Fruits and Vegetables as Functional Foods for Exercise and Inflammation

2013 ◽  
pp. 319-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.D. Hurst ◽  
S.M. Hurst
Keyword(s):  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables

The Effects of Different Kinds of Nutrition and Functional Foods on Multiple Sclerosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 632-637
Author(s):  
Masih Falahatian
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Salt Intake ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Dietary Salt ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Dietary Salt Intake ◽  
Neuroinflammatory Disease ◽  
The Central Nervous System

It is an assumption that different kinds of nutrition, diet, and functional foods might have different positive or negative effects on multiple sclerosis (MS), a neuroinflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). This brief paper involved a study on various kinds of nutrition including salt, fat, dairy, fruit, and vegetables. At the end of this study, appropriate diets were evaluated for MS patients. Based on previous studies both on animal models and on MS patients, excessive dietary salt intake and animal fat had worsening effects on MS patients but fruit and vegetable intake helped the remission of MS and decreased the risk of developing it. There were, of course, conflicting results in different studies over the role of some nutrition in MS and future studies on larger numbers of cases were required to collect reliable results. As a result, at the end of this study and based on literature, it is suggested that a diet should be programmed by nutritionists containing fewer salt, fat, and dairy intake and more fruits and vegetables for MS patients in order to better management of the disease.

scholarly journals Hungarian fruits and vegetables of high anti-oxidant activity as functional foods (Review article)

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zs. Veres ◽  
É. Domokos-Szabolcsy ◽  
J. Koroknai ◽  
L. Dudás ◽  
I. J. Holb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Sour Cherry ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Cultivated Plant ◽  
Anti Oxidant ◽  
Vegetable Foods

Recently, projects aiming to enhance the consumption of fruits and vegetables are intensified. Experts agree in the principle of fresh vegetable foods being a valid panacea in averting risks of ailments as well as curing immune-insufficiency, inflammations, moreover, certain cancerous processes. It is generally accepted that among substances of biological activity the anti-oxidant compounds such as vitamins C, E and carotenoids, etc. have the major role in this process. Hungarian agriculture has outstanding chances in utilising its natural as well as cultivated plant resources and favourable climatic conditions. It would be, however, necessary to build up a databank of anti­oxidant substances found in fruits and vegetables and including the modifying effects of technology, growing site, variety, etc. The concept of promoting the trade of Hungarian food-specialities as "Hungaricum" needs, urgently, the aid of a databank of that kind. Some of those excellent products are for instance the sour cherry, pepper and onion. They enjoy high priority as "Hungaricum" in the EU and it should be enhanced by intense and consequent research work, which may prove their role as functional foods. The USA is the leading country in research on the anti-oxidant substances of sour cherries, and up to now more than 17 compounds have been found in Hungarian varieties among others. In pepper fruits used as vegetable and source of vitamin C, the analyses are still lacking because research of the past concentrated on the products of milled spice pepper. Onion and garlic are entirely unexplored in this respect. It should be noted that availability of these fresh products in the moderate climate is restricted to a relatively short season. For that reason, some processing and preservation methods are needed in order to use those fruits and vegetables as functional foods all around the year. The scientifically founded endeavour as a solution of the questions mentioned is stimulated by vigorous commercial interests as well as by the urgent needs of the consumers to improve their health.

scholarly journals Oxidative Stress, Antioxidant Capabilities, and Bioavailability: Ellagic Acid or Urolithins?

Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvana Alfei ◽  
Barbara Marengo ◽  
Guendalina Zuccari
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Ellagic Acid ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Natural Polyphenols ◽  
Extreme Variability ◽  
Therapeutic Alternatives

Oxidative stress (OS), triggered by overproduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, is the main mechanism responsible for several human diseases. The available one-target drugs often face such illnesses, by softening symptoms without eradicating the cause. Differently, natural polyphenols from fruits and vegetables possess multi-target abilities for counteracting OS, thus representing promising therapeutic alternatives and adjuvants. Although in several in vitro experiments, ellagitannins (ETs), ellagic acid (EA), and its metabolites urolithins (UROs) have shown similar great potential for the treatment of OS-mediated human diseases, only UROs have demonstrated in vivo the ability to reach tissues to a greater extent, thus appearing as the main molecules responsible for beneficial activities. Unfortunately, UROs production depends on individual metabotypes, and the consequent extreme variability limits their potentiality as novel therapeutics, as well as dietary assumption of EA, EA-enriched functional foods, and food supplements. This review focuses on the pathophysiology of OS; on EA and UROs chemical features and on the mechanisms of their antioxidant activity. A discussion on the clinical applicability of the debated UROs in place of EA and on the effectiveness of EA-enriched products is also included.

scholarly journals Extraction of Condensed Tannins from Mexican Plant Sources

2008 ◽  
Vol 63 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 17-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro García ◽  
Antonio Aguilera ◽  
Juan C. Contreras-Esquivel ◽  
Raúl Rodríguez ◽  
Cristóbal N. Aguilar
Keyword(s):  
Condensed Tannins ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Condensed Tannin ◽  
Natural Antioxidants ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Total Polyphenols ◽  
Coffee Pulp ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Plant Sources

Contents of total polyphenols, condensed tannins and proanthocyanidins, and their stability to various pH values and temperatures were studied in Mexican blueberry, cuautecomate fruit, garambullo fruit, aubergine, coffee pulp and residues of black grapes. Several aqueous extracts, obtained through a one-pass-extraction process, were analyzed using liquid chromatography in order to quantify the condensed tannin (proanthocyanidin) content responsible for their antioxidant activity and colour. All tested samples included high proanthocyanidin contents demonstrating that these Mexican fruits and vegetables are good sources of natural antioxidants, and they all could be considered as excellent functional foods due to their bioactivity measured as the condensed tannin level.

scholarly journals Ugni molinae Fruit as a Source of Bioactive Compounds with Good Quality Traits

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Ricardo I. Castro ◽  
Patricio Ramos ◽  
Carolina Parra-Palma ◽  
Luis Morales-Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Capacity ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Bioactive Properties ◽  
Principal Points ◽  
Excellent Source ◽  
Ugni Molinae

Since the intake of fruits and vegetables displays important effects on the incidence of several chronic diseases in humans, consumers’ attention worldwide is focused on the identification of functional foods. In this sense, Ugni molinae (murtilla or murta fruit) is an important source of molecules with a strong antioxidant capacity that is widely used as a medicinal plant in Southern Argentina-Chile. Research on murtilla berries showed that this fruit and its leaves can be an excellent source of polyphenols and bioactive compounds with antibacterial and antioxidant capacity. This review is aimed at providing valuable information and discussing the available literature focused on four principal points: (i) fruit quality and plant physiology, (ii) compound content with bioactive properties, (iii) health properties for consumers of the fruit and leaves, and (iv) challenges for future research. Based on these four points, we propose that murtilla fruit can be a potential ingredient for new functional food products.

Abstract 592: Nutrigenomic Screening of Functional Foods Regulating Gluconeogenesis: A Zebrafish Pilot Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Dong Bai ◽  
Youdong Wang ◽  
Xiao-Yan Wen
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Zebrafish Model ◽  
Fluorescent Reporter ◽  
Reporter Line ◽  
Glucose Levels

Introduction/rationale: Current anti-diabetic drug treatments have a variety of adverse side effects. Identifying functional foods with anti-diabetic properties may be the key to preventing and managing T2DM while minimizing side effects. Studies found that Pck-1 gene is often down-regulated by anti-diabetic drugs, as its enzyme is responsible for catalyzing the rate-limiting step of gluconeogenesis. In our study, we screened for functional foods that can down-regulate the expression of the Pck-1 gene. The newly emerged zebrafish (Danio rerio) is aptly suited for in vivo nutrigenomic screening due to its large clutch size and conservation of molecular pathways with humans, including those involved in glucose regulation. Methods: We exposed zebrafish larve (Tg(Pck-1:luc), a luminescent reporter line for Pck-1), at 4 days post fertilization (dpf) to extracts from forty functional fruits and vegetables. The level of Pck-1 expression was quantified by luminescence at 6 dpf. Extracts which resulted in a lower reading of luminescence were interpreted as functional foods that could successfully down-regulate Pck-1 expression, and therefore may be potential therapeutic for T2DM. We further validated our results using a fluorescent reporter line for Pck-1 (Pck-1:eGFP). Results: We completed toxicity assays on the functional food extracts to determine the optimal concentrations and conditions for nutrigenomic screening. Preliminary results show that bamboo and cherry extracts significantly reduced Pck-1 gene expression by two fold (p<0.05). Other functional food extracts, such as grape, cucumber, cabbage, spinach, flat beans, and lemon also reduced Pck-1 gene expression. Interestingly, garlic extracts increased Pck-1 gene expression. Conclusion and Discussion: We identified two functional food extracts that successfully reduced Pck-1 expression in zebrafish models. Increasing the intake of these two functional foods may regulate blood glucose levels in T2DM patients. Further research elucidating the active ingredient in these foods is required. The Pck-1 zebrafish model can be employed for further nutrigenomic screening and/or for drug discovery purposes.

scholarly journals Lactic Acid Bacterial Production of Exopolysaccharides from Fruit and Vegetables and Associated Benefits

Fermentation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Marie Guérin ◽  
Christine Robert-Da Silva ◽  
Cyrielle Garcia ◽  
Fabienne Remize
Keyword(s):  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Lactic Acid Bacteria ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Fruit And Vegetables ◽  
Scientific Investigations ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Regulation Mode

Microbial polysaccharides have interesting and attractive characteristics for the food industry, especially when produced by food grade bacteria. Polysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) during fermentation are extracellular macromolecules of either homo or hetero polysaccharidic nature, and can be classified according to their chemical composition and structure. The most prominent exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing lactic acid bacteria are Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Weissella, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus and Bifidobacterium sp. The EPS biosynthesis and regulation pathways are under the dependence of numerous factors as producing-species or strain, nutrient availability, and environmental conditions, resulting in varied carbohydrate compositions and beneficial properties. The interest is growing for fruits and vegetables fermented products, as new functional foods, and the present review is focused on exploring the EPS that could derive from lactic fermented fruit and vegetables. The chemical composition, biosynthetic pathways of EPS and their regulation mode is reported. The consequences of EPS on food quality, especially texture, are explored in relation to producing species. Attention is given to the scientific investigations on health benefits attributed to EPS such as prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering activities.

scholarly journals Phytochemicals and functional foods. Current situation and prospect for developing countries

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn B. Rodriguez ◽  
Maxima E. Flavier ◽  
Delia B. Rodriguez-Amaya ◽  
Jaime Amaya-Farfán
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
The Body ◽  
Organosulfur Compounds ◽  
Action Functional ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Health Promoting

This review updates and attempts to present the complex panorama of bioactive phytochemicals and functional foods. For such purpose and given the breadth of the field, it was necessary to survey a large volume of scientific literature. The different types of studies used to provide evidence for efficacy are described. The different groups of health-promoting substances (carotenoids, phenolic compounds, phytosterols and phytostanols, tocotrienols, organosulfur compounds, nondigestible carbohydrates) are presented with a discussion of the dietary sources and the chemical and biological properties that explain their modes of action. Functional foods of plant origin (broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, oat, flaxseed, tomato, soybean, citrus, berries, tea, grapes and wine, garlic) are discussed in terms of their health effects, the phytochemicals responsible and the body of evidence supporting such effects. The review emphasizes the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables for the general state of health of the population and points out some technical and scientific opportunities that can be explored in developing countries.

Oligosaccharide Profile in Fruits and Vegetables as Sources of Prebiotics and Functional Foods

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 949-965 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruzica Jovanovic-Malinovska ◽  
Slobodanka Kuzmanova ◽  
Eleonora Winkelhausen
Keyword(s):  
Functional Foods ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables
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