Search results for " functional food."

Antioxidative effects of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica, L. Mill.) fruits from Sicily and bioavailability of betalain components in healthy humans

2009

Aerobic life is characterised by a steady formation of pro-oxidants, which is approximately balanced by antioxidant defense systems. When cell’s capacity to protect itself fails, oxidative stress occurs. Because of bioactive components vegetables are now considered helpful in preventing chronic pathologies in which oxidative damage is an important etiologic factor. Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit contains substantial amounts of vitamin C, biothiols, and taurine, and redox-active betalain pigments. It has been shown that a short-term supplementation (500 g fruit pulp daily, 2 wk) positively affected the body’s redox balance, decreased lipid oxidation, and improved antioxidant status…

Effect of Supplementation with Wheat Bran Aqueous Extracts Obtained by Ultrasound-Assisted Technologies on the Sensory Properties and the Antioxidant…

2015

Phenolic compounds have antioxidant properties and activate endogenous detoxification defense systems able to scavenge the reactive species of oxygen. The external layers of wheat caryopsis, largely constituting by-products of the milling industry such as bran and various middlings, contain relevant amounts of phenolic compounds. The aim of the research has been to evaluate the effect of supplementation with wheat bran aqueous extracts, obtained by ultrasound-assisted technologies, on the sensory properties and antioxidant activity of dry pasta. The HPLC-DAD characterization of the extract evidenced the presence of ferulic and p-coumaric acids. The supplemented pasta showed significantly h…

Nutraceuticals and functional foods for the control of plasma cholesterol levels. An intersociety position paper

2018

Current evidence shows that cholesterol management either reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or slows down its progression. Hence, it is important that all health professionals make appropriate use of all the available intervention strategies to control risk factors: from dietary improvement and positive lifestyle changes to the use of functional foods, food supplements, and drugs. This review examines the effect of the most frequently occurring cholesterol-lowering substances in functional foods or in supplements across Europe, namely plant sterols and stanols, monacolin K found in red yeast rice, berberine and beta-glucans. We conclude that currently available suppleme…

Formulative and stability studies of a Citrus extract to produce novel “healthy food"

2015

Production of Functional Crackers Enriched with Olive (Olea europaea L.) Leaf Extract

2016

In recent years, considerable interest has been shown in the functional properties of foods, and a relevant role has been played by phenolic compounds, able to scavenge free radicals. A more sustainable agriculture has to emerge to guarantee food supply over the next years. Wheat, corn, and rice are the most common cereals cultivated, but also other cereal species, such as barley can be appreciated for their peculiarities. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a C3 winter cereal that shows high resistance at drought and salt stresses. There are growing interests in barley as ingredient for the production of functional foods due to its high content of phenolic compounds and Beta-glucans. In this re…

Characterization of kefir-like beverages produced from vegetable juices

2016

The aim of this work was to develop new non-dairy fermented beverages using vegetable juices as fermentable substrates. Carrot, fennel, melon, onion, tomato and strawberry juices underwent back-slopping fermentations, carried out by water kefir microorganisms. Results indicated that lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were capable of growing in the juices tested. Melon juice registered the highest numbers of microorganisms. Almost all juices underwent a lactic fermentation. After fermentation, there was observance of a decrease of the soluble solid content and an increase of the number of volatile organic compounds. In particular, esters were present in high amounts after the fermentation, espe…

Urban consumers’ attitudes and willingness to pay for functional foods in Iran: A case of dietary sugar

2017

Growing concerns for the incidence of incurable diseases and high costs of health care have attracted consumers to functional foods in the world. These foods are characterized with health improvement, lower risk of disease incidence and less health hazards. The present work examined consumers’ attitude and willingness to pay for dietary sugar in Rasht city, Iran. The studied sample included 125 citizens of Rasht in spring and summer of 2016 whose size was determined by Mitchell and Carson approach. Results of contingent valuation method on the basis of one-and-one-half-bound choice model revealed that the descriptive variable of bid had negative, statistically significant impact on the acce…

Functional bread supplemented with Pleurotus eryngii powder: A potential new food for human health

2022

The purpose of this study was to develop functional breads with powdered Pleurotus eryngii. The breads were produced applying the traditional Italian style sourdough technology. P. eryngii powder was added to flour of tender wheat varieties (Grano Dei Miracoli, Inalettabile, Mentana, Gentilrosso, Ardito and a mix of Rieti, Verna, and Mentana) or semolina of durum wheat landrace (Saragolla) and subjected to sourdough fermentation. Sourdough inoculum was produced with selected strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) belonging to the species Levilactobacillus brevis, Weissella cibaria and Leuconostoc citreum. The addition of Pleurotus powdered (PP) (10% w/w) did not influence the fermentation pr…

Marine Cryptophytes Are Great Sources of EPA and DHA

2017

Microalgae have the ability to synthetize many compounds, some of which have been recognized as a source of functional ingredients for nutraceuticals with positive health effects. One well-known example is the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are essential for human nutrition. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the two most important long-chain omega-3 (-3) PUFAs involved in human physiology, and both industries are almost exclusively based on microalgae. In addition, algae produce phytosterols that reduce serum cholesterol. Here we determined the growth rates, biomass yields, PUFA and sterol content, and daily gain of eight strains of marine…

Human Intrinsic Factor Expression for Bioavailable Vitamin B12 Enrichment in Microalgae

2018

Dietary supplements and functional foods are becoming increasingly popular complements to regular diets. A recurring ingredient is the essential cofactor vitamin B12(B12). Microalgae are making their way into the dietary supplement and functional food market but do not produce B12, and their B12 content is very variable. In this study, the suitability of using the human B12-binding protein intrinsic factor (IF) to enrich bioavailable B12 using microalgae was tested. The IF protein was successfully expressed from the nuclear genome of the model microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the addition of an N-terminal ARS2 signal peptide resulted in efficient IF secretion to the medium. Co-abunda…