Selenium in health and disease: A review

Selenium (Se) was discovered 180 years ago. The toxicological properties of Se in livestock were recognized first; its essential nutritional role for animals was discovered in the 1950s and for humans in 1973. Only one reductive metabolic pathway of Se is well characterized in biological systems, although several naturally occurring inorganic and organic forms of the element exist. The amount of Se available for assimilation by the tissues is dependent on the form and concentration of the element. Se is incorporated into a number of functionally active selenoproteins, including the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which acts as a cellular protector against free radical oxidative damage and type 1 iodothyronine 5'‐deiodinase which interacts with iodine to prevent abnormal hormone metabolism. Se deficiency has been linked with numerous diseases, including endemic cardiomyopathy in Se‐deficient regions of China; cancer, muscular dystrophy, malaria, and cardiovascular disease have also been implicated, but evidence for the association is often tenuous. Information on Se levels in foods and dietary intake is limited, and an average requirement for Se in the U.K. has no been established. Available data suggest that intake in the U.K. is adequate for all, except for a few risk groups such as patients on total parenteral nutrition or restrictive diets.     

Antioxidant phenolics and their microbial production by submerged and solid state fermentation process: A review

BackgroundBioactive phenolic compounds have recently received great attention in the food and clinical sectors due to their antioxidant potential. Extensive studies have been carried out to explore antioxidant potential of different phenolics from various natural sources in order to replace the use of health hazard synthetic antioxidants in food products.Scope and approachThe present review aims to provide an update of existing state-of-art and future prospect of both submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) processes for the production/extraction of bioactive phenolics utilizing various substrates and microorganisms. Studies on enhancement of antioxidant potentials by increasing phenolics content of food materials including cereals and legumes by mainly SSF are reviewed and discussed thoroughly.Key findings and conclusionsMicrobial fermentation processes have been established as a potent tool for the production of antioxidant phenolic compounds due to their cost-effectiveness and environmental advantages. Extraction of phenolics through fermentation process is by far a more efficient process considering that conventional extraction methods using organic solvents do not allow complete release of bound phenolics from plant materials. During fermentation process, antioxidant phenolics are either produced by microorganisms through secondary metabolic pathway or released from the matrix of the substrate by extracellular enzymatic action. Fermentation technology is no doubt proving to be a boon for the food industry; however, extensive in vivo and toxicological researches are essential before the application of antioxidant-rich fermented foods for human health benefits.     

植物功能性食品在促进健康和预防疾病中的作用

对一些常见的植物功能性食物在疾病预防和促进健康中的作用及其功能性因子的研究现状进行了综述。     

Does smoking reduction increase future cessation and decrease disease risk? A qualitative review.

This review examines whether reduction in smoking among smokers not currently interested in quitting (a) undermines or promotes future smoking cessation or (b) decreases the risks of developing smoking-related diseases. Systematic computer searches and other methods located 19 studies examining reduction and subsequent cessation and 10 studies examining reduction and disease risk. Because of the heterogeneity of methods and results, a meta-analysis could not be undertaken. None of 19 studies found that reduction undermined future cessation, and 16 found that reduction was associated with greater future cessation, including the two randomized trials of reduction versus nonreduction. The 10 trials of disease risk found conflicting results, and none was an adequate test. We conclude that (a) smoking reduction increases the probability of future cessation and (b) whether smoking reduction decreases the risks of smoking-related diseases has not been adequately tested.     

Sugar reduction methods and their application in confections: a review

Food Science and Biotechnology - Many American adults consume almost double the daily recommended amount of sugar. With excess consumption of sugar and consequential health problems arising, food...     

Small heat shock proteins and their role in meat tenderness: A review

The eating quality of meat is a result of complex interactions between the biological traits and biochemical processes during the conversion of muscle to meat. It was hypothesised that muscles inevitably engage towards apoptotic cell death due to the termination of oxygen and nutrient supply to the muscle following exsanguination. Thus, factors that regulate the process of apoptotic cell death of muscle cells are believed to ultimately influence meat quality. Proteomic studies have associated the regulation of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) with various meat quality attributes including tenderness, colour, juiciness and flavour. Due to the anti-apoptotic and chaperone functions of sHSPs, they are proposed to be involved with the eating quality of meat. In this review, we discuss the possible chaperone and anti-apoptotic role of sHSPs during the conversion of muscle to meat and consider the repercussions of this on the development of meat tenderness.     

Natural red pigments from plants and their health benefits: A review

Carotenoids (specifically lycopene), anthocyanins, and betacyanins are natural red pigments found in fruits and vegetables. They possess antioxidant properties beneficial in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, natural colouring agents have attracted increasing attention from the food industry as a substitute to the artificial colouring compounds, which have been discovered to cause negative impact to human’s health upon consumption. There is a growing interest in the natural red pigments in food science, due to their preventive effects on chronic diseases. Stability of the natural pigments should be concerned, as it might affect the saturation of the colour.     

Blueberry anthocyanins in health promotion: A metabolic overview

Diet has gained scientific community attention due to the crucial role in health maintenance, but also in disease treatment, and essential in disease prevention. Several food and food components, particularly phenolic rich foods, have been investigated as they present themselves as putative functional foods. In the past decades, obesity has reached epidemic proportions and consequently, metabolic syndrome (a set of disorders as impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure, which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes) incidence is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate and this phenolic rich foods, specially berries have been investigated to their potential beneficial effect in this disorders.In the present work the chemistry of blueberries (BB) (fruits of some Vaccinium species) was summarised as well as the knowledge about bioavailability and biokinetic of anthocyanins from blueberries with particular emphasis on its implications in metabolic disorders.     

Peanut and cardiovascular disease risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Several studies have been conducted on the effects of peanut consumption on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors. However, the findings are conflicting and appear inconsistent. The aim of this review is to summarize the findings on the effect of peanut consumption on the risk factors of CVDs. We used relevant keywords and searched through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science for articles published studies up to November 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in this meta-analysis. Random or fixed-effects meta-analysis method depending on the results of heterogeneity tests was used to estimate the effect size. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed by Q test and I² index. Subgroup analysis was conducted to find any excess relationship. Publication bias was checked by Egger’s test and funnel plot. Quality of studies was assessed by the Cochrane criteria. According to the results of 13 RCTs, peanuts has no significant effect on weight (WMD: ?0.11?kg, P?=?0.773), waist circumference (WMD: ?1.41?cm, P?=?0.139), body mass index (WMD: ?0.14?kg/m², P?=?0.428), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (WMD: ?0.09?mmHg, P?=?0.939 and WMD: 0.60?mmHg, P?=?0.652, respectively), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD: ?3.31?mg/dl, P?=?0.472), triglyceride (WMD: ?7.59?mg/dl, P?=?0.180), total cholesterol (WMD: 3.15?mg/dl, P?=?0.171), fasting blood sugar (WMD: 0.57?mg/dl, P?=?0.604) and serum insulin (WMD: ?0.40, P?=?0.582). Also, this meta-analysis showed that peanut had a positive significant effect on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) (WMD: 2.72?mg/dl, P?=?0.001). Peanuts consumption has a positive significant effect on HDL especially at the type of peanut oil, high-oleic peanut and peanut sprout and in healthy subjects and for consumption more than 12?weeks, while has no significant effect on other CVD risk factors.     

Brewers' spent grain: a review with an emphasis on food and health

Brewers' spent grain (BSG) is the most abundant by‐product generated in the beer‐brewing process. This material consists of the barley grain husks obtained as solid residue after the production of wort. BSG is rich in fibre and protein and, to date, the main use for the elimination of this by‐product has been as an animal feed. However, because of its nutritional content, BSG is of interest for application and fortification of human food products, particularly in view of its low cost and availability in large amounts. In addition, the importance of BSG as an ingredient and potential source of health‐promoting bioactive components is beginning to be recognised. The investigation of alternative uses of BSG is pertinent, not only from the perspective of the brewer who can benefit from valorisation of this by‐product, but also from an environmental perspective as the recycling and re‐use of industrial wastes and by‐products has become increasingly important. This review presents the current knowledge on BSG, covering its production, composition and methods for the release of valuable components, and focuses on the potential health benefits attributed to its constituents and the use of this brewer by‐product in food applications. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

蚌埠市水稻籽粒重金属污染及健康风险评价

对蚌埠市水稻籽粒重金属质量比进行测试,并采用单因子污染指数法、内梅罗综合污染指数法以及健康风险指数法对其污染程度和健康风险性进行了评价。结果表明,蚌埠市水稻籽粒中重金属Pb、Cu、Zn、Cr、Cd、As和Hg质量比的平均值分别为0.2073、4.5061、22.7308、0.2104、0.3057、0.0802、0.0096mg·kg-1。单因子污染指数法评价结果表明,蚌埠市水稻籽粒中重金属Cd、Pb为轻污染,其他5种元素均为清洁水平。综合污染指数范围为0.23¹.84,平均值为1.18,表明水稻籽粒中重金属污染总体情况为轻污染程度。健康风险指数评价结果表明,蚌埠市水稻籽粒中重金属的摄入对儿童造成的健康风险高于成人,Cd对成人和儿童健康风险都较高,As、Cu、Zn、Cr等对儿童健康风险较高。      

Food-grade carrageenans and their implications in health and disease

Food additives, often used to guarantee the texture, shelf-life, taste, and appearance of processed foods, have gained widespread attention due to their increased link to the growing incidence of chronic diseases. As one of the most common additives, carrageenans have been used in human diets for hundreds of years. While classified as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for human consumption, numerous studies since the 1980s have suggested that carrageenans, particularly those with random coil conformations, may have adverse effects on gastrointestinal health, including aggravating intestinal inflammation. While these studies have provided some evidence of adverse effects, the topic is still controversial. Some have suggested that the negative consequence of the consumption of carrageenans may be structure dependent. Furthermore, pre-existing conditions may predispose individuals to varied outcomes of carrageenan intake. In this review, structure–function relationships of various carrageenans in the context of food safety are discussed. We reviewed the molecular mechanisms by which carrageenans exert their biological effects. We summarized the findings associated with carrageenan intake in animal models and clinical trials. Moreover, we examined the interactions between carrageenans and the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal disorders. This review argues for personalized guidance on carrageenan intake based on individuals’ health status. Future research efforts that aim to close the knowledge gap on the effect of low-dose and chronic carrageenan intake as well as interactions among food additives should be conducive to the improved safety profile of carrageenans in processed food products.     

肉制品加工中的低钠策略研究

加工型肉制品普遍存在钠盐含量过高的问题,是造成心血管疾病等发病率逐年上升的重要原因之一,严重威胁人类健康。为达到健康膳食要求,我国高度重视肉制品工业中降钠计划的实施。该文系统综述了钠盐对肉制品品质的作用机制及低钠肉制品加工技术现状,通过降低钠盐添加量,添加KCl等钠盐替代物或通过高压及超声波等新型辅助加工技术均可以有效降低肉制品中的钠盐含量。降低30%(质量分数)钠盐添加量不会影响感官接受水平,但会降低产品保质期;而使用钠盐替代物可以使肉品具有良好的品质,但替代量过高时会产生不良风味如苦味和金属味。目前的方法及技术还无法实现完全替代Na Cl的效果,因此需要在未来更加深入研究新型降盐策略。     

Functional compounds in dragon fruit peels and their potential health benefits: a review

Recovery of bioactive or functional compounds from fruit wastes is a current research trend, not only to lessen the waste disposal burden, but also to meet the increasing demand from the public for health-beneficial plant-based products. In this review, the main groups of functional compounds from dragon fruit peels including betalains, phenolics and dietary fibres are comprehensively scrutinised. The potential health benefits of these phytochemicals in individuals or in matrices are discussed, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, prebiotic, antibacterial, antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities, and blood lipid profile improvement. These analyses provide insights in the development of the products and bioactive compounds derived from dragon fruit peels for human consumption to prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.     

Milk allergens, their characteristics and their detection in food: A review

Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is one of the most common food allergies in childhood. This allergy is normally outgrown in the first year of life, however 15% of allergic children remain allergic. Many studies have been carried out to define and characterise the allergens involved in CMA and described two major allergens: casein (αs1-CN) and β-lactoglobulin. In addition to this, many other milk proteins are antigenic and capable of inducing immune responses. Milk from sheep or goats differs from cow's milk (CM) in terms of composition and allergenic properties. Food processing such as heating affects the stability, structure and intermolecular interactions of CM proteins, thereby changing the allergenic capacity. Chemical and proteolytic treatments of milk to obtain milk hydrolysates have been developed to reduce allergic reactions. Prevention of CMA largely relies on avoidance of all food products containing cow's milk. To achieve this, interest has focused on the development of various technologies for detecting and measuring the presence of milk allergens in food products by immunoassays or proteomic approaches. This review describes the technologies implemented for the analysis of milk allergens (allergenicity, biochemistry) as well as their potential detection in food matrices.     

Effects of phenolics in sorghum grain on its bitterness,astringency and other sensory properties

Despite the fact that condensed tannins are potentially important antioxidants, there is a general belief that tannins in sorghum confer objectionable sensory attributes. The objective of this study was to determine differences in the sensory attributes of sorghums containing different levels of total phenolic compounds. A trained sensory panel described and quantified the sensory attributes of different sorghums (condensed‐tannin containing and tannin‐free). All the sorghum cultivars were perceived as bitter and astringent. Bran infusions of tannin sorghums were perceived as darker, clearer, more bitter and more astringent than those of the tannin‐free sorghums, while those of tannin‐free sorghums were perceived as sweeter and cloudy. Sorghum whole‐grain rice from the tannin sorghums which had relatively soft endosperm texture (PAN 3860 and Ex Nola 97 GH) was perceived as dark, hard, chewy, bitter and astringent, while that from tannin‐free sorghums having relatively hard endosperm texture (Segaolane and Phofu) was perceived as soft, sweet and had a maize‐flavour. Surprisingly, the bitterness and astringency, as well as other sensory attributes of NS 5511 (tannin sorghum), were perceived as similar to PAN 8564 (tannin‐free sorghum) even though NS 5511 had more than twice the total phenol content of PAN 8564. This suggests not all condensed‐tannin containing sorghums have objectionable sensory attributes. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of phenolics in finger millet on grain and malt fungal load,and malt quality

Phenolic type, fungal load, germinative energy (GE) and malt quality of finger millet grain types of varied kernel colour and phenolic content were analysed, to determine if phenolics in finger millet grain influence its malt quality. The fungal load (total fungal count (TFC) and infection levels) of the unmalted grain and malt were negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with total phenolics (TP) and amount of phenolic type (condensed tannins, anthocyanins and flavan-4-ols). High-phenol finger millet types had much higher malt quality than the low-phenol types, with respect to diastatic power (DP), and α- and β-amylase activities. GE, DP and α-amylase activity were positively correlated with TP and amount of phenolic type (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with TFC (p < 0.01). Phenolics in finger millet grain influence its malt quality positively by contributing to attenuation of the fungal load on the germinating grain.     

Brazil nuts and associated health benefits: A review

Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between nut intakes and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. The composition of lipids, minerals, and phytochemicals, and their associated health functions in Brazil nuts are critically reviewed. The nuts have high nutritive food value containing 60–70% oil and 17% protein. Brazil nuts contain abundant dietary antioxidants, especially selenium (Se). One single Brazil nut provides 160% of the US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of selenium - perhaps the best source of Se from plant-based foods. Brazil nuts possess phenolics and flavonoids in both free and bound forms and are rich in tocopherol, phytosterols, and squalene. These compounds' possible beneficial effects are due to their antioxidant and antiproliferative activities, which are linked to a reduced risk for developing atherosclerosis and cancer.