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Topic Review
Natural Bioactive Compounds: Toxicity/Safety Concerns
Although synthetic bioactive compounds are approved in many countries for food applications, they are becoming less and less welcome by consumers. Therefore, there has been an increasing interest in replacing these synthetic compounds by natural bioactive compounds. These natural compounds can be used as food additives to maintain the food quality, food safety and appeal, and as food supplements or nutraceuticals to correct nutritional deficiencies, maintain a suitable intake of nutrients, or to support physiological functions, respectively. Recent studies reveal that numerous food wastes, particularly fruit and vegetables byproducts, are a good source of bioactive compounds that can be extracted and reintroduced into the food chain as natural food additives or in food matrices for obtaining nutraceuticals and functional foods. This entry addresses general questions concerning the use of fruit and vegetables byproducts as new sources of natural bioactive compounds that are being addressed to foods as natural additives and supplements. Those bioactive compounds must follow the legal requirements and evaluations to assess the risks for human health and their toxicity must be considered before being launched into the market. To overcome the potential health risk while increasing the biological activity, stability and biodistribution of the supplements’ technological alternatives have been studied such as encapsulation of bioactive compounds into micro or nanoparticles or nanoemulsions. This will allow enhancing the stability and release along the gastrointestinal tract in a controlled manner into the specific tissues. This review summarizes the valorization path that a bioactive compound recovered from an agro-food waste can face from the moment their potentialities are exhibited until it reaches the final consumer and the safety and toxicity challenges, they may overcome.
  • 1.8K
  • 23 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Biogenic Amine in Kimchi Products
Biogenic amines produced during fermentation may be harmful when ingested in high concentrations. As current regulations remain insufficient to ensure the safety of fermented vegetable products, the current study determined the risks associated with the consumption of kimchi by evaluating the biogenic amine concentrations reported by various studies. 
  • 1.8K
  • 25 Jun 2021
Topic Review
High-Value Bioactive Primary Metabolites of Microalgae
Microalgae is an aquatic microorganism with a plethora of diverse bioactive compounds including phenolics, carotenoids, vitamin B12 and peptides. Microalgal bioactive compounds have been shown to possess positive health effects such as antihypertensive, anti-obesity, antioxidative, anticancer and cardiovascular protection.
  • 1.8K
  • 08 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Annin Rich Extracts Traditional Applications
Tannins are polyphenolic compounds historically utilized in textile and adhesive industries, but also in traditional human and animal medicines or foodstuffs.
  • 1.8K
  • 04 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Alginate/Chitosan Microparticles for Agricultural Application
Encapsulation into biopolymer microparticles ensures the protection and targeted delivery of active agents while offering controlled release with higher efficiency and environmental safety for ecological and sustainable plant production. Encapsulation of biological agents provides protection and increases its survivability while providing an environment safe for growth. The application of microparticles loaded with chemical and biological agents presents an innovative way to stimulate plant metabolites synthesis. This enhances plants’ defense against pests and pathogens and results in the production of higher quality food (i.e., higher plant metabolites share). Ionic gelation was presented as a sustainable method in developing biopolymeric microparticles based on the next-generation biopolymers alginate and chitosan. 
  • 1.8K
  • 21 May 2021
Topic Review
Organic Food Impact on Human Health
Organic agriculture has gained more popularity, yet its approach to food production and its potential impact on consumers’ health and various environmental aspects remain to be fully discovered. The goal of organic farming practices is to maintain soil health, sustain ecological systems, maintain fairness in its relationship with the environment and protect the environment in its entirety. Various health benefits have been associated with higher consumption of organic foods.
  • 1.8K
  • 18 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Chemical and Cell-Based Antioxidant Assays
Antioxidants remain interesting molecules of choice for suppression of the toxic effects of free radicals in foods and human systems. The current practice involves the use of mainly synthetic molecules as potent antioxidant agents. However, due to the potential negative impact on human health, there is an intensive effort within the research community to develop natural alternatives with similar antioxidant efficacy but without the negative side effects of synthetic molecules. Still, the successful development of new molecules depends on the use of reliable chemical or cell culture assays to screen antioxidant properties. Chemical antioxidant assays include the determination of scavenging ability against free radicals such as DPPH, superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide. Other antioxidant tests include the ability of compounds to bind and sequester prooxidant metal cations, reduce ferric iron, and attenuate the rate of lipid oxidation. Ex vivo tests utilize cell cultures to confirm entry of the molecules into cells and the ability to quench synthetic intracellular free radicals or to stimulate the increased biosynthesis of endogenous antioxidants.
  • 1.8K
  • 19 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Green Tea Catechin EGCG-Sensing Receptor
The body is equipped with a “food factor-sensing system” that senses food factors, such as polyphenols, sulfur-containing compounds, and vitamins, taken into the body, and plays an essential role in manifesting their physiological effects. For example, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), the representative catechin in green tea (Camellia sinensi L.), exerts various effects, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects, when sensed by the cell surficial protein 67-kDa laminin receptor (67LR). 
  • 1.7K
  • 19 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Curcumin–Cyclodextrin Supramolecular System
Supramolecular systems are based on molecular recognition, in which two or more molecules are bound by intermolecular non-covalent bonding forces to form complex and ordered entities or aggregates with specific functions and properties.
  • 1.7K
  • 22 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Aflatoxins
Aflatoxins family includes a great number of lipophilic molecules produced by aerobic micro fungi belonging to the genus Aspergillus. Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by the microfungi.
  • 1.7K
  • 06 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Sweetness Perception of Food/Beverages
When it comes to eating and drinking, multiple factors from diverse sensory modalities have been shown to influence multisensory flavour perception and liking. These factors have heretofore been strictly divided into either those that are intrinsic to the food itself (e.g., food colour, aroma, texture), or those that are extrinsic to it (e.g., related to the packaging, receptacle or external environment).
  • 1.7K
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Factors Affecting the Quality of Canola Grains
Canola, Brassica napus L., is a major oilseed crop that has various uses in the food, feed, and industrial sectors. It is one of the most widely produced and consumed oilseeds in the world because of its high oil content and favorable fatty acid composition. Canola grains and their derived products, such as canola oil, meal, flour, and bakery products, have a high potential for food applications as they offer various nutritional and functional benefits. However, they are affected by various factors during the production cycle, post-harvest processing, and storage. These factors may compromise their quality and quantity by affecting their chemical composition, physical properties, functional characteristics, and sensory attributes. Therefore, it is important to optimize the production and processing methods of canola grains and their derived products to ensure their safety, stability, and suitability for different food applications. 
  • 1.7K
  • 14 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Goose Meat as a Source of Dietary Manganese
Manganese is a trace element with essential physiological functions that should be supplied to animals and humans through diet. The primary source of manganese in the human diet is tea and plant products. Diversifying the diet with goose meat is also worthwhile because, unlike plant food, it does not contain substances that diminish bioavailability, such as fiber or phytates. As a natural source of this element, goose meat does not increase exposure to overconsumption, as can happen when consuming dietary supplements. Manganese content of domestic or wild goose meat depends on the type of muscles (more Mn in leg muscles), presence of skin (more Mn in skinless muscles), and thermal treatment (pan fried with oil, grilled, and cooked meat contains more).
  • 1.7K
  • 02 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Therapeutic Potential of Hops
The medicinal potential of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) is widely cited in ancient literature and is also allowed in several official pharmacopoeias for the treatment of a variety of ailments, mainly related to anxiety states. This is due to the plethora of phytoconstituents (e.g., bitter acids, polyphenols, prenyl flavonoids) present in the female inflorescences, commonly known as cones or strobili, endowed with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and phytoestrogen activities. Hop has attracted the interest of the scientific community due to the presence of xanthohumol, whose strong anti-cancer activity against various types of cancer cells has been well documented, and for the presence of 8-prenyl naringenin, the most potent known phytoestrogen. Studies in the literature have also shown that hop compounds can hinder numerous signalling pathways, including ERK1/2 phosphorylation, regulation of AP-1 activity, PI3K-Akt, and nuclear factor NF-κB, which are the main targets of the antiproliferative action of bitter acids and prenylflavonoids.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Health-Benefiting Components in Rapeseed Oil
Rapeseed oil is the third most consumed culinary oil in the world. It is well-known for its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids, which make it of great nutritional value. Apart from unsaturated fatty acids, there are nine functional components (vitamin E, flavonoids, squalene, carotenoids, glucoraphanin, indole-3-Carbinol, sterols, phospholipids, and ferulic acid) in rapeseed oil that contribute to its anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective, among others. 
  • 1.7K
  • 23 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Application of Encapsulated Limonene in Agri-Food Industry
Limonene or 4-isopropenyl-1-methylcyclohexene (C10H16) is a monocyclic monoterpene hydrocarbon naturally synthesized in many plants through the cyclisation of geranyl pyrophosphate by a monoterpene synthase. It constitutes one of the most abundant monocyclic monoterpenes in the plant kingdom, being found in more tan 300 essential oils and principally in Citrus spp. (30-98%). The high availability in nature together with its proved safety, make it widely exploitable in health, as flavoring agent and adjuvant in food and beverage industries, as well as in cosmetic’s for the formulation of perfumes and other personal hygiene products. In particular, this compound has been proven to possess a valuable potential as sustainable replacement to synthetic pesticides and food preservatives. To successfully use limonene in a greener agri-food industry, its preservation has become a top concern for manufacturers. In general, encapsulation conserves and protects limonene from outside aggressions, but also allows its controlled release as well as enchances its low water solubility, which can be critical for the target applications, together with other parameters, such as scalability, low cost and availability.
  • 1.7K
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Enrichment of Cookies with Fruits and Their By-Products
The incorporation of powdered fruits and fruit byproducts into cookies helps to increase their fiber and mineral content. Most importantly, it significantly enhances the nutraceutical potential of the products by adding phenolic compounds with high antioxidant capacity. Enriching shortbread cookies is a challenge for both researchers and producers because the type of fruit additive and level of substitution can diversely affect sensory attributes of cookies such as color, texture, flavor, and taste, which have an impact on consumer acceptability.
  • 1.7K
  • 22 May 2023
Topic Review
Ancient Grains
In terms of genetic background, cereals are dived into “modern” and “ancient” cereals. Ancient grains were long-forgotten due to the dominance of modern grains, but have been rediscovered as highly nutritious, healthy and resilient grains for solving the nutrition demand and food supply chain problems. 
  • 1.7K
  • 21 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Animal-Derived Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides are biomolecules found in microorganisms, plants, and animals that constitute living organisms. Glycosaminoglycans, unique acidic polysaccharides in animal connective tissue, are often combined with proteins in the form of covalent bonds due to their potent biological activity, low toxicity, and minimal side effects, which have the potential to be utilized as nutrition healthcare and dietary supplements.
  • 1.7K
  • 11 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Furan Formation
Furan and its derivates are present in a wide range of thermally processed foods and are of significant concern in jarred baby and toddler foods. Furan formation is attributed to chemical reactions between a variety of precursors and a high processing temperature. Also, some kinetic models to represent its formation in different food materials have been studied and could predict the furan formation under simulated operating conditions.
  • 1.7K
  • 29 Oct 2021
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