Nutraceutical Potential of Seaweed Polysaccharides: Structure,Bioactivity, Safety,and Toxicity

In recent years, marine organisms including seaweeds have been highlighted as potential sources of useful metabolites and bioactive compounds, with vast biological and physiological activities. Seaweeds have long been used as a food source, for medicinal purposes, and as dietary supplements in various Asian countries, and their potential benefits have recently attracted the attention of many Western and European countries. Their commercial value depends on their applications in the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. Seaweeds are considered a potential source of nutraceuticals or functional foods, and analysis of taste‐oriented motives has revealed that seaweeds are preferentially selected over other types of marine foods by seafood consumers and people with high levels of health, education, and living status. It is a general perception that health conscious people prefer environmentally friendly food sources, and present an opportunity to focus on seaweed‐based foods, which have significant nutritional benefits to humans. Among the various bioactive constituents, seaweed polysaccharides have been proven to possess various beneficial properties including anticoagulant, anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and antiviral activities. The diversity and composition of seaweed polysaccharides play vital roles in these biological activities. Seaweeds are a rich source of sulfated polysaccharides, which are responsible for much of the bioactivity, as they can interact with various textures and cellular proteins. A number of toxicological assays and clinical trials suggest that the ingestion of seaweeds as functional foods should be considered worldwide to improve immune responses. In this review, different polysaccharides from seaweeds and their compositions and potential nutraceutical applications are discussed.     

Recent Advances in Microalgal Bioactives for Food,Feed, and Healthcare Products: Commercial Potential,Market Space,and Sustainability

To combat food scarcity as well as to ensure nutritional food supply for sustainable living of increasing population, microalgae are considered as innovative sources for adequate nutrition. Currently, the dried biomass, various carotenoids, phycocyanin, phycoerythrin, omega fatty acids, and enzymes are being used as food additives, food coloring agents, and food supplements. Apart from nutritional importance, microalgae are finding the place in the market as “functional foods.” When compared to the total market size of food and feed products derived from all the possible sources, the market portfolio of microalgae‐based products is still smaller, but increasing steadily. On the other hand, the genetic modification of microalgae for enhanced production of commercially important metabolites holds a great potential. However, the success of commercial application of genetically modified (GM) algae will be defined by their safety to human health and environment. In view of this, the present study attempts to highlight the industrially important microalgal metabolites, their production, and application in food, feed, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. The current and future market trends for microalgal products have been thoroughly discussed. Importantly, the safety pertaining to microalgae cultivation and consumption, and regulatory issues for GM microalgae have also been covered.     

Functional Beverages: The Emerging Side of Functional Foods

In recent times, there has been growing recognition of the key role of foods and beverages in disease prevention and treatment. Thus, the production and consumption of functional foods has gained much importance as they provide a health benefit beyond the basic nutritional functions. At present, beverages are by far the most active functional food category because of convenience and possibility to meet consumer demands for container contents, size, shape, and appearance, as well as ease of distribution and storage for refrigerated and shelf‐stable products. Moreover, they are an excellent delivering means for nutrients and bioactive compounds including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, ω‐3 fatty acids, plant extracts, and fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics. However, in most cases, specific concerns have been raised over their safety. This review reports on the scientific advances in the emerging area of functional beverages with a focus on commercially available products, as well as on the potential health benefits related to their consumption.     

Edible plant Jiaosu: manufacturing,bioactive compounds,potential health benefits,and safety aspects

Edible plant Jiaosu (EPJ), a type of plant-based functional food fermented by beneficial bacteria, has gained publicity in recent years for its potential benefits to health. Important progress in relevant manufacturing technology has been made in the past decade with respect to raw materials, fermentation microorganisms and fermentation conditions. Current research has revealed that EPJ contains abundant nutrients and bioactive compounds, such as minerals, amino acids, polyphenols, organic acids and polysaccharides. Thus, many studies have focused on the beneficial effects of EPJ in preventing lifestyle diseases, such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver, obesity, diabetes and some cancers, although limited studies have involved the related active compounds and their protective mechanisms. Furthermore, very few studies have investigated the potential safety risks associated with the consumption of such food. In this review, we present a brief summary of the current research progress pertaining to the manufacturing, bioactive compounds, potential health benefits and safety aspects of EPJ. However, as a result of the complex components in EPJ, further studies on the bioactive compounds with relevant beneficial effects in EPJ and the safety evaluations of EPJ consumption are needed. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

Nutritional,functional and biological properties of insect proteins: Processes for obtaining,consumption and future challenges

BackgroundConsuming insects as an alternative protein source is considered a future trend and a viable strategy that could potentially contribute to global food security. Insects are a non-conventional source of protein, either for human consumption directly or indirectly as a component in recomposed foods or added to feedstock mixtures. Moreover, these proteins have demonstrated a broad range of applications as peptides with antihypertensive, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. However, aspects such as food safety and processing of these proteins need further studies for their elucidation and optimization.Scope and approachIn this review, aspects of nutritional value and risks of insect consumption are reported. Additionally, conventional processing techniques and recent advances in insect protein extraction and production are presented. The application of bioactive peptides obtained from insect protein hydrolysates is reported, focusing on their potential antihypertensive, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.Key findings and conclusionsInsect proteins have great advantages in terms of nutritional value, total protein level and amino acid profile. However, some safety concerns must be taken into consideration in large-scale production. The conventional processing of insects proteins is very particular, depending on several aspects such as species, larval stage, and cultivation, among others. Nonetheless, recent advances in insect protein production via enzymatic hydrolysis and heterologous expression have shown a promising technology for the study and exploitation of their bioactive properties, such as the antimicrobial, antioxidant and antihypertensive (inhibition of ACE) activity of insect peptides.     

大型真菌菌核生物活性研究进展

菌核是真菌菌丝在不良环境条件下经无性繁殖形成的一种致密而坚硬的组织结构,是真菌的营养贮藏和休眠器官。大型真菌的菌核富含碳水化合物、蛋白质、多磷酸盐、脂质和矿物质等营养素以及萜类、酚类、黑色素等多种生物活性成分,常作为保健食品和营养补充剂,引起越来越广泛关注。本文在概述大型真菌菌核生物活性成分的基础上,重点综述了菌核及其生物活性成分作为功能性食品原料在免疫调节、改善肠道功能、抗氧化、调节血压血糖等方面的潜在价值以及在抗肿瘤、抗炎、利尿与肾保护、抑菌等方面的最新进展。在阐述当前国内外大型真菌菌核生物活性及其功能研究现状的基础上,分析了存在的问题,提出了可能的发展方向,为大型真菌菌核生物活性的进一步开发利用提供参考。     

Bioactive Peptides Derived from Seaweed Protein and Their Health Benefits: Antihypertensive,Antioxidant, and Antidiabetic Properties

Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are the biggest causes of death globally. Therefore, prevention of these diseases is a focus of pharmaceuticals and functional food manufacturers. This review summarizes recent research trends and scientific knowledge in seaweed protein‐derived peptides with particular emphasis on production, isolation and potential health impacts in prevention of hypertension, diabetes and oxidative stress. The current status and future prospects of bioactive peptides are also discussed. Bioactive peptides have strong potential for use in therapeutic drug and functional food formulation in health management strategy, especially cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Seaweeds can be used as sustainable protein sources in the production of these peptide‐based drugs and functional foods for preventing such diseases. Many studies have reported that peptides showing angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition, antihypertensive, antioxidative and antidiabetics activities, have been successfully isolated from seaweed. However, further research is needed in large‐scale production of these peptides, efficient isolation methods, interactions with functional foods and other pharmaceuticals, and their ease to digestion in in vivo studies and safety to validate the health benefits of these peptides.     

Bioactive milk peptides: a prospectus

Bioactive peptides have been identified within the amino acid sequences of native milk proteins. Hydrolytic reactions, such as those catalyzed by digestive enzymes, result in their release. These peptides directly influence numerous biological processes evoking behavioral, gastrointestinal, hormonal, immunological, neurological, and nutritional responses. The specific bioreactions associated with each physiological class have been well characterized. Herein, we review the scientific literature and attempt to stimulate consideration of the continued use of bioactive peptides and their expanded development as a commercial product. Several applications have already evolved. For example, phosphopeptides derived from casein fractions are currently used as both dietary and pharmaceutical supplements. Potentially, the addition of bioactive peptides to food products could improve consumer safety as a result of their antimicrobial properties. Lastly, bioactive peptides may function as health care products, providing therapeutic value for either treatment of infection or prevention of disease.     

Food-derived peptidic antioxidants: A review of their production, assessment, and potential applications

Antioxidant properties of food-derived peptides have been described in an increasing number of studies in recent years. Consequently, these peptides are being considered as potential sources to control various oxidative processes in the human body as well as in food. It is however difficult to compare results from various studies due to the diversity of in vitro assay systems and inconsistency in the conditions used to evaluate antioxidative capacity of peptides and protein hydrolysates. Further, specific assays and biomarkers are yet to be established to confirm their bioactive potential. This review summarizes the literature on food sources and methods of antioxidative peptide production, and the reported efficacies and mechanisms of their action. Furthermore, it presents a critical evaluation of methods used for assessing antioxidative activity of peptides. Examples of promising applications of these peptides in food, nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals are also discussed with an insight to the future research needs.     

Plant proteases for bioactive peptides release: A review

ABSTRACT

Proteins are a potential source of health-promoting biomolecules with medical, nutraceutical, and food applications. Nowadays, bioactive peptides production, its isolation, characterization, and strategies for its delivery to target sites are a matter of intensive research. In vitro and in vivo studies regarding the bioactivity of peptides has generated strong evidence of their health benefits. Dairy proteins are considered the richest source of bioactive peptides, however proteins from animal and vegetable origin also have been shown to be important sources. Enzymatic hydrolysis has been the process most commonly used for bioactive peptide production. Most commercial enzymatic preparations frequently used are from animal (e.g., trypsin and pepsin) and microbial (e.g., Alcalase® and Neutrase®) sources. Although the use of plant proteases is still relatively limited to papain and bromelain from papaya and pineapple, respectively, the application of new plant proteases is increasing. This review presents the latest knowledge in the use and diversity of plant proteases for bioactive peptides release from food proteins including both available commercial plant proteases as well as new potential plant sources. Furthermore, the properties of peptides released by plant proteases and health benefits associated in the control of disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cancer are reviewed.     

Interpolymeric Complexes Formed Between Whey Proteins and Biopolymers: Delivery Systems of Bioactive Ingredients

Whey proteins are obtained from dairy industry waste. Studies involving the analysis of the bioactive compounds in whey show health benefits, as it is an excellent source of indispensable amino acids. Milk whey contains principally β‐lactoglobulin, α‐lactoglobulin, bovine serum albumin, and lactoferrin, proteins with innumerable functional and technological properties. One application of these proteins in food is the formation of interpolymer complexes, along with other proteins or anionic polysaccharides. The formation of complexes occurs mainly through electrostatic interactions between a negatively charged biopolymer and a positively charged biopolymer. This formation is influenced by factors such as pH, ionic strength, and biopolymer ratio. Because they do not use high temperatures and chemical reagents and have additional nutritional and functional value, these complexes have been used as encapsulating agents for bioactive ingredients. Recent studies on their training and applications are addressed in this review to boost new research and applications in the food industry, thus increasing opportunities for utilizing whey proteins.     

Bioactive Natural Constituents from Food Sources—Potential Use in Hypertension Prevention and Treatment

Prevention and management of hypertension are the major public health challenges worldwide. Uncontrolled high blood pressure may lead to a shortened life expectancy and a higher morbidity due to a high risk of cardiovascular complications such as coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke, congestive heart failure, heart rhythm irregularities, and kidney failure etc. In recent years, it has been recognized that many dietary constituents may contribute to human cardiovascular health. There has been an increased focus on identifying these natural components of foods, describing their physiological activities and mechanisms of actions. Grain, vegetables, fruits, milk, cheese, meat, chicken, egg, fish, soybean, tea, wine, mushrooms, and lactic acid bacteria are various food sources with potential antihypertensive effects. Their main bioactive constituents include angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides, vitamins C and E, flavonoids, flavanols, cathecins, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, polyphenols, tannins, resveratrol, polysaccharides, fiber, saponin, sterols, as well as K, Ca, and P. They may reduce blood pressure by different mechanisms, such as ACE inhibition effect, antioxidant, vasodilatory, opiate-like, Ca²⁺ channel blocking, and chymase inhibitory activities. These functional foods may provide new therapeutic applications for hypertension prevention and treatment, and contribute to a healthy cardiovascular population. The present review summarizes the antihypertensive food sources and their bioactive constituents, as well as physiological mechanisms of dietary products, especially focusing on ACE inhibitory activity.     

Fruit and Vegetable Waste: Bioactive Compounds,Their Extraction,and Possible Utilization

Fruits and vegetables are the most utilized commodities among all horticultural crops. They are consumed raw, minimally processed, as well as processed, due to their nutrients and health‐promoting compounds. With the growing population and changing diet habits, the production and processing of horticultural crops, especially fruits and vegetables, have increased very significantly to fulfill the increasing demands. Significant losses and waste in the fresh and processing industries are becoming a serious nutritional, economical, and environmental problem. For example, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that losses and waste in fruits and vegetables are the highest among all types of foods, and may reach up to 60%. The processing operations of fruits and vegetables produce significant wastes of by‐products, which constitute about 25% to 30% of a whole commodity group. The waste is composed mainly of seed, skin, rind, and pomace, containing good sources of potentially valuable bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, polyphenols, dietary fibers, vitamins, enzymes, and oils, among others. These phytochemicals can be utilized in different industries including the food industry, for the development of functional or enriched foods, the health industry for medicines and pharmaceuticals, and the textile industry, among others. The use of waste for the production of various crucial bioactive components is an important step toward sustainable development. This review describes the types and nature of the waste that originates from fruits and vegetables, the bioactive components in the waste, their extraction techniques, and the potential utilization of the obtained bioactive compounds.     

Plant extracts for the control of bacterial growth: efficacy, stability and safety issues for food application

The microbial safety of foods continues to be a major concern to consumers, regulatory agencies and food industries throughout the world. Many food preservation strategies have been used traditionally for the control of microbial spoilage in foods but the contamination of food and spoilage by microorganisms is a problem yet to be controlled adequately. Although synthetic antimicrobials are approved in many countries, the recent trend has been for use of natural preservatives, which necessitates the exploration of alternative sources of safe, effective and acceptable natural preservatives. Plants contain innumerable constituents and are valuable sources of new and biologically active molecules possessing antimicrobial properties. Plants extracts either as standardized extracts or as a source of pure compounds provide unlimited opportunities for control of microbial growth owing to their chemical diversity. Many plant extracts possess antimicrobial activity against a range of bacteria, yeast and molds, but the variations in quality and quantity of their bioactive constituents is the major detriments in their food use. Further, phytochemicals added to foods may be lost by various processing techniques. Several plant extracts or purified compounds intended for food use have been consumed by humans for thousands of years, but typical toxicological information is not available for them. Although international guidelines exist for the safety evaluation of food additives, owing to problems in standardization of plant extracts, typical toxicological values have not been assigned to them. Development of cost effective isolation procedures that yield standardized extracts as well as safety and toxicology evaluation of these antimicrobials requires a deeper investigation.     

Blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum): A Review on Chemistry,Processing, and Health Benefits

Blackcurrants (BC; Ribes nigrum) are relatively new to the U.S. market; however, they are well known and popular in Europe and Asia. The use of BC has been trending worldwide, particularly in the United States. We believe that demand for BC will grow as consumers become aware of the several potential health benefits these berries offer. The objectives of this review were to provide an up‐to‐date summary of information on BC based on articles published within the last decade; furthermore, to provide the food industry insights into possibilities for the utilization of BC. The chemistry, processing methods, and health benefits have been highlighted in addition to how the environment and variety impact the chemical constituents of BC. A search for journal publications on BC was conducted, which included keywords such as chemical characterization, health benefits, processing, technologies, anthocyanins (ANC), and proanthocyanidins. This review provides up‐to‐date information available on the subject. In conclusion, BC and their products have industrial uses from which extractions can be made to produce natural pigments to be used as food additives. BC contain flavonoids, specifically ANC, which provide the fruits with their purple color. BC are a rich source of phytochemicals with potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti‐inflammatory properties. Also, BC have the potential to improve overall human health particularly with diseases associated with inflammation and regulation of blood glucose.     

Brown Rice Versus White Rice: Nutritional Quality,Potential Health Benefits,Development of Food Products,and Preservation Technologies

Obesity and chronic diet‐related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and celiac are increasing worldwide. The increasing prevalence of these diseases has led nutritionists and food scientists to pay more attention to the relationship between diet and different disease risks. Among different foods, rice has received increasing attention because it is a major component of billions of peoples’ diets throughout the world. Rice is commonly consumed after polishing or whitening and the polished grain is known a high glycemic food because of its high starch content. In addition, the removal of the outer bran layer during rice milling results in a loss of nutrients, dietary fiber, and bioactive components. Therefore, many studies were performed to investigate the potential health benefits for the consumption of whole brown rice (BR) grain in comparison to the milled or white rice (WR). The objective of this work was to review the recent advances in research performed for purposes of evaluation of nutritional value and potential health benefits of the whole BR grain. Studies carried out for purposes of developing BR‐based food products are reviewed. BR safety and preservation treatments are also explored. In addition, economic and environmental benefits for the consumption of whole BR instead of the polished or WR are presented. Furthermore, challenges facing the commercialization of BR and future perspectives to promote its utilization as food are discussed.     

Agro-industrial potential of exotic fruit byproducts as a source of food additives

Exotic fruit consumption and processing is increasing worldwide due to the improvement in preservation techniques, transportation, marketing systems and consumer awareness of health benefits. The entire body of tropical exotic fruits is rich in bioactive compounds, such as phenolic constituents, carotenoids, vitamins and dietary fiber. However, the fruit processing industry deals with the large percentage of byproducts, such as peels, seeds and unused flesh, generated in the different steps of the processing chains. In most cases, the wasted byproducts can present similar or even higher contents of bioactive compounds than the final produce does. The aim of this review is to promote the production and processing of exotic fruits highlighting the possibility of the integral exploitation of byproducts rich in bioactive compounds. Amongst the possible uses for these compounds that can be found in the food industry are as antioxidants (avoiding browning and lipid oxidation and as functional food ingredients), antimicrobials, flavoring, colorants and texturizer additives. Finally, the importance of extraction techniques of bioactive compounds designated as food additives is also included.     

Functional components of grape pomace: their composition,biological properties and potential applications

The roles of functional foods on human health have been realised by more and more researchers, food producers and consumers. Functional food ingredients from both plant and animal sources such as dietary fibre, soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate and omega 3 fatty acid have been widely used in functional food product development. Many fruit processing by‐products such as grape, apple and orange peels are rich in bioactive phytochemicals, dietary fibre and unsaturated fatty acids, hence have potential to serve as functional food ingredients. In this review, we summarise recent advancement of research in grape pomace (GP), the residual of grapes after wine making. The polyphenol profile of GP and their biological, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, the stability of GP polyphenols in food system, the interaction between GP polyphenol and other food ingredients, as well as the functionalities of grape seed oil and GP fibre are covered.     

Antioxidant proteins and peptides to enhance the oxidative stability of meat and meat products: A comprehensive review

Lipid oxidation is among the major flaw-grounding processes in meat and meat-based products that can affect interactions among lipids and proteins, leading to critically undesirable changes. Therefore, it is imperative to control lipid oxidation in meat allied products to enhance consumer acceptability. Moreover, lipid oxidation is somber dilemma visage by the meat processing industry, affects food constituents, leading to detrimental alterations that can impart the deleterious effects on human health upon consumption. Various synthetic (butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)) and natural antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin A, tocopherols, especially vitamin E, flavonoids particularly quercetin, proteins, and peptides) as well as preservatives are employed to extend the storability of meat and resultants products; however, great consideration is paid to the utilization of natural antioxidants due to the harmful side effects imparted by synthetic counterparts. Recently, bioactive peptides are claimed to thwart lipid oxidation in meat and other products; in addition, these antioxidant peptides have also been reported to possess substantial health-promoting potential besides controlling oxidation. Therefore, the present review is intended to emphasize the sources, production methods, and applications of antioxidant proteins and peptides to control oxidative degradation in meat products and the potential health benefits of bioactive peptides. Furthermore, the techniques available for the extraction, characterization, and assessment of the antioxidant capability of bioactive peptides are discussed critically in this review.     

An updated review on food-derived bioactive peptides: Focus on the regulatory requirements,safety, and bioavailability

Food-derived bioactive peptides (BAPs) are recently utilized as functional food raw materials owing to their potential health benefits. Although there is a huge amount of scientific research about BAPs’ identification, purification, characterization, and physiological functions, and subsequently, many BAPs have been marketed, there is a paucity of review on the regulatory requirements, bioavailability, and safety of BAPs. Thus, this review focuses on the toxic peptides that could arise from their primary proteins throughout protein extraction, protein pretreatment, and BAPs’ formulation. Also, the influences of BAPs’ length and administration dosage on safety are summarized. Lastly, the challenges and possibilities in BAPs’ bioavailability and regulatory requirements in different countries were also presented. Results revealed that the human studies of BAPs are essential for approvals as healthy food and to prevent the consumers from misinformation and false promises. The BAPs that escape the gastrointestinal tract epithelium and move to the stomach are considered good peptides and get circulated into the blood using different pathways. In addition, the hydrophobicity, net charge, molecular size, length, amino acids composition/sequences, and structural characteristics of BAPs are critical for bioavailability, and appropriate food-grade carriers can enhance it. The abovementioned features are also vital to optimize the solubility, water holding capacity, emulsifying ability, and foaming property of BAPs in food products. In the case of safety, the possible allergenic and toxic peptides often exhibit physiological functions and could be produced during the hydrolysis of food proteins. It was also noted that the production of iso-peptides bonds and undesirable Maillard reaction might occur during protein extraction, sample pretreatments, and peptide synthesis.