Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, in which the death of brain cells causes memory loss and cognitive decline. Several factors are thought to play roles in the development ...and course of AD. Existing medical therapies only modestly alleviate and delay cognitive symptoms. Current research has been focused on developing antibodies to remove the aggregates of amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau protein. This approach has achieved removal of Aβ; however, no cognitive improvement in AD patients has been reported. The biological properties of saffron, the dry stigma of the plant Crocus sativus L., and particularly its main constituent crocin, have been studied extensively for many conditions including dementia and traumatic brain injury. Crocin is a unique antioxidant because it is a water-soluble carotenoid. Crocin has shown potential to improve learning and memory as well as protect brain cells. A search of the studies on saffron and crocin that have been published in recent years for their impact on AD as well as crocin’s effects on Aβ and tau protein has been conducted. This review demonstrates that crocin exhibits multifunctional protective activities in the brain and could be a promising agent applied as a supplement or drug for prevention or treatment of AD.
The agriculture system is tasked with the responsibility to deliver adequate quantities of food, which meet national needs, provide health benefits, and deliver these in an environmentally ...sustainable system. Efforts by the food industry to deliver safe and nutritious foods, which also improve health and wellness, are complicated by a constantly changing landscape. As early as the 1950s, fat in diets was a concern, and in the 1980s and early 1990s, fat was an evil component in foods. In response, the industry developed zero/low fats and foods and low-fat foods. The evolution in dietary guidelines in the 2000s has evolved to greater concern over simple sugars and starches as negative sources of calories in an environment of increasing obesity. With the world population approaching 9 billion individuals by 2050, food production, which relies on large amounts of water and energy, must become more efficient. Food production and delivery also must find innovative ways to reduce food waste, environmental pollutants, and greenhouse gas production. The nexus of food, energy, and water is and will continue to be a major research and political and communication emphasis for the scientific community. We must find clear and consumer friendly communications to explain the utilization of modern technology in food production. Solutions to these issues must also include sustainably produced, safe, nutritious, satisfying, and wholesome foods.
Nutrition plays an important role in the prevention and management of disease. Whole grain cereals contain a host of nutrients and bioactive substances that have health-promoting effects. ...Epidemiological evidence shows a consistent inverse association between whole grain intake and the risk of chronic disease. Despite a concerted effort by scientists, educators, and policy makers to promote the consumption of whole grains, it remains dismally short of the recommended intakes. Pulses (dried beans and peas) differ from whole grains in their structural and physicochemical properties and have varying amounts of fiber, resistant starch, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive components; nevertheless, these food groups complement each other. Observational as well as intervention trials show that pulse consumption has beneficial effects on the prevention and management of chronic disease. The nutritional and phytochemical components of pulses coupled with those of whole grains suggest a potential synergistic effect that could provide significant health benefits.
Early studies focused on the negative effects on color and flavor of foods, followed by exploration of the antioxidant properties and the associated health benefits. The growing body of evidence ...suggests that plant-based polyphenols may help prevent or delay the onset of a multiplicity of diseases. Newer work suggests that a variety of polyphenols can alter the expression of genes in the inflammatory pathway. Data also show that the absorption of the polyphenols is very limited. Insulin resistance and endothelial and mitochondrial dysfunction are hallmarks of the metabolic syndrome and aging and occur at the early stages of the disease. There is limited clinical evidence that certain polyphenolic metabolites by virtue of their anti-inflammatory activities can improve insulin sensitivity and endothelial and mitochondrial function, suggesting that polyphenols are good for disease prevention. The goal of this review is to summarize the evolution and emphasize the potential benefits of polyphenols.
The Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Finley, John W; Seiber, James N
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry,
07/2014, Letnik:
62, Številka:
27
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The Earth’s population is expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, posing significant challenges in meeting human needs while minimally affecting the environment. To support this population, we will ...need secure and safe sources of food, energy, and water. The nexus of food, energy, and water is one of the most complex, yet critical, issues that face society. There is no more land to exploit, and the supply of fresh water in some areas of the world limits the use of land for food. All solutions must also deal with the overlay of global climate change. Meeting current and future populations needs will require security in food, energy, and water supplies. A nexus approach is needed to improve food, energy, and water security integrating the management of the limited resources while transitioning to a more “green” economy, which provides adequate food, energy, and water for the expanding human population.
Antioxidant foods and ingredients are an important component of the food industry. In the past, antioxidants were used primarily to control oxidation and retard spoilage, but today many are used ...because of putative health benefits. However, the traditional message that oxidative stress, which involves the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is the basis for chronic diseases and aging is being reexamined. Accumulating evidence suggests that ROS exert essential metabolic functions and that removal of too many ROS can upset cell signaling pathways and actually increase the risk of chronic disease. It is imperative that the food industry be aware of progress in this field to present the science relative to foods in a forthright and clear manner. This may mean reexamining the health implications of adding large amounts of antioxidants to foods.
A great multiplicity of methods has been used to evaluate the activity of natural antioxidants by using different techniques of inducing and catalyzing oxidation and measuring the end point of ...oxidation for foods and biological systems. Antioxidant in vitro protocols for foods should be based on analyses at relatively low levels of oxidation under mild conditions and on the formation and decomposition of hydroperoxides. For antioxidant in vivo protocols, widely different methods have been used to test the biological protective activity of phenolic compounds. Unfortunately, many of these protocols have been based on questionable methodology to accurately measure oxidative damage and to assess relevant changes in biological targets. Many studies testing the ex vivo activity of phenolic compounds to inhibit human low-density lilpoprotein (LDL) oxidation have been difficult to evaluate because of the structural complexity of LDL particles and because a multitude of markers of oxidative damage have been used. Although studies with animal models of atherosclerosis have demonstrated the antioxidant effect of phenolic compounds in delaying the progress of this disease, human clinical trials of antioxidants have reported inconsistent and mixed results. Complex mixtures of plant polyphenols have been shown to be absorbed to varying degrees as metabolites in the intestine, but little is known about their interactions, bioavailability, and their in vivo antioxidant activity. Several metabolites identified in human plasma after consuming flavonoids need to be tested for possible nonantioxidant activities. More research and better-designed human studies are required to clarify the complex questions of bioavailability of polyphenols and the factors affecting their in vivo activities. Until we know what relevant in vivo activities to measure, any claims on the biological and health protective effects of natural polyphenolic compounds in our diet are premature.
Background and aims: The cancer-protective properties of vegetable consumption are most likely mediated through 'bioactive compounds' that induce a variety of physiologic functions including acting ...as direct or indirect antioxidants, regulating enzymes and controlling apoptosis and the cell cycle. The 'functional food' industry has produced and marketed foods enriched with bioactive compounds, but there are no universally accepted criteria for judging efficacy of the compounds or enriched foods. Scope: Carotenoids, glucosinolates, polyphenols and selenocompounds are families of bioactive compounds common to vegetables. Although numerous studies have investigated the agricultural and human health implications of enriching foods with one or more of these compounds, inadequate chemical identification of compounds, lack of relevant endpoints and inconsistencies in mechanistic hypotheses and experimental methodologies leave many critical gaps in our understanding of the benefits of such compounds. This review proposes a decision-making process for determining whether there is reasonable evidence of efficacy for the both the compound and the enriched food. These criteria have been used to judge the evidence of efficacy for cancer prevention by carotenoids, polyphenols, glucosinolates and selenocompounds. Conclusions: The evidence of efficacy is weak for carotenoids and polyphenols; the evidence is stronger for glucosinolates and lycopene, but production of enriched foods still is premature. Additionally there is unacceptable variability in the amount and chemical form of these compounds in plants. The evidence of efficacy for selenocompounds is strong, but the clinical study that is potentially the most convincing is still in progress; also the variability in amount and chemical form of Se in plants is a problem. These gaps in understanding bioactive compounds and their health benefits should not serve to reduce research interest but should, instead, encourage plant and nutritional scientists to work together to develop strategies for improvement of health through food.
Selenium (Se), an essential nutrient, is needed for activity of several important proteins. Additionally, the consumption of Se in amounts that exceed the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) may ...protect against prostate and colorectal cancer. Supplemental Se may be acquired through the diet, but Se bioavailability depends on the source. Therefore, dietary advice concerning improvement of Se intake depends on characterization of Se bioavailability from Se-containing food sources.