Phytopharmacology of Acerola (Malpighia spp.) and its potential as functional food

BackgroundThe fruits of Malpighia glabra and M. emarginata (Family: Malpighiaceae) are commonly known as ‘Acerola cherry’ or ‘Barbados cherry’. Acerola fruits are well known for their high content of vitamin C, phenolic compounds, including benzoic acid derivatives, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids. In recent years, there is a growing interest in the role of Acerola as a nutraceutical or functional food with increasing market value. Extracts and bioactive compounds isolated from Acerola are studied for their various health promoting activities and biological activities such as antioxidant, antitumor, antihyperglycemic and skin protecting/skin whitening.Scope and approachThis article reviewed the scientific studies regarding the bioactive chemical constituents and the health beneficial effects of Acerola extracts and isolated compounds. These findings may help in future research concerning Acerola and Acerola based nutritional products.Key findings and conclusionsAcerola fruits can be considered as good candidates for the development of novel functional foods. However, detailed in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies, particularly mechanism-based studies are needed for the development of evidence-based functional food products in future.     

The influence of health claims and nutritional composition on consumers’ yoghurt preferences

The use of health claims on foods with a poor nutritional composition could pose a risk of misleading some groups of consumers in their food choices. This study aimed to explore the influence of the use of claims on consumers’ preferences for yoghurts with a different nutritional composition and the influence of more and less familiar claims on food choices. The study was conducted on 371 consumers using conjoint methodology and further cluster analysis. Fruit yoghurt was used as a base product. We investigated the impact of the following product attributes on consumers’ preferences: presence/absence of a probiotic and fat metabolism claim; sugar content; and fat content. The results suggest that, while consumers generally consider the nutritional composition of yoghurt to be more important than the tested claims, some groups of consumers are more sensitive to the use of health-related statements. We observed the consumers’ generally positive preference for a familiar probiotic claim, and their negative preference for a non-familiar fat metabolism claim. Overall, these results indicate that some groups of consumers are more sensitive to the use of health-related communications and are therefore more exposed to the risk of being misled if the composition of the yoghurt they buy is in fact less favourable. It would be beneficial if nutrient profiles were introduced to limit the use of claims on foods.     

皮蛋国家卫生标准制修订研究

为修订ＧＢ５１２８—８５皮蛋卫生标准，对标准执行情况进行了研究，收集统计分析了１４省７７５份皮蛋卫生指标检测数据。根据皮蛋加工工艺的改进对皮蛋进行了分类，对铅等重金属指标进行了修订并增加了锌、铜等指标。建议皮蛋卫生指标：传统工艺生产的皮蛋铅≤２ｍｇ／ｋｇ，砷≤０．５ｍｇ／ｋｇ，ｐＨ≥９．５；非传统工艺生产的皮蛋铅≤０．５ｍｇ／ｋｇ，砷≤０．５ｍｇ／ｋｇ，铜≤１０ｍｇ／ｋｇ，锌≤２０ｍｇ／ｋｇ；硬心皮蛋及其它皮蛋铅≤０．５ｍｇ／ｋｇ，砷≤０．５ｍｇ／ｋｇ，ｐＨ≥９．５，菌落总数≤５００／ｇ；大肠菌群≤３０ＭＰＮ／１００ｇ，致病菌不得检出     

‘Remember Who You Are Designing For’: An Interview with Baroness Sally Greengross OBE

Baroness Sally Greengross has a long and deep knowledge of issues surrounding ageing. Until 2000 she was Director General of Age Concern for 13 years, and also joint Chair of the Institute of Gerontology at King's College London and Secretary General of Eurolink Age. She is now President/Chief Executive of the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK), an influential think-tank impacting policy on longevity, ageing and population change. Since 2000, she has been a crossbench (independent) member of the House of Lords and she chairs five All-Party Parliamentary Groups: Dementia, Corporate Responsibility, Intergenerational Futures, Continence Care, and Ageing and Older People (Co-Chair). Here, the Editor of AD, Helen Castle , interviews her on shifting attitudes to ageing and the importance of designing for the older population.     

Brave New Worlds: Reaching Towards a New Era of Space Architecture

Space travel is on the brink of a new era. Larry Bell , Professor of Architecture and Space Architecture at the University of Houston, describes how new ambitions are being reached for, such as the exploration of distant Mars, which will require longer and ever more complex missions. At the same time Space is being opened up internationally, with the participation of China and India, and space tourism is introducing privatisation and new commercial players.     

Customised ‘Care-Ready’ Living: A HAPPI-Inspired Design for Evolutionary Housing by Walter Menteth Wren Architects

In 2013, Walter Menteth Architects entered the 2013 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Re-imagine Ageing Design Competition with an entry that focused on the delivery of customised housing to suit individual specifications. Here Walter Menteth , a director of the practice, describes the research the office undertook as part of the project and how it led to a solution that radically questioned the current procurement process for development-led retirement housing by proposing a new, distinctively ‘branded’ delivery vehicle that improves access to consumers while expanding buyer choice and engagement.     

China's Concealed Crisis

Architectural historian and author Edward Denison and architect and researcher Guang Yu Ren lift the lid on the complex and urgent matter of China's ageing population. The impending crisis is not only a matter of numbers – a third of China's population are projected to be over 60 by 2050 – but also one of shifting social responsibility. Whereas the care of ageing relatives has traditionally been the individual family's responsibility – filial obligation being written into the constitution – urban migration and economic development and the legacy of the One Child Policy are disrupting this, creating a greater need for state and private housing provision for the elderly.     

健康信念模式在减重行为中的运用

肥胖患病率在世界范围内呈上升趋势,已经成为发达国家和发展中国家面临的最严重的公共卫生问题之一。导致超重或肥胖的危险因素主要有膳食、运动、饮酒等行为因素,行为改变对于预防和治疗超重和肥胖至关重要,其防治措施主要是建立健康的饮食、生活方式。健康信念模式是一个有效且合适的管理体重的工具。利用健康信念模式建立支持性的环境,树立肥胖者的信心,提供健康教育保证肥胖者理解肥胖的危害以及和许多疾病的相关性,可以达到减轻体重的目的。     

Use of personalized ventilation for improving health,comfort, and performance at high room temperature and humidity

The effect of personalized ventilation (PV) on people's health, comfort, and performance in a warm and humid environment (26 and 28°C at 70% relative humidity) was studied and compared with their responses in a comfortable environment (23°C and 40% relative humidity). Thirty subjects participated in five 4‐h experiments in a climate chamber. Under the conditions with PV, the subjects were able to control the rate and direction of the supplied personalized flow of clean air. Subjective responses were collected through questionnaires. During all exposures, the subjects were occupied with tasks used to assess their performance. Objective measures of tear film stability, concentration of stress biomarkers in saliva, and eye blinking rate were taken. Using PV significantly improved the perceived air quality (PAQ) and thermal sensation and decreased the intensity of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms to those prevailing in a comfortable room environment without PV. Self‐estimated and objectively measured performance was improved. Increasing the temperature and relative humidity, but not the use of PV, significantly decreased tear film quality and the concentration of salivary alpha‐amylase, indicating lower mental arousal and alertness. The use of PV improved tear film stability as compared to that in a warm environment without PV.     

Seismic rating of existing buildings

As part of the US‐Japan co‐operative research programme, this report presented at the 1985 UJNR Panel Conference reviews two workshops, the first held at Tsukuba in 1983 and the second at Berkeley, California in 1984. The highlights of those workshops are discussed here, and some conclusions drawn.