NFS Journal最新文献

The number of elderly population is continually growing in Thailand. Major health problems mostly occurred in the elder are non-communicable diseases namely Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In current study, phytochemical composition, anti-amylase and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities of leaf extracts and herbal tea from Dolichandrone serrulata (DC.) Seem were determined. The result showed that extracts and herbal tea samples of D. serrulata leaves had effective in inhibition of amylase (an effective concentration at half maximum (EC₅₀) = 1.21 to 23.80 mg/ml) and acetylcholinesterase activities (EC₅₀ = 2.63 to 49.55 mg/ml). The effect of infusion time on the inhibition of amylase indicated that the best infusion time for preparing herbal tea beverage was 3 min, while the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase was 5 min. The fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer (GC–MS) data indicated the presence of phytochemicals in the extracts and herbal tea samples related to phenolic compounds and flavonoids. The principal component analysis (PCA) result from FTIR data could discriminate herbal tea samples from the ethanol and aqueous extracts better than the PCA biplot of anti-amylase activity and anti-acetylcholinesterase activity.

Several theories describe the increasing enlargement of the human brain because of environmental changes or dietary alterations. The environmental changes led to a change in diet quality (micronutrient density) because of changes in food foraging, which ensured that a growing brain was adequately supplied with energy and essential micronutrients for growth. The hippocampus is a direct link between nutrition and the environment, which is necessary for adapting to a changing climate. The adaptation then improves foraging success and enables better food quality and thus favors the development of the hippocampus, which in turn influences the development of other brain regions.

The extraordinary ability of our ancestors for persistent running not only favored hunting but also had direct effects on hormones that support brain development. The connection between physical exercise, nutrition, and plasticity of the hippocampus and the resulting adaptation to changing environmental conditions is essential for triggering or stimulating brain development. As the variability selection hypothesis proposes, fluctuations in environmental conditions need a short adaptive answer, which may become genetically fixed and selected. The presented hypothesis allows a meaningful combination of the different theories of brain development (pulse climate, variability selection, amplifier lakes) and nutrition theories (aquatic, cooking, energy).

The assumption that the hippocampus, as a “central sensory organ”, detects new events and enables an adaptive response is not an isolated assumption for the hippocampus since other brain regions can also react similarly with synaptic plasticity. Through adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), which is unique only in the hippocampus and synaptic plasticity, there is the possibility of detection and (neurological) storage of previously unknown events and linking them to other cortical areas, which may increase cortical volume.

One of the benefits of probiotics is reduction of cholesterol by bile salt hydrolase (BSH) enzyme. This study aims to investigate the BSH activity of probiotics derived from fermented foods and to investigate the potential use of selected isolates in fermented dairy products. In this study, 55 isolates of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were evaluated for their potential BSH activity. Three isolates identified as Lactiplantibacillus paraplantarum MN, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MN2 and Lactobacillus gasseri SM were selected for their strong BSH activity. All three strains exhibited resistance to pH 3.0 and 4.0 with the number of survival cells around 7.8 and 8.1 log CFU/ml, respectively. They also survived in bile concentration of 0.3% and 0.8% and possessed moderate hydrophobicity. The selected strains and the mixed of three strains at ratio 1:1:1 were used in the production of fermented milk products. All strains and the mixture of three could maintain BSH activity in fermented milk products and survived throughout the storage duration of 28 days. With the properties of good probiotics, these strains could be potentially used in functional dairy products with cholesterol reduction property.

Insulin resistance is the main cause of type 2 diabetes. Mung bean possesses many health benefits mainly related to polyphenols, which is abundant in mung bean seed coat. Total phenolic content in mung bean seed coat water extract (MSWE) was 0.62 ± 0.00 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g extract with antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 0.16 ± 0.01 mg/mL). Vitexin and isovitexin were the major flavonoids in MSWE. MSWE increased cellular glucose uptake and reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. MSWE upregulated IRS-1, FGFR1, PI3K, and AKT expression, while downregulated FOXO1, PEPCK, and GSK3. MSWE modulated the expression of antioxidant genes including NRF2, KEAP1, HO-1, and NQO1. MSWE also downregulated genes related to inflammation (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, PTP1B, and p53). In conclusion, MSWE restored insulin sensitivity possibly through the reduction of ROS-associated inflammation by regulating GSK3/NRF2/KEAP1, downregulating PTP-1B and p53, as well as upregulating IRS-1/FGFR1/PI3K/AKT in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells.

Background

Camel milk (CM) and its fermentation products have acclaimed nutritional and health benefits, although they are often associated with low marketability because of a unique flavor, which is unpleasant to certain consumers. Incorporating fruit purees is an attractive method of adding a pleasant taste and masking the undesirable flavor in such dairy products.

Methods

We investigated the effects of supplementing plain fermented CM laban with pectin (0.2%) and a fruit puree (apricot, blueberry, mango, peach, pineapple, or strawberry) of varying concentrations (0%, 5%, 15%, and 25%) on the products' physicochemical, rheological, antioxidant, and sensory properties. The labans were analyzed for dry matter content, color (L*, a*, b*), pH, titratable acidity, and rheology. Total phenolic content and antioxidant property were determined using Folin–Ciocalteu and ABTS methods and sensory profile was studied using quantitative descriptive analysis.

Results and discussion

The labans fortified with 15% and 25% purees had higher dry matter content than the control samples. Addition of fruit purees darkened the color of the laban samples and lowered the L* value but did not affect their titratable acidity, except for the apricot puree. Labans containing blueberry, pineapple, and strawberry purees had higher whey-off than those containing peach, apricot, mango, or the control samples. The storage and loss moduli, and viscosity values of laban samples supplemented with peach or pineapple puree (at 15% and 25%, and at 25%, respectively) were increased compared to the other samples. The power law model sufficiently explained the flow of all labans, indicating a shear-thinning behavior. The addition of purees increased the total phenolic content and antioxidant activities of all labans, while peach puree in particular, improved the sensory quality of the CM laban, owing to its high fiber and protein content and low total soluble solids.

Conclusion

A 25% peach puree significantly improved all sensory properties of CM labans.

Certain indigenous African plant materials, including Adansonia digitata (baobab), Moringa oleifera (moringa), and Hibiscus sabdariffa (hibiscus) could be leveraged in food-to-food fortification strategies due to their high content of nutrients, dietary fiber, and phenolic compounds. However, more studies are needed to understand the nutritional composition of commercially available food ingredients. The objective of this study was to examine the phytochemical and polysaccharide compositions of commercially available baobab, moringa, and hibiscus ingredients from Senegal. Characterization of carotenoids, tocopherols, phenolic compounds, monosaccharide composition, and glycosyl linkage was carried out. We observed that moringa contained the greatest content of carotenoids and tocopherols. Moringa also contained significant amounts of the flavonols quercetin 3-O-glucoside and quercetin 3-O-rutinoside, while baobab had greater concentrations of flavan-3-ols. Substantial content of anthocyanins was observed for hibiscus, but not moringa or baobab. The predominant monosaccharide in baobab was xylose, while hibiscus was a combination of xylose, galactose, and glucose. The primary monosaccharides in moringa were galactose and glucose. Based on our glycosyl linkage analysis, (1 → 2)- and (1 → 2,4)-linked rhamnose were attributed to rhamnogalacturonan-I, while (1 → 4)-linked glucose and (Terminal →)-linked xylose were attributed to xyloglucans. The phytochemical and polysaccharide characterization of baobab, moringa, and hibiscus suggested that delivery of micronutrients, such as iron and carotenoids, could be impacted when applied as functional food ingredients.

Asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) cleaves amyloid precursor protein to facilitate amyloid β (Aβ) production in the brain. Aronia berry (Aronia melanocarpa) has various beneficial effects on health through inhibition of enzymes such as dipeptidyl peptidase IV. In this study, to examine neuroprotective effects of aronia juice (AJ), AJ was given to male 5XFAD Alzheimer's disease model mice via drinking bottles over a period from 2 weeks to 12 weeks of age. AJ intake improved the performance of Y-maze test in 5XFAD mice, and suppressed the δ-secretase activity in the mouse brains. AJ intake reduced significantly Aβ deposition in the brain. AJ reduced δ-secretase activity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Out of five fractions (F1–F5) obtained from AJ, only F5 reduced δ-secretase activity in SH-SY5Y cells in a dose-dependent manner. LC-MS/MS analysis suggested that F5 contains three quercetin glycosides. AJ has neuroprotective function through inhibition of δ-secretase activity of AEP.

Over the last decades, global concerns regarding possible adverse health effects of chemical pollutants on the hormonal systems of living organisms in wildlife and humans are constantly growing. Endocrine-active and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) belong to a heterogeneous class of exogenous chemicals, including various persistent anthropogenic contaminants, pesticides, distinct substances used in consumer products, and also natural compounds. Exposure through the food chain is considered essential for most EDC, while they may enter the food chain as residues from animal- or plant-based food production (e.g. pesticides or pharmaceutical residues), may be released from food contact materials, may be present due to natural contamination (e.g. mycoestrogens), may enter via a polluted environment and also as natural plant food ingredients (e.g. phytoestrogens). The complexity of the subject is due to: a) the ubiquitous occurrence and hardly possible avoidance of many substances with supposed endocrine properties, b) the scientific disagreement among experts and the huge number of partly controversial study outcomes and c) the increasing pressure of the public, necessitating a higher level of transparency and clear-cut orientation with respect to avoidance and reduction strategies.

In this light, the current review intends to provide an overview of the historical and regulatory developments regarding the topic of EDC, discusses the important difference between endocrine-active and disruptive substances and presents some key characteristics of endocrine acting substances for a better understanding of their relevance for the food chain including possible long-term effects, windows of sensitivity, low-dose and possible “cocktail” effects. In addition, a comprehensive overview on the different exposure paths of endocrine-active and disruptive substances in the food chain is given, with both a focus on naturally occurring food ingredients and possible contaminations from external sources.

Background

Producing functional food by adding fruits or fruit pulps have attracted great attention. Simultaneously, buffalo milk is gaining an increasing demand as an alternative to cow milk. Thus, value addition and diversification of buffalo milk products have gained much commercial and research interest. Hence, we aimed to investigate the potentials of developing and characterizing probiotic enriched buffalo milk yogurts with bael fruit pulp using exopolysaccharides producing probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG).

Methods

Four types of buffalo milk yogurts were tested, e.g. fermenting with the yogurt starter culture only (e.g., control) and fermenting with the combination of yogurt starter culture and LGG with varying levels (w/v) of bael fruit pulp incorporations, i.e., 0%, 5% and 10%. Variation in pH, syneresis, hardness, probiotic viability and sensory attributes during 21 days of storage in 4 °C were assessed for all treatments.

Results

Fermenting with LGG had a positive effect on post-acidification and syneresis rate compared to the control yogurt. Bael incorporation did not affect the post-acidification, but significantly decreased the level of syneresis at the end of storage. All probiotic formulations maintained LGG counts of >10⁷ CFU/mL and the highest counts were observed in 5% (w/v) bael incorporated yogurt.

Conclusions

Results confirmed the possibility of using buffalo milk yogurt as an ideal matrix to deliver LGG with promising probiotic capacity. The use of 5% bael incorporation provides an optimal combination for synbiotic product development.

Cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs) can be prepared from various plant sources that are by-products from agro-industrial processing, making them an interesting candidate to support sustainability in the food industry. Owing to their functional properties, CNMs can be practically used as a fat replacer to preserve the quality of several products while lowering the fat content, for which different major modes of action can be supposed for nanocrystalline celluloses (NCCs) and nanofibrillated celluloses (NFCs). CNMs can also exhibit a lipolysis retardation effect, thereby allowing their application in lowering the energy uptake from food. Furthermore, the surface activity of CNMs can be utilized to prepare functional foods by acting as an excipient for bioactive compounds. The characteristics of CNMs are affected by the raw material and preparation conditions, leading to dissimilar functional properties of the materials. This article discusses the application of CNMs for the development of healthy and functional food products. There are some challenges with using CNMs as functional ingredients in food production from both safety and technological aspects.