Advances in Food and Nutrition Research最新文献

We live in the Big Data Era which affects many aspects of science, including research on bioactive peptides derived from foods, which during the last few decades have been a focus of interest for scientists. These two issues, i.e., the development of computer technologies and progress in the discovery of novel peptides with health-beneficial properties, are closely interrelated. This Chapter presents the example applications of bioinformatics for studying biopeptides, focusing on main aspects of peptide analysis as the starting point, including: (i) the role of peptide databases; (ii) aspects of bioactivity prediction; (iii) simulation of peptide release from proteins. Bioinformatics can also be used for predicting other features of peptides, including ADMET, QSAR, structure, and taste. To answer the question asked "bioinformatics and bioactive peptides from foods: do they work together?", currently it is almost impossible to find examples of peptide research with no bioinformatics involved. However, theoretical predictions are not equivalent to experimental work and always require critical scrutiny. The aspects of compatibility of in silico and in vitro results are also summarized herein.

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated condition affecting the small intestine. Its reported global prevalence falls within the range of 0.7% to 1.4%. Notably, historically, higher rates, reaching 1% in Western Ireland, have been documented. Recent research has even revealed prevalence rates as elevated as 2% in northern Europe. These findings underscore the urgency for swift and cost-effective diagnosis, especially in individuals identified through screening efforts. At present, the diagnosis of CD relies on a multifaceted approach involving positive serological markers such as IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-TTG) and anti-endomysial antibodies (anti-EMA). These serological findings are assessed in conjunction with classical histological alterations, as outlined in the Marsh classification. CD is an inflammatory condition triggered by the consumption of gluten, resulting from intricate interactions between genetic, immunological, and environmental factors. CD is linked to malabsorption, leading to nutritional deficiencies. Individuals with CD are required to adhere to a gluten-free diet, which itself can lead to nutrient deficiencies. One such deficiency includes vitamin D, and there is substantial experimental evidence supporting the notion of a bidirectional relationship between CD and vitamin D status. A low level of vitamin D has a detrimental impact on the clinical course of the disease. Here we summarize the key characteristics of CD and explore the prominent roles of vitamin D in individuals with CD.

Vesicular delivery systems are highly ordered assemblies consisting of one or more concentric bilayers formed by the self-assembly of amphiphilic building blocks in the presence of water. In the field of functional food, vesicular delivery systems have been widely explored for effective formulations to deliver functional substances. With the effort of scientific research, certain categories of vesicular delivery systems have successfully been translated from the laboratory to the global market of functional food. This chapter aims to present comprehensively the various vesicular delivery systems, including their design, preparation methods, encapsulation of functional substances, and application in nutritional interventions.

Natural bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and other biological activities are vital for maintaining the body's physiological functions and enhancing immunity. These compounds have great potential as nutritional therapeutic agents, but they can be limited due to their poor flavor, color, unstable nature, and poor water solubility, and degradation by gastrointestinal enzymes. Liposomes, as ideal carriers, can encapsulate both water-soluble and fat-soluble nutrients, enhance the bioavailability of functional substances, promote the biological activity of functional substances, and control the release of nutrients. Despite their potential, liposomes still face obstacles in nutrient delivery. Therefore, the design of liposomes for special needs, optimization of the liposome preparation process, enhancement of liposome encapsulation efficiency, and industrial production are key issues that must be addressed in order to develop food-grade liposomes. Moreover, the research on surface-targeted modification and surface functionalization of liposomes is valuable for expanding the scope of application of liposomes and achieving the release of functional substances from liposomes at the appropriate time and site. The establishment of in vivo and in vitro digestion models of nutrient-loaded liposomes, in-depth study of gastrointestinal digestive behavior after liposome ingestion, targeted nutrient release, and deciphering the nutritional intervention of human diseases and positive health promotion are promising fields with broad development prospects.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of deaths in industrialized countries and a constantly growing cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide Hypercholesterolemia is one of the main risk factors for CVD progression that may be prevented by lifestyle changes, including diet. This chapter will discuss the role of peptides from plants (soybean, lupin, cowpea, hempseed, and rice bran) sources with pleotropic activity for the prevention of CVD. Overall, the bioactivity that will be mainly discussed it is the hypocholesterolemic one. The very diversified structures of the hypocholesterolemic peptides so far identified explains the reason why they exert their activity through different mechanisms of action that will be extensively described in this review. Doubtlessly, their potential use in nutritional application is desirable, however, only few of them have been tested in vivo. Therefore, more efforts need to be pursued for singling out good candidates for the development of functional foods or dietary supplements.

Bioactive lipids-major and minor-comprise an array of compounds belonging to different chemical categories. Among the minor bioactive lipids carotenoids, sterols and tocochromanols attract continuously the interest of food scientists, nutritionists and medical doctors for their importance in food processing, preservation and for their health properties. Provitamin A and non-provitamin A carotenoids are found in various food sources of plant and animal origin and are added to foods as colorants. Their interactions with other food ingredients are critical because of their role against reactive oxygen species. The role of cholesterol through the diet after decades of disputes is better justified whereas at the same time emphasis is given to the technological and health aspects of phytosterols, which became very efficiently part of the daily diet for many population groups. Last but not least the importance of vitamin E is in a continuous debate for over 100years whereas studies on tocotrienols are intensified as a result of a transient to palm oil product consumption globally. Chemistry, natural occurrence, absorption and metabolism, dietary intake and dietary recommendations, major health impacts and key technological issues are updated and discussed with the support of recent findings.

This chapter examines how innovative and emerging food processing technologies, such as those that use heat, electricity, electromagnetic waves, and pressure, can modify protein denaturation, aggregation, and intermolecular interactions pathways, which can result in varying immunoreactive responses. It emphasizes the need to understand how these processing methods affect the protein epitopes recognized by antibodies and their respective priming pathways, especially during the sensitization stage that precedes an allergic response. Although traditional processing methods have been investigated, the impact of novel technologies on food protein allergenicity remains largely unknown. The chapter specifically focuses on milk proteins, which have clinical significance and are associated with cow's milk allergy, one of the most common food allergies in young children. Additionally, it examines potential scientific advancements that novel processing methods may bring to this field.

Fruit and vegetable processing by-products and wastes are of great importance due to their high production volumes and their composition containing different functional compounds. Particularly, apple, grape, citrus, and tomato pomaces, potato peel, olive mill wastewater, olive pomace and olive leaves are the main by-products that are produced during processing. Besides conventional techniques, ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, pressurized liquid extraction (sub-critical water extraction), supercritical fluid extraction, enzyme-assisted extraction, and fermentation are emerging tools for the recovery of target compounds. On the other hand, in the view of valorization, it is possible to use them in active packaging applications, as a source of bioactive compound (oil, phenolics, carotenoids), as functional ingredients and as biofertilizer and biogas sources. This chapter explains the production of fruit and vegetable processing by-products/wastes. Moreover, the valorization of functional compounds recovered from the fruit and vegetable by-products and wastes is evaluated in detail by emphasizing the type of the by-products/wastes, functional compounds obtained from these by-products/wastes, their extraction conditions and application areas.

The valorization of by-products, that are residual materials resulting from commercial product manufacturing, holds significant potential in various industries such as food, agrochemical, medical, and pharmaceutical sectors. This chapter explores the utilization of fish waste as a means to achieve sustainability in fish resources and enhance the production of profitable products. By developing cost-effective technologies, the abundant global supply of fish by-products can be transformed into low-cost sources of proteins and functional hydrolysates. This alternative approach in the food industry utilizes fish and seafood waste to generate valuable compounds with nutritional and functional properties, surpassing those found in traditional mammal products. Despite being commonly discarded, fish heads, viscera, skin, tails, blood, and seafood shells contain a wealth ofminerals, lipids, amino acids, polysaccharides, and proteins suitable for human health applications. This chapter presents an exploration of the various products and bioactive compounds that can be derived from seafood waste, contributing to a more sustainable and value-driven future.