1,721,262 research outputs found
Recovery of tomato bioactive compounds through a biocompatible and eco-sustainable new technology for the production of enriched "nutraceutical tomato products"
No full textThe increase of knowledge concerning the importance of nutrients in human health is creating more and more a new market for products containing biologically active compounds and leading to a redefinition of criteria for the development of new "green technologies" of separation and extraction of natural bioactive molecules. During the last years numerous research groups have studied the possibility to recover bioactive compounds from vegetables by-products and/or from their industrial processes. This paper is aimed to introduce an innovative process for the production of new tomato-based juice ("beta-juice") extract, naturally enriched with bioactive components (lycopene and polyphenols) improved from selected High Pigment (round square shape) tomato cultivars. Data concerning the enriched tomato juice obtained, showed that it could be easily employed both as source of natural antioxidants and colorant for the formulation of novel functional foods and/or as a concentrated bioactive additive for foods to extend their added-value; moreover, this method has proved to be in agreement with the emerging concepts of sustainability and recycle/reuse from industrial point of view. This technology involves a complete "eco-sustainable" extraction process that lead to concentrate and enhance the bioactive compounds which are normally found in processed products (e.g., pulp and puree). Further studies will be carried out in order to improve the application of this new "green technology" to all the other processing vegetable industrial residues
Selected methodologies to assess oxidative/antioxidant status in vivo: a critical review
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Understanding the association between dietary antioxidants, red-ox status and disease: is the Total Antioxidant Capacity the right tool?
No full textTotal Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) considers the cumulative action of all the antioxidants present in plasma and body fluids, thus providing an integrated parameter rather than the simple sum of measurable antioxidants. The capacity of known and unknown antioxidants and their synergistic interaction is, therefore, assessed, thus giving an insight into the delicate balance in vivo between oxidants and antioxidants. There is new evidence indicating the importance of understanding the mechanisms of the homeostatic control of TAC in plasma and tissues and its modification during oxidative stress development. Recently, the epidemiological application of TAC has been proposed as a new tool for investigating the relationship between dietary antioxidants and cancer risk in population studies. This review outlines the pros and cons of the more common assays for measuring plasma TAC and the latest findings on dietary modulation of plasma redox status. Finally, the feasibility of the 'TAC concept' as an innovative tool for investigating the association between diet and oxidative stress is discussed
Flavonoid Occurrence, Bioavailability, Metabolism, and Protective Effects in Humans: Focus on Flavan-3-ols and Flavonols
No full textFlavonoids are profusely abundant in the human diet and might be responsible for the advantages ascribed to dietary regimens rich in plant foods. Notwithstanding the evidence from epidemiological and cohort studies, an unambiguous and exhaustive pattern has not yet emerged regarding the mechanisms underlying their food-related health properties. It is now increasingly evident that the sole direct action of substances available in planta is not sufficient to fully explain the benefits of polyphenol-rich dietary habits. To elucidate this conundrum, a better comprehension of the interplay between human and microbial metabolism and dietary polyphenols is needed. This chapter provides a detailed overview of the current knowledge on bioavailability and in vivo biotransformation of two widespread classes of flavonoids: flavonols and flavan-3-ols. According to data collected, these substances are not always endowed with the highest bioactivities in vivo, and a deeper knowledge of their metabolites is needed to properly assess their overall contribution to human health and to single out substances to be monitored for the exhaustive profiling of flavonoid bioavailability
A flow-injection method based on ABTS radical cation to evaluate the total antioxidant activity of fruit extracts.
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Health effects of 100% fruit and vegetable juices: Evidence from human intervention studies
No full textThe health effects of 100% fruit and vegetable juices (FVJs) represent a controversial topic. FVJs contain notable amounts of free sugars, but also vitamins, minerals, and secondary compounds with proven biological activities like (poly)phenols and carotenoids. The review aimed to shed light on the potential impact of 100% FVJs on human health, comprehensively assessing the role each type of juice may have in specific health outcomes for a particular target population, as reported in dietary interventions. The effects of a wide range of FVJs (orange, grapefruit, mandarin, lemon, apple, white, red, and Concord grape, pomegranate, cranberry, chokeberry, blueberry, other minor berries, sweet and tart cherry, plum, tomato, carrot, beetroot, and watermelon, among others) were evaluated on a series of outcomes (anthropometric parameters, body composition, blood pressure and vascular function, lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, cognitive function, exercise performance, gut microbiota composition and bacterial infections), providing a thorough picture of the contribution of each FVJ to a health outcome. Some juices demonstrated their ability to exert potential preventive effects on some outcomes while others on other health outcomes, emphasizing how the differential composition in bioactive compounds defines juice effects. Research gaps and future prospects were discussed. Although 100% FVJs appear to have beneficial effects on some cardiometabolic health outcomes, cognition, and exercise performance, or neutral effects on anthropometric parameters and body composition, further efforts are needed to better understand the impact of 100% FVJs on human health
The Microbiota of the human gastrointestinal tract: a molecular view
No full textThe human gut microbiota represents a complex collection of microorganisms, which contribute considerably to host health. They occupy different ecological niches and habitats within the gastrointestinal tract and vary both in compositional make up and metabolic output at different sites along the gut. In this chapter, we describe the microbial “geography” within the human gastrointestinal tract and discuss available methods for studying the gut microbiota at both taxonomic and metabolic levels. Tremendous advances have been made in
culture independent molecular microbiology over the past 20 years giving previously undreamt of insight into the architecture of the gut microbiota. Similarly, advances in “omics” technologies, especially metagenomics and metabolomics, are providing the tools necessary to give, for the first time, a real insight into both the gut
microbiota metabolic potential (encoded by the genes of microbiota metagenome) and the metabolic kinetic (comprising the flux of microbially derived metabolites) and how these then interact with host physiology
influencing health and disease ris
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