritional bioactives (fish oil and pectin) modulate microRNA molecular switches in the early stages of colon cancer. However, an integrated analysis of microRNA and mRNA target expression at an early stage of colon cancer development is lacking. We hypothesized that microRNAs altered by diet and carcinogen co-treatment modulate their gene targets, in part, by differentially binding to total mRNA or actively translated (polysome) mRNA. Sprague Dawley rats were fed diets containing corn oil or fish oil, with either pectin or cellulose and injected with azoxymethane (AOM, a colon-specific carcinogen). Colonic mucosa was assayed at an early stage of cancer development (10 wk post AOM injection). We examined microRNAs significantly altered by diet and carcinogen treatment with respect to their putative post-transcriptionally regulated mRNA targets, i.e., both total mRNAs and actively translated mRNA transcripts (in polyribosome complexes). Five complementary computational approaches were utilized to test the hypothesis. Specifically, gene set enrichment (GSEA) and Ingenuity (IPA) pathway analyses were used to identify those microRNAs significantly enriched by the change in expression of their putative target genes. In addition, coherent analysis was performed wherein microRNAs inversely related with their putative targets were examined, and cumulative distribution function (CDF) plots were used to evaluate the impact of diet and carcinogen combination on mRNA levels induced via microRNA alterations. Finally, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to identify the best single, two and three-microRNA combinations for classifying dietary effects and colon tumor development. From a diet/carcinogen perspective, these complementary approaches were instrumental in demonstrating that chemoprotective fish oil + pectin feeding as compared to corn oil + cellulose feeding up regulated microRNAs -miR-16, miR-18a, miR-19b, miR-26b, miR-27b and miR-93, which coherently modulate several significantly down regulated putative targets; total RNA (ATP2B1, COL1A1, PDE4B, LAT and IGF1R) and polysomal RNA (MAPK6, LAT, ATP2B1). These changes reflect perturbations in pathways related to colorectal cancer, e.g., ERK-MAPK, IGF1R signaling, c-AMP mediated signaling, calcium signaling, PI3K/AKT signaling and apoptosis. We conclude that polysomal profiling is tightly related to microRNA changes when compared with total mRNA profiling. To our knowledge, this represents the first integrated analysis of microRNA and mRNA expression at an early stage of colon cancer development. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1160. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1160

Integrated microRNA and mRNA expression profiling in a rat colon carcinogenesis model: effect of a chemo-protective diet

We have recently demonstrated that nutritional bioactives (fish oil and pectin) modulate microRNA molecular switches in the colon. Since integrated analysis of microRNA and mRNA expression at an early stage of colon cancer development is lacking, in this study, four computational approaches were utilized to test the hypothesis that microRNAs and their posttranscriptionally regulated mRNA targets, i.e., both total mRNAs and actively translated mRNA transcripts, are differentially modulated by carcinogen and diet treatment. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing corn oil ± fish oil with pectin ± cellulose and injected with azoxymethane or saline (control). Colonic mucosa was assayed at an early time of cancer progression, and global gene set enrichment analysis was used to obtain those microRNAs significantly enriched by the change in expression of their putative target genes. In addition, cumulative distribution function plots and functional network analyses were used to evaluate the impact of diet and carcinogen combination on mRNA levels induced via microRNA alterations. Finally, linear discriminant analysis was used to identify the best single-, two-, and three-microRNA combinations for classifying dietary effects and colon tumor development. We demonstrate that polysomal profiling is tightly related to microRNA changes when compared with total mRNA profiling. In addition, diet and carcinogen exposure modulated a number of microRNAs (miR-16, miR-19b, miR-21, miR26b, miR27b, miR-93, and miR-203) linked to canonical oncogenic signaling pathways. Complementary gene expression analyses showed that oncogenic PTK2B, PDE4B, and TCF4 were suppressed by the chemoprotective diet at both the mRNA and protein levels.

N-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate carcinogen-directed non-coding microRNA signatures in rat colon.

We have hypothesized that dietary modulation of intestinal non-coding RNA [microRNA (miRNA)] expression may contribute to the chemoprotective effects of nutritional bioactives (fish oil and pectin). To fully understand the effects of these agents on the expression of miRNAs, Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing corn oil or fish oil with pectin or cellulose and injected with azoxymethane (AOM, a colon-specific carcinogen) or saline (control). Real-time polymerase chain reaction using miRNA-specific primers and Taq Man probes was carried out to quantify effects on miRNA expression in colonic mucosa. From 368 mature miRNAs assayed, at an early stage of cancer progression (10 week post AOM injection), let-7d, miR-15b, miR-107, miR-191 and miR-324-5p were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by diet x carcinogen interactions. Overall, fish oil fed animals exhibited the smallest number of differentially expressed miRNAs (AOM versus saline treatment). With respect to the tumor stage (34 week post AOM injection), 46 miRNAs were dysregulated in adenocarcinomas compared with normal mucosa from saline-injected animals. Of the 27 miRNAs expressed at higher (P < 0.05) levels in tumors, miR-34a, 132, 223 and 224 were overexpressed at >10-fold. In contrast, the expression levels of miR-192, 194, 215 and 375 were dramatically reduced (< or = 0.32-fold) in adenocarcinomas. These results demonstrate for the first time the utility of the rat AOM model and the novel role of fish oil in protecting the colon from carcinogen-induced miRNA dysregulation.

Trans-11 Vaccenic Acid Dietary Supplementation Induces Hypolipidemic Effects in JCR:LA-cp Rats

Trans-11 vaccenic acid [VA; 18:1(n-9)] is a positional and geometric isomer of oleic acid and is the precursor to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in humans. Despite VA being the predominant trans monoene in ruminant-derived lipids, very little is known about its nutritional bioactivity, particularly in conditions of chronic metabolic disorders, including obesity, insulin resistance, and/or dyslipidemia. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of VA to improve dyslipidemia, insulin sensitivity, or inflammatory status in obese and insulin-resistant JCR:LA-cp rats. The obese rats and age-matched lean littermates were fed a control diet or a control diet supplemented with 1.5% (wt:wt) VA for a period of 3 wk. The incorporation of VA and subsequent conversion to CLA in triglyceride was measured in adipose tissue. Glucose and insulin metabolism were assessed via a conscious adapted meal tolerance test procedure. Plasma lipids as well as serum inflammatory cytokine concentrations were measured by commercially available assays. VA supplementation did not result in any observable adverse health effects in either lean or obese JCR:LA-cp rats. After 3 wk of feeding, body weight, food intake, and glucose/insulin metabolism did not differ between VA-supplemented and control groups. The incorporation of VA and CLA into adipose triglycerides in obese rats fed VA increased by 1.5-fold and 6.5-fold, respectively, compared with obese rats fed the control diet. The most striking effect was a 40% decrease (P < 0.05) in fasting triglyceride concentrations in VA-treated obese rats relative to obese controls. Serum Il-10 concentration was decreased by VA, regardless of genotype (P < 0.05). In conclusion, short-term dietary supplementation of 1.5% VA did not result in any detrimental metabolic effects in JCR:LA-cp rats. In contrast, dietary VA had substantial hypo-triglyceridemic effects, suggesting a new bioactivity of this fatty acid that is typically found in ruminant-derived food products.

Preemptive Nutrition of Pro-inflammatory States: A Nutrigenomic Model

Nutrigenomics may provide the nutritional sciences with a molecular basis for positioning nutritional bioactives, functional foods, and designer diets to preemptively offset chronic disease. The preemptive model of nutrition consists of multiple interdependent parts that can be simplified into a number of principle axes. The science axis links nutrient-gene interaction with a health or disease state; the clinical axis ties in the modifying effects of genetic polymorphisms to biomarkers of clinical effect; and the information axis links empowered consumers to authoritative information and counseling resources. Despite the complexity of the model and the nascent state of the nutrigenomic sciences, there are emerging examples of how the model might be reduced to practice, such as the use of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the dietary management of proinflammatory states. Although tightly controlled small-scale clinical studies with n-3 PUFAs are encouraging, what is needed are large-scale studies in free-living populations to broadly validate the molecular model of preemptive nutrition. With the expansion of research and the development of shared nutrigenomic databases, it may well become possible to define and track the influence of targeted nutrition on inflammation and the aging process.

Nutritional Bioactives in Tropical Fruit

The nutritional benefits of tropical fruits are poorly understood. We assessed mango flavonoid and xanthone constituents (quercetin, mangiferin and its putative metabolite norathyriol) as well as whole extracts of mango peel and flesh on the proliferation of MCF‐7 breast cancer cells using an MTS assay. A significant decrease in cell proliferation was observed for the aqueous phase extracts from both peel and flesh. The compounds quercetin and norathyriol, also significantly inhibited MCF‐7 cell proliferation. We also assessed the effects of quercetin, mangiferin and norathyriol on human peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs), PPARα, PPARβ and PPARγ in Cos 7 cells. Norathyriol and quercetin dose‐dependently inhibited PPARs activated by their specific ligands. The IC50 value for quercetin was 59.6 μM for PPARα, 76.9 μM for PPARβ and 56.3 μM for PPARγ. For norathyriol, the IC50 value was 92.8 μM for PPARα, 102.4 μM for PPARβ and 153.5 μM for PPARγ. Mangiferin did not significantly inhibit PPAR transactivation (IC50 &gt; 1 mM). Our results show that mangoes represent a potential source of bioactive compounds that have biological activity against the proliferation of cancer cells. Future studies will assess mangoes for other potential bioactive compounds and will assess other transcriptional pathways, such as the estrogen receptor pathway.

Nutrigenomics: the Rubicon of molecular nutrition

The success of the Human Genome Project and the powerful tools of molecular biology have ushered in a new era of medicine and nutrition. The pharmaceutical industry expects to leverage data from the Human Genome Project to develop new drugs based on the genetic constitution of the patient; likewise, the food industry has an opportunity to position food and nutritional bioactives to promote health and prevent disease based on the genetic constitution of the consumer. This new era of molecular nutrition—that is, nutrient-gene interaction—can unfold in dichotomous directions. One could focus on the effects of nutrients or food bioactives on the regulation of gene expression (ie, nutrigenomics) or on the impact of variations in gene structure on one’s response to nutrients or food bioactives (ie, nutrigenetics). The challenge of the public health nutritionist will be to balance the needs of the community with those of the individual. In this regard, the excitement and promise of molecular nutrition should be tempered by the need to validate the scientific data emerging from the disciplines of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics and the need to educate practitioners and communicate the value to consumers—and to do it all within a socially responsible bioethical framework.