scholarly journals Edible Seaweeds: A Potential Novel Source of Bioactive Metabolites and Nutraceuticals With Human Health Benefits

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babita Choudhary ◽  
O. P. Chauhan ◽  
Avinash Mishra

There has been an increase in human health concerns, and seaweeds are considered as a potential functional food which can decrease the risk of many diseases, as they contain various bioactive compounds. Seaweeds are of nutritional interest and a rich source of natural bioactive compounds including antioxidants, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids that can be used as an alternative source of food material. Seaweeds contain a high amount of vitamins such as A, D, E, C, and B, and minerals including calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. Seaweeds containing carrageenan, agar and other polysaccharides not only act as a source of fiber but also can act as prebiotics which may benefit the bacteria present in the large intestine. The lack of technologies to process seaweeds for human consumption at an industrial scale is a serious limitation on growth of the seaweed-based functional foods sector. Seaweeds are one of the most extensively used functional foods, with a long history in Asian countries. Now they are also being explored by many Western and European countries. Evidence from epidemiological research suggests that regular consumption of a marine algae-based diet may boost immunity against a number of diseases including COVID-19 novel virus by angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition.

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trishala Gopikrishna ◽  
Harini Keerthana Suresh Kumar ◽  
Kumar Perumal ◽  
Elavarashi Elangovan

Abstract Purpose Fermented soybean foods (FSF) is popularly consumed in the South-East Asian countries. Bacillus species, a predominant microorganism present in these foods, have demonstrated beneficial and deleterious impacts on human health. These microorganisms produce bioactive compounds during fermentation that have beneficial impacts in improving human health. However, the health risks associated with FSF, food pathogens, biogenic amines (BAs) production, and late-onset anaphylaxis, remain a concern. The purpose of this review is to present an in-depth analysis of positive and negative impacts as a result of consumption of FSF along with the measures to alleviate health risks for human consumption. Methods This review was composed by scrutinizing contemporary literature of peer-reviewed publications related to Bacillus and FSF. Based on the results from academic journals, this review paper was categorized into FSF, role of Bacillus species in these foods, process of fermentation, beneficial, and adverse influence of these foods along with methods to improve food safety. Special emphasis was given to the potential benefits of bioactive compounds released during fermentation of soybean by Bacillus species. Results The nutritional and functional properties of FSF are well-appreciated, due to the release of peptides and mucilage, which have shown health benefits: in managing cardiac disease, gastric disease, cancer, allergies, hepatic disease, obesity, immune disorders, and especially microbial infections due to the presence of probiotic property, which is a potential alternative to antibiotics. Efficient interventions were established to mitigate pitfalls like the techniques to reduce BAs and food pathogens and by using a defined starter culture to improve the safety and quality of these foods. Conclusion Despite some of the detrimental effects produced by these foods, potential health benefits have been observed. Therefore, soybean foods fermented by Bacillus can be a promising food by integrating effective measures for maintaining safety and quality for human consumption. Further, in vivo analysis on the activity and dietary interventions of bioactive compounds among animal models and human volunteers are yet to be achieved which is essential to commercialize them for safe consumption by humans, especially immunocompromised patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 465
Author(s):  
Rie Sadohara ◽  
Danik Martirosyan

The aging population and skyrocketing medical costs are an urgent problem in some countries, which necessitates the prevention of diseases and postponement of disease progression with non-medical means. Functional foods are those that exhibit beneficial effects on human health and play a vital role in supporting part of normal diets. In order to produce functional foods with safe and effective active compounds, it is necessary to define functional foods and to identify the bioactive compounds, the mode(s) of action, and the proper daily dosage. Furthermore, functional foods should undergo a neutral evaluation by an independent organization to ensure only safe and effective products will be released to the market. Japan’s Foods for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU) approval system will be described in this review as an example in which individual functional foods are evaluated with numerous criteria by a governmental agency. Whilst the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluates and authorizes health claim petitions, a definition of functional foods and a distinct functional food category are lacking in the U.S.. The Functional Food Center (FFC) has been supporting functional food scientists worldwide through research and the publishing of numerous educational materials on functional foods. Thus, the FFC and the Academic Society for Functional Foods and Bioactive Compounds (ASFFBC) can and are willing to help the FDA and other governmental agencies establish the category of functional foods and the field of functional food science, which needs to be highly collaborative and multidisciplinary. This review will also describe the current health claim authorization by the FDA and the FFC’s vision on the definition of functional foods, bioactive compounds, and the establishment of functional food science that will eventually contribute to human health and well-being in the US and across the globe.Keywords: functional food definition, functional foods, FOSHU, bioactive compounds, functional food science, health claim, foods for specified health uses


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meenakshi Singh ◽  
Darshini Trivedi ◽  
Reecha Mohapatra ◽  
Trisha Bagchi ◽  
Chandra Sai Potla Durthi ◽  
...  

Background: The rapid eruption of Coronavirus at the end of 2019 has caused global health crisis and significant loss to the economy and social well-being. This created a massive shortage of advanced health facilities with inadequate medicinal supply, further deteriorating human health conditions. On the basis of adverse effects of the ongoing pandemic, this review is proposed to evaluate the antiviral efficacy of plant-based therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 (commonly called COVID19) infection. It highlights the possible action of the mechanism of phytotherapeutic drugs against coronavirus inhibition, further validated by clinical trials on herbal formulas. Though the experimental studies on COVID19 treatment are limited, the undesirable side effects of herbal drugs and unidentified compounds cannot be ignored. Objective: We have made an effort to study the prospective plant-derived bioactive entities and their effectiveness in the treatment of COVID19 and emphasize safety and regulatory concerns of phytomedicines. Methods: The methodology involves the relevant studies on COVID19 treatment based on herbal extracts and the purified bioactive metabolites. The e-literature survey is done by downloading research articles available on PubMed (National library of medicine), Elsevier, and Google scholar search engines. The keywords used are plant metabolites, natural bioactive, phytotherapeutic drugs, clinical trials, SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus inhibitors and herbal extracts. Results: The review pays particular attention to the etiological study of the COVID19 virus and its inhibition using medicinal plant metabolites as immunomodulatory agents. The application of valuable bioactive like phenolic compounds, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and terpenoids in preparing herbal formula/drug. The drug resistance of bioactive compounds and their side effects on human health were discussed for effective phytomedicine. Thus, emphasizing the perspectives of phytotherapeutic drugs as a safe remedy to boost immunomodulatory functions and antiviral activity against COVID19. Conclusion: Altogether, the review presents the action mechanism of plant extracts rich in bioactive compounds and depicted potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. These plant bioactive compounds can serve as lead molecules to develop phytomedicine, ensuring all safety regulations in the clinical trials to treat or prevent COVID19 viral infections.


2021 ◽  
Vol 306 ◽  
pp. 04007
Author(s):  
Rosniyati Suwarda ◽  
Risma Fira Suneth ◽  
Wahid ◽  
Dewi Sondari

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt) is a native plant of Banda Island known as the Spice Islands. Nutmeg fruit consists of the pericarp or rind, the seed kernel inside (nutmeg), and the nutmeg is a red lacy (aryl) covering the kernel (mace). Nutmeg pericarp contributing 80-85% of the total weight of the nutmeg fruit but its use is still not getting enough attention and a lot of it is wasted as agricultural waste which can pollute the environment. This is because the economic value is considered to be lower than the seeds and mace of nutmeg. This article aims to review the potential and oppurtunity benefits of nutmeg meat waste (pericarp) for human health and its application in functional foods. The method used in this paper is a literature review. The results show that, the pericarp has been reported to contain bioactive compounds similar to those of nutmeg and mace oil which have pharmacological values. Phytochemical compounds are beneficial to human health as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetes, anti-microbial agents, antixidants, anti-depressants, anti-convulsants, and anti-cancer agents. Based on the composition, the pericarp is potentially used as a functional food to increase added value and reduce environmental pollution. In addition, the abundance of materials, relatively low prices, and the importance of healthy food for the health of the human provide opportunities for the development of functional foods based on bioactive compounds.


Foods ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lida Fuentes ◽  
Carlos R. Figueroa ◽  
Monika Valdenegro ◽  
Raúl Vinet

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in studying food and its derived ingredients that can provide beneficial effects for human health. These studies are helping to understand the bases of the ancestral use of several natural products, including native fruits as functional foods. As a result, the polyphenol profile and the antioxidant capacity of the extracts obtained from different Patagonian native berries have been described. This review aims to provide valuable information regarding fruit quality, its particular compound profile, and the feasibility of producing functional foods for human consumption to prevent disorders such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. We also discuss attempts concerning the domestication of these species and generating knowledge that strengthens their potential as traditional fruits in the food market and as a natural heritage for future generations. Finally, additional efforts are still necessary to fully understand the potential beneficial effects of the consumption of these berries on human health, the application of suitable technology for postharvest improvement, and the generation of successfully processed foods derived from Patagonian berries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Del Mondo ◽  
Arianna Smerilli ◽  
Elisabet Sané ◽  
Clementina Sansone ◽  
Christophe Brunet

Abstract Background Vitamins’ deficiency in humans is an important threat worldwide and requires solutions. In the concept of natural biofactory for bioactive compounds production, microalgae represent one of the most promising targets filling many biotechnological applications, and allowing the development of an eco-sustainable production of natural bioactive metabolites. Vitamins are probably one of the cutting edges of microalgal diversity compounds. Main text Microalgae can usefully provide many of the required vitamins in humans, more than terrestrial plants, for instance. Indeed, vitamins D and K, little present in many plants or fruits, are instead available from microalgae. The same occurs for some vitamins B (B12, B9, B6), while the other vitamins (A, C, D, E) are also provided by microalgae. This large panel of vitamins diversity in microalgal cells represents an exploitable platform in order to use them as natural vitamins’ producers for human consumption. This study aims to provide an integrative overview on vitamins content in the microalgal realm, and discuss on the great potential of microalgae as sources of different forms of vitamins to be included as functional ingredients in food or nutraceuticals for the human health. We report on the biological roles of vitamins in microalgae, the current knowledge on their modulation by environmental or biological forcing and on the biological activity of the different vitamins in human metabolism and health protection. Conclusion Finally, we critically discuss the challenges for promoting microalgae as a relevant source of vitamins, further enhancing the interests of microalgal “biofactory” for biotechnological applications, such as in nutraceuticals or cosmeceuticals.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 382
Author(s):  
Barbara Pacholczyk-Sienicka ◽  
Grzegorz Ciepielowski ◽  
Łukasz Albrecht

Spices and herbs are among the most commonly adulterated food types. This is because spices are widely used to process food. Spices not only enhance the flavor and taste of food, but they are also sources of numerous bioactive compounds that are significantly beneficial for health. The healing effects of spices are connected with their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and carminative properties. However, regular consumption of adulterated spices may cause fatal damage to our system because adulterants in most cases are unhealthy. For that reason, the appropriate analytical methods are necessary for quality assurance and to ensure the authenticity of spices. Spectroscopic methods are gaining interest as they are fast, require little or no sample preparation, and provide rich structural information. This review provides an overview of the application of NMR spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis to determine the quality and adulteration of spices.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1306
Author(s):  
Marcin Dziedziński ◽  
Joanna Kobus-Cisowska ◽  
Barbara Stachowiak

The pine (Pinus L.) is the largest and most heteromorphic plant genus of the pine family (Pinaceae Lindl.), which grows almost exclusively in the northern hemisphere. The demand for plant-based remedies, supplements and functional food is growing worldwide. Although pine-based products are widely available in many parts of the world, they are almost absent as food ingredients. The literature shows the beneficial effects of pine preparations on human health. Despite the wide geographical distribution of pine trees in the natural environment, there are very few data in the literature on the widespread use of pine in food technology. This study aims to present, characterise and evaluate the content of phytochemicals in pine trees, including shoots, bark and conifer needles, as well as to summarise the available data on their health-promoting and functional properties, and the potential of their use in food and the pharmaceutical industry to support health. Various species of pine tree contain different compositions of bioactive compounds. Regardless of the solvent, method, pine species and plant part used, all pine extracts contain a high number of polyphenols. Pine tree extracts exhibit several described biological activities that may be beneficial to human health. The available examples of the application of pine elements in food are promising. The reuse of residual pine elements is still limited compared to its potential. In this case, it is necessary to conduct more research to find and develop new products and applications of pine residues and by-products.


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