Food Production, Processing and Nutrition最新文献

COVID-19 is a significant threat to humanity in the present day due to the rapid increase in the number of infections worldwide. While most children may be spared of the direct mortality effects of the disease, those with weak immune systems are prone to adverse effects. Child mortality increases due to the stress caused to the health care system that disrupts essential health care needs such as immunisation and antenatal care. The use of functional foods (FF) aids in disease-prevention as they are known to have protective effects against COVID-19 by boosting children's cellular and humoral immunity. Plant components such as glycyrrhizin, epigallocatechin gallate, allicin, and fucoidan exhibit antiviral properties against various viruses, including SARS-CoV 2. Microbial foods that are made of probiotics, can enhance immunity against various respiratory viruses. Food enriched with additives such as lactoferrin, piperine, and zinc can boost immunity against COVID-19. With proper definitive drug therapy not available for treating COVID-19 and most of the disease management tools rely on symptoms and non-specific supportive care, developing a functional paediatric formulation will prevent further deterioration in infant health. It is wise to investigate the toxicological aspects of Functional Foods components especially when formulating for children. The safe limits of ingredients should be strictly followed during FFs formulation. Stronger regulations with advanced analytical techniques can help to formulate functional foods into the mainstream in child nutraceuticals. The purpose of this review is to compile collective information on the functional nutraceuticals specifically for infants and children up to the age of 10 years that could confer immunity against COVID-19 and other related viruses.

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Functional beverages originate primarily from fruits and vegetables sources, but also include those from other plants such as tea, coffee, cocoa, soybean as well as animal products like milk and dairy-based and alcoholic drinks. They have definite medical or health benefits which include prevention or delaying the progress of diseases. Indian gooseberry is a very rich source of vitamin C and phenolics, two potent antioxidant compounds. Similarly curcumin in turmeric, piperine in black pepper and gingerol in ginger have proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Incidence of covid-19 pandemic has raised awareness among people the importance of maintaining higher levels of immunity. A study was undertaken at Kerala Agricultural University during 2020-21 to develop an herbal functional drink from Indian gooseberry fruit juice incorporated with turmeric and black pepper powders, ginger juice extract and juice of acid lime fruits. The herbal drink formulated with these ingredients was homogenized at an operating pressure of 175 Bar with a speed of 235 SPM and was subsequently pasteurized at 100 ⁰ C for 10 minutes in glass bottles, followed by storage under refrigerated conditions at 5 ± 2 ⁰ C for 3 months. The initial ascorbic acid, total phenolics, total flavonoids, total carotenoids and total curcumin contents were 61.0 mg100g^- 1, 184.0 mg100g^- 1, 153.0 mg100g^- 1, 119.98 mg100g^- 1 and 31.0 mg100g^- 1, respectively. Antioxidant activity of the herbal drink was determined by three assays, viz. ABTS, DDPH and FRAP. The initial IC ₅₀ values of the herbal drink by ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays were 8.64, 0.212 and 0.368 μgml^- 1, respectively. Significant decline in ascorbic acid, total flavonoids, total carotenoids and curcumin content were recorded in the product during storage in contrast to the total phenolics content which showed a significant rise over the storage period. Antioxidant activity of the herbal drink determined by all the three assays also declined significantly throughout the storage period. The results indicate that the product can be promoted as a healthy drink which has to be stored at low temperature in order to retain higher levels of antioxidant compounds and antioxidant activity.

Graphical abstract:

Progression of today's world has been given setback due to the adversity of a novel, viral, deadly outbreak COVID 19, which raised the concerns of the scientists, researchers and health related officials about the inherent and adaptive immune system of the living body and its relation with healthy diet balanced with pharma foods. Now world is coming out of the destructive pandemic era, the choice of right food can help to build and boost adaptive immunity and pumpkin due to excellent profile of functional and nutraceutical constituents could be the part of both infected and non-infected person's daily diet. Vitamins like A, C and E, minerals like zinc, iron and selenium, essential oils, peptides, carotenoids and polysaccharides present in pumpkin could accommodate the prevailing deficiencies in the body to fought against the viral pathogens. In current post COVID 19 scenario adequate supply of healthy diet, balanced with pharma foods could play a basic role in boosting immune system of the populations. This review covers the pharmacological activities of pumpkin functional constituents in relation with COVID 19 pandemic. Pumpkins are well equipped with nutraceuticals and functional bioactives like tocopherols, polyphenols, terpenoids and lutein therefore, consumption and processing of this remarkable vegetable could be encouraged as pharma food due to its antihyperlipidemic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. Need of healthy eating in current post COVID 19 period is very crucial for healthy population, and medicinal foods like pumpkin could play a vital role in developing a healthy community around the globe.

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