Health-related Interactions of Phytochemicals

ABSTRACT: Interactions between phytochemical components often modify the pharmacological effects of botanical dietary supplements, functional foods, or drugs. These interactions can either potentiate the effect of bioactive phytochemicals or interfere with their activity. This review defines and explores 2 types of phytochemical interactions: endointeractions that occur between components within a plant species and exointeractions that occur between components from different plants or between plants and synthetic drugs. Exointeractions and endointeractions between and within the complex mixtures of phytochemicals may have a profound effect on human health. Few well-characterized interactions were shown to affect a wide range of biological processes such as metabolism, bioavailability, solubility, cellular uptake and efflux, and body clearance. Phytochemical interactions may explain the health effects of regional diets, undesirable side effects of drugs, and inconsistent performance of dietary supplements. Better understanding of health-related phytochemical interactions should lead to a more sophisticated, holistic approach to disease prevention and treatment.     

Technological,nutritional and sensory properties of pasta fortified with agro-industrial by-products: a review

Reducing food waste is a priority to move towards more sustainable food systems. Since agro-food by-products are often rich in healthy compounds, such as fibre, phytochemicals, protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, the waste valorisation could move through their transformation into ingredients useful for the formulation of functional foods. Pasta is a staple food widely consumed all over the world representing an optimal carrier for nutrients delivery. The incorporation of ingredients of a high added value obtained by agro-industrial by-products in pasta can improve its nutritional value and provides several health benefits. At the same time, the inclusion of new ingredients could modify the physical, chemical and textural properties determining the change of the organoleptic characteristics of fortified pasta, affecting its acceptability. Thus, the preparation of new pasta formulations with high nutritional properties, good technological and sensory characteristics represents a challenge for the food industry.     

螺旋藻蛋白酶解肽对腹腔粘膜系统的作用

目的：探索螺旋藻(Spirulina)碱性蛋白酶酶解肽对家兔腹腔黏膜系统的作用。方法：采用盐析法从螺旋藻中提取可溶性螺旋藻蛋白,以碱性蛋白酶水解得到螺旋藻蛋白水解物溶液。将所得水解物以3 种方式(口服、腹腔注射、耳静脉注射)对家兔给药,分别在给药3、2、2h 后,用ELISA 试剂盒测定血清中IL-1β、IL-6、IL-12、IFN-γ、TNF-α、IL-1Ra、IL-4、IL-10、TGF- β细胞因子的质量浓度。结果：3 个实验组与正常生理盐水组相比,IL-12 质量浓度均下降,IFN-γ、IL-10 质量浓度均升高;在3 种给药方式中,腹腔注射效果最显著,其他两组细胞因子水平均没有显著性变化。腹腔注射组中炎症细胞因子IL-1β、IL-6、IL-12、TNF-α的质量浓度均显著性降低,抗炎细胞因子IL-1Ra 和IL-4 显著性升高,说明该螺旋藻碱性蛋白酶酶解肽对降低免疫活性起到了一定作用。结论：肠黏膜系统对螺旋藻蛋白酶解肽信号传递主要是通过肠道上皮细胞、内皮细胞及单核/ 巨噬细胞、淋巴细胞之间的信号网络抑制NF- κB 和PKC/p38/MAPK 途径来降低免疫的。这与植物非营养物质能够通过抑制转录因子NF- κB 活性抑制炎症信号级联的作用机制相一致,说明短肽类成分也可以进入体内对机体的慢性疾病甚至癌症起到一定的治疗作用。     

小麦中植物化学素的研究进展

综述了小麦中的一些植物化学素如酚类、低聚糖类、植物甾醇等及其生理活性与人类健康的关系。     

Dietary Bioactive Compounds and Their Health Implications

There is strong scientific evidence suggesting that regular consumption of fruits and vegetables is negatively associated with risk of developing chronic diseases. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day based on a 2000 kcal diet. However, the average person in the United States consumes 3.6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. In order to achieve the goal of at least 9 servings, we should continue educating Americans about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables and recommend consumers to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The key is to increase the amount up to 9 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day in all forms. Fresh, cooked, and processed fruits and vegetables including frozen and canned, 100% fruit juices, 100% vegetable juices, and dried fruits are all considered as servings of fruits and vegetables. A wide variety of fruits and vegetables provide a range of nutrients and different bioactive compounds including phytochemicals (phenolics, flavonoids, and carotenoids), vitamins (vitamin C, folate, and provitamin A), minerals (potassium, calcium, and magnesium), and fibers. More and more evidence suggests that the health benefits of fruits and vegetables are attributed to the additive and synergistic interactions of the phytochemicals present in whole foods by targeting multiple signal transduction pathways. Therefore, consumers should obtain nutrients and bioactive compounds from a wide variety of whole foods for optimal nutrition and health well‐being, not from expensive dietary supplements.     

The ecological context of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food,feed and forage: an overview

Plant-produced 1,2-dehydropyrrolizidine ester alkaloids and their N-oxides (PAs) not only cause acute poisoning of humans and livestock, but also the likely harmful cryptic effects of chronic exposure pose particular food safety risks that need to be addressed for consumer protection. In natural contexts, however, PAs cause few or no problems. Rather, these plant secondary metabolites are important elements of ecosystems and plant–animal relationships; the existence and persistence of many PA-adapted organisms, in various ways, depends on the presence of PA-containing plants or even on PAs as such. PA plants are widely distributed among unrelated families of the plant kingdom; there is great structural diversity of PAs, and the amounts of PAs produced are subject to great variation due to multiple causes. These realities, coupled with many deficiencies in our scientific understanding, make the presence and roles of PAs in nature a subject with limited potential for valid generalisations and predictions, and complex and difficult to summarise. PAs, their producer plants and their users are integral parts of ecosystems worldwide, and we have to learn to live with these allelochemicals by accepting the presence of some harmful natural chemicals in the environment and by taking regulatory action to reduce health risks to humans. Regulations for consumer protection are long overdue. However, any such measures must be flexible enough to accommodate the findings of future research. Transdisciplinary efforts are required to fill gaps in the knowledge and to come up with additional means to monitor the presence of PAs in food and feed.     

乳液基递送体系对植源活性物健康效应的影响研究进展

植源活性物是指存在于植物中的具有特定健康效应的活性物质。部分植源活性物受溶解度低、胃肠道稳定性差、肠上皮细胞吸收及淋巴转运效率低、体内代谢速率快等因素影响,造成其经口摄入后健康效应发挥受限。乳液基递送体系可通过以下途径影响植源活性物的健康效应：1）改善植源活性物胃肠道溶解度和稳定性,避免活性物直接接触胃肠道环境,减少活性物的失活;2）乳液油相在胃肠道消化过程中形成胶束对脂溶性活性物起增溶作用,改善活性物在小肠处经血液或淋巴的转运吸收效率;3）调节活性物在消化道中的时滞性释放及特异性黏附行为,通过改变肠道菌群结构及功能或调控活性物释放吸收靶点等方式影响活性物与肠道菌群的互作过程。本文综述了乳液基递送体系的特点及优势,着重论述乳液基递送体系对植源活性物增溶、消化道控释吸收及与肠道菌群互作过程的影响。     

Chemical,antioxidant and sensory properties of tomato‐watermelon‐pineapple blends,and changes in their total antioxidant capacity during storage

A conductometric analysis of the effect of condensate of peroxides generated during lipid oxidation in an accelerated stability test was adapted to test the hypothesis that total antioxidant capacity of tomato products would sometimes increase during processing and in storage. Tomato pulp blends made from a mixture of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var Roma VF), watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris var Babylack) and pineapple (Ananas comosus var Smooth cayennes) were analysed for basic quality profiles of dry matter, Brix, titratable acidity (TTA) and pH, total reducing sugars, Component antioxidants phytochemicals and total antioxidant capacity. The lowest sensory score (overall impression) of 4.80 ± 2.59 was recorded for tomato juice while, blend TWP 111p had highest score of 6.20 ± 1.99. There was significant difference (P < 0.05) in the basic quality profile of the pulp blends except for TTA values (0.37 ± 0.02 to 0.45 ± 0.05) and 2‐Furfurals (2.47 ± 0.03 to 2.71 ± 0.01). The fresh blend of 50% tomato, 25% watermelon and 25% pineapple had the highest total antioxidant capacity of 3.69 ± 0.52 mg 100 mL^?1 catechin equivalent. The total antioxidant capacity of the stored pulp increased from 2.95 ± 0.13 to 6.22 ± 0.32 mg 100 mL^?1 catechin equivalent in pasteurised TWP 211p blend by 60 days when stored at 40 °C. Total antioxidant status of tomato‐based fruit mix increased during the first 80 days.     

Periplaneta americana perception of phytochemical naphthoquinones as allelochemicals

Electrochemistry of malePeriplaneta americana perception of naphthoquinones as allelochemicals is presented. Importance of the oxidation-reduction potential and hydrogen-bonding capabilities of the naphtho-quinone messenger to its exchange of energy with the information-encoding, redox protein of the chemosensory neuron is considered. Evidence that the required information is initially encoded by an electroreactive protein in dendritic membrane is analyzed. A sulfhydryl-disulfide protein-based electrochemical mechanism for the demonstrated linear conversion of a molecular messenger energy state into whole insect behavior (avoidance or feeding inhibition) is elucidated. Even though the information-encoding mechanism is genetically conserved (kept electrochemically similar) within the species, behavioral biotypical differences regarding sensitivity to naphthoquinones are allowed through a group of proteins in the outer aqueous medium in the chemosensory sensillum. Such proteins electrochemically interface the dendritic membrane of the chemosensory neuron in the sensillum with the environment external to the sensillum. These interfacing proteins bind (complex) with chemical messengers (e.g., naphthoquinones) and/or variously degrade them, and thus determine the amount (moles) that is required in the environment to result in stimulation of the underlying sensory neurons and in a changed behavior.