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Topic Review
Probiotics for Mild Cognitive Impairment
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, hallmarks of which include amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Accumulating evidence from animal studies supports the potential role of probiotics and prebiotics in alleviating neurodegenerative diseases.
  • 1.0K
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Cephalopods as Promising Blue Foods
Cephalopods encompass a group within the phylum mollusc and include squid, octopus, and cuttlefish. Cephalopods are found in all salty waters around the globe, and there are about 800 existing species, of which about 30 different species are used as human food. Cephalopods constitute about 5% of the global marine catch, and the volume is increasing. Almost all cephalopods on the world market are from wild stocks, and aquaculture is only very slowly progressing due to difficulties in artificially breeding cephalopods. Foods are complex systems due to their biological origin. Biological materials are soft matter hierarchically structured on all scales from molecules to tissues. The structure reflects the biological constraints of the organism and the function of the tissue. The structural properties influence the texture and hence the mouthfeel of foods prepared from the tissue, and the presence of flavour compounds is similarly determined by biological function. Cephalopods, such as squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses, are notoriously known for having challenging texture due to their muscles being muscular hydrostats with highly cross-linked collagen. Similar with other marine animals such as fish and crustaceans, cephalopods are rich in certain compounds such as free amino acids and free 5′-ribonucleotides that together elicit umami taste.
  • 1.0K
  • 14 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Properties of Polyphenol-Based Dietary Supplements
Antioxidants in sports exercise training remain a debated research topic. Plant-derived polyphenol supplements are frequently used by athletes to reduce the negative effects of exercise-induced oxidative stress, accelerate the recovery of muscular function, and enhance performance. 
  • 1.0K
  • 10 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Phytochemicals on Chronic Diseases
Redox balance is essential to maintain the body's normal metabolism. Once disrupted, it may lead to various chronic diseases, such as diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, cancer, aging, etc. Oxidative stress can cause or aggravate a series of pathological processes. Inhibition of oxidative stress and related pathological processes can help to ameliorate these chronic diseases, which have been found to be associated with Nrf2 activation. Nrf2 activation can not only regulate the expression of a series of antioxidant genes that reduce oxidative stress and its damage, but also directly regulate genes related to the above-mentioned pathological processes to counter the corresponding changes. 
  • 1.0K
  • 13 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Benefits of Fermented Papaya in Human Health
Fermentation is a central metabolism process in which an organism, mainly yeasts and some bacteria, converts sugars and starches into alcohol (alcoholic fermentation) or carboxylic acid (lactic or acetic fermentation), oxygen-free or -limited conditions. Fermented foods have been used for several years all over the world, due to their unique nutritional characteristics and because fermentation promotes conservation and food security. Moreover, fermented foods and beverages have a strong impact on human gut microbiota. Papaya is the fruit of the Carica papaya plant, traditionally used as a medicinal fruit, but there are also references to the use of the fermented form of this fruit.
  • 1.0K
  • 01 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Biological Functions of Jasmonates Signaling Pathway in Crops
Jasmonates (JAs) are phospholipid-derived hormones that regulate plant development and responses to environmental stress. In crops, the published findings indicate that the biological functions of JAs mainly included the promotion of fruit ripening at the initial stage via ethylene-dependent and independent ways, the regulation of mature coloring via regulating the degradation of chlorophyll and the metabolism of anthocyanin, and the improvement of aroma components via the regulation of fatty acid and aldehyde alcohol metabolism. Meanwhile, JA signaling pathways also have functions in the enhancement of biotic and abiotic stress resistance via the regulation of secondary metabolism and the redox system, and relieve cold damage to crops through improving the stability of the cell membrane in agricultural crops and products.
  • 1.0K
  • 15 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Applications of Essential Oils as Antibacterial Agents
Microbial foodborne diseases are a major health concern. In this regard, one of the major risk factors is related to consumer preferences for “ready-to-eat” or minimally processed (MP) fruits and vegetables. Essential oil (EO) is a viable alternative used to reduce pathogenic bacteria and increase the shelf-life of MP foods, due to the health risks associated with food chlorine. Indeed, there has been increased interest in using EO in fresh produce. However, more information about EO applications in MP foods is necessary. For instance, although in vitro tests have defined EO as a valuable antimicrobial agent, its practical use in MP foods can be hampered by unrealistic concentrations, as most studies focus on growth reductions instead of bactericidal activity, which, in the case of MP foods, is of utmost importance.
  • 1.0K
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
Biological Potential of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.
The genus Cajanus (Family: Fabaceae) consists of approximately 37 species, and Cajanus cajan (C. cajan) is a significant member of the genus. It is a commercial legume crop widely grown in sub-tropical and semi-arid tropical areas of the world. C. cajan is well known for its folk medicinal uses to treat various disorders, such as toothache, dizziness, diabetes, stomachache, female ailments and chronic infections. These properties have been linked to the presence of several value-added nutritional and bioactive components. 
  • 1.0K
  • 28 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Wine Microorganisms' Role in Formation of Ethyl Carbamate
Ethyl carbamate, the ethyl ester of carbamic acid, has been identified in fermented foods and alcoholic beverages. Since ethyl carbamate is a probable human carcinogen, reduction of its content is important for food safety and human health. In alcoholic beverages, ethyl carbamate is mostly formed from the reaction of ethanol with urea, citrulline and carbamyl phosphate during fermentation and storage. These precursors are generated from arginine metabolism by wine yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. 
  • 1.0K
  • 03 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Antioxidant Properties of Bee Products
Bee products have been used since ancient times both for their nutritional value and for a broad spectrum of therapeutic purposes. They are deemed to be a potential source of natural antioxidants that can counteract the effects of oxidative stress underlying the pathogenesis of many diseases.
  • 1.0K
  • 26 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Pernicious Attitude of Microbial Biofilms in Agri-Farm Industries
Biofilm is a complex matrix made up of extracellular polysaccharides, DNA, and proteins that protect bacteria against physical, chemical, and biological stresses and allow them to survive in harsh environments. Safe and healthy foods are mandatory for saving lives. However, foods can be contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms at any stage from farm to fork. The contaminated foods allow pathogenic microorganisms to form biofilms and convert the foods into stigmatized poison for consumers. Biofilm formation by pathogenic microorganisms in agri-farm industries is still poorly understood and intricate to control. In biofilms, pathogenic bacteria are dwelling in a complex manner and share their genetic and physicochemical properties making them resistant to common antimicrobial agents. Therefore, finding the appropriate antibiofilm approaches is necessary to inhibit and eradicate the mature biofilms from foods and food processing surfaces. Advanced studies have already established several emerging antibiofilm approaches including plant- and microbe-derived biological agents, and they proved their efficacy against a broad-spectrum of foodborne pathogens. 
  • 1.0K
  • 08 Dec 2022
Topic Review
OMICS in Food-Related Fungi and the Food Industry
Fungi comprise diverse taxa that are abundant in various environments. They have crucial ecological roles as decomposers, mutualists, and disease-causing agents. The use of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and metagenomics in analyzing DNA from environmental samples has become crucial in the identification of new fungal lineages. In addition, the development of other omics technologies interrogating different cellular components and the use of these technologies in various polyphasic methods have significantly advanced research in areas such as biodiversity, physiological ecology, environmental sciences, and natural product biosynthesis. Among these omics approaches, proteomics, transcriptomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics have revolutionized the current understanding of the biological processes of fungi. In addition, more specialized omics methods such as ionomics, glycomics, glycoproteomics, glycogenomics, lipidomics, and interactomics coupled with bioinformatics can contribute to a greater understanding of fungal metabolism. The combination of omics approaches (multiomics) can be used to characterize fungal genomes and their metabolites, making multiomics approaches essential for detecting and characterizing novel metabolites with important biological properties, such as anticancer, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic for human health applications.
  • 1.0K
  • 29 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Plant Food Byproducts as Antioxidant Dietary Fiber Sources
Traditionally, the fruit and vegetable processing industries have generated large amounts of byproducts, which can be used in the food industry as functional ingredients and can be considered as an abundant and economical source of valuable compounds such as polyphenols, vitamins, carotenoids, and dietary fiber. Here, researchers describe some examples of fruits and vegetables as excellent sources of antioxidant dietary fiber. 
  • 1.0K
  • 01 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Lupin (Lupinus albus L.) Seeds
Lupinus albus L. (lupine) is a legume whose grain/seed has gained increasing interest. Its recognized nutritional properties, namely a high content of protein, dietary fiber and its low fat content, make lupine a suitable alternative not only for animal protein, but also as a substitute for more processed and less balanced flours from a nutritional point of view, used in the preparation of bread, cakes and cookies, among others. In addition, its nutritional and bioactive compounds have potential benefits for human health in the prevention and treatment of some diseases. However, the existence of some anti-nutritional compounds and contaminants reveal some concern, requiring effective methods for their detection and eventual removal. 
  • 1.0K
  • 20 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Solid-Lipid Microparticles for Food Ingredients
Health food has become a prominent force in the market place, influencing many food industries to focus on numerous bioactive compounds to reap benefits from its properties. Use of these natural compounds in food matrices has several limitations. Most of the food bio-additives are sensitive compounds that may quickly decompose in both food and within the gastrointestinal tract. Since most of these bioactives are highly or partially lipophilic molecules, they possess very low water solubility and insufficient dispersibility, leading to poor bioavailability. Thus, various methods of microencapsulation of large number of food bioactives have been studied. For encapsulation of hydrophobic compounds several lipid carriers and lipid platforms have been studied, including emulsions, microemulsions, micelles, liposomes, and lipid nano- and microparticles. Solid lipid particles (SLP) are a promising delivery system, can both deliver bioactive compounds, reduce their degradation, and permit slow and sustained release. Solid lipid particles have important advantages compared to other polymer carriers in light of their simple production technology, including scale up ability, higher loading capacity, extremely high biocompatibility, and usually low cost. This delivery system provides improved stability, solubility in various matrixes, bioavailability, and targeting properties.
  • 1.0K
  • 01 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Cereal Peptidic Antioxidants in Metabolic Syndrome Prevention
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is presently an alarming public health problem globally. Oxidative stress has been postulated to be strongly correlated with MetS, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. Cereals are important staple foods which account for a huge proportion of the human diet. However, owing to recent growing demand and the search for natural antioxidants for the prevention and management of MetS, cereal peptides have gained increasing attention for developing functional ingredients or foods with substantial antioxidant properties. 
  • 1.0K
  • 27 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Crosstalk between Gut and Brain
The gut microbiota (GM) represents a diverse and dynamic population of microorganisms and about 100 trillion symbiotic microbial cells that dwell in the gastrointestinal tract.
  • 1.0K
  • 23 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Traditional Detection Technology of Transgenic Maize
Genetically modified (GM) maize is one of the earliest GM crops to have achieved large-scale commercial cultivation globally, and it is of great significance to excel in the development and implementation of safety policy regarding GM, and in its technical oversight.The extraction technology of maize has an important impact on the quality of nucleic acid detection.The traditional nucleic acid detection technology used in maize covers variable-temperature amplification, isothermal amplification detection technology and gene chip technology.
  • 1.0K
  • 22 Aug 2023
Topic Review
β-Carotene within Loaded Delivery Systems in Food
Nanotechnology has opened new opportunities for delivering bioactive agents. Their physiochemical characteristics, i.e., small size, high surface area, unique composition, biocompatibility and biodegradability, make these nanomaterials an attractive tool for β-carotene delivery. Delivering β-carotene through nanoparticles does not only improve its bioavailability/bioaccumulation in target tissues, but also lessens its sensitivity against environmental factors during processing. Regardless of these benefits, nanocarriers have some limitations, such as variations in sensory quality, modification of the food matrix, increasing costs, as well as limited consumer acceptance and regulatory challenges.
  • 1.0K
  • 11 May 2022
Topic Review
Biomedical Effects of Turmeric
Turmeric, also known as Curcuma longa, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family (ginger family). This plant is highly branched with long aromatic leaves arranged in two rows and with flowers from white, green, yellowish, and purple-red colors.
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  • 27 Nov 2021
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