Bioaccessibility, Bioavailability, Antioxidant Activities and Health Beneficial Properties of Some Selected Spices

Herbs and spices have been used as therapeutic agents in traditional medicine due to the presence of bioactive compounds including flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, carotenoids, organosulfur compounds, glucosinolates etc. As a result, they are associated with various functional properties such as digestive stimulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory anticancer, anti-diabetic, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and antimicrobial activities. However, the bioefficacy of different spices are affected by the bioavailabilties of their bioactive compounds and depends on various factors such bioaccessibility, molecular structures, composition of food matrices, and metabolizing enzymes. In this chapter we discuss on major phytochemical compounds of some selected spices including turmeric, garlic, ginger, onion, cinnamon, chili pepper, and black pepper including their bio accessibilities, bioavailabilities and their health beneficial effects. The knowledge of bioaccessibility and bioavailability of spices bioactive compounds will give a better understanding towards the development of strategies to optimize the positive health benefits of spices

Ginger Cultivation and Its Antimicrobial and Pharmacological Potentials

Ginger is well known as a spice and flavor. It has been a traditional medical plant in many cultures for thousands of years. To uncover the miraculous plant, this book not only gives you the plant's origins, where the plant is grown now, but also provides current studies on its utilization, cultivation, breeding, and therapeutic benefits

Inhibitory activities of vitamins on 7-ketocholesterol formation in both chemical model systems and beef patties

Technical Session V: abstract O-V-04Cholesterol Oxidation Products (COPs), produced by Cholesterol oxidation, are a family of oxidative products generated in high-temperature processing and prolonged storage. COPs could be differentiated into two distinct origins – enzymatic and non-enzymatic source. They are implicated in various food sources, and known to exert certain chemical effects like toxicity, HMG-COA reductase inhibition and atherogenesis effect on human. Considerable researches were conducted to develop strategies as to reduce the associated risk. Yet, direct evidence regarding their effects on COPs formation is still lacking. The formation pathways of COPs have partially elucidated. However, there is still controversy over the inhibition mechanism on COPs formation. The objective of the present study is to identify potent inhibitors of COPs formation from 15 vitamins using chromatographic methods in beef patties. Moreover, the roles of pyridoxamine (the most potent inhibitors) in the formation of 7-ketocholesterol is characterized. The detailed mechanism involved in cholesterol oxidation model system is elucidated. To conclude, vitamin C, A, E and PM can significantly lower the formation of 7-ketocholesterol. Their antioxidant activities only make minor contribution to their inhibitory activities. Their inhibitory activities are mainly mediated via their direct participation in Cholesterol oxidation: direct trapping of the final secondary oxidative product – 7-ketocholesterol.postprin

Inclusão em ciclodextrinas para estabilizar hóspedes multi-componente de origem vegetal

Mestrado em Bioquímica - Bioquímica AlimentarA inclusão em ciclodextrinas (CDs) de hóspedes multi-componente, tais como óleos essenciais e extratos de plantas, é um tema atual e útil para uma série de aplicações nas indústrias alimentar, cosmética e farmacêutica. No presente trabalho foram estudados dois destes sistemas, tendo por hóspedes o óleo essencial de Cistus ladanifer e uma mistura de gingerois extraídos de rizoma fresco de gengibre. A composição do óleo essencial de C. ladanifer foi estudada por GC-MS, tendo-se identificado 94,3% dos seus componentes e determinado a massa molecular aproximada em 143,7 g.mol-1. O óleo foi usado para formar complexos de inclusão com as ciclodextrinas beta e gama. A identificação dos componentes do óleo incluídos preferencialmente em cada CD foi feita por extração com clorofórmio e análise por GC-MS, tendo-se observado inclusão preferencial de compostos de maior peso molecular na ciclodextrina beta, enquanto a ciclodextrina gama incluiu compostos de menor peso molecular. Os complexos de inclusão foram analisados no estado sólido por espectroscopia de infravermelho (FTIR), {1H} 13C CP-MAS RMN e difração de raios X de pós (PXRD), postulando-se empacotamento em canal para ambos os complexos. A mistura de gingerois, obtida a partir de gengibre fresco por maceração em acetona e purificação em coluna, foi analisada por 1H RMN e espectrometria de massa (ESI-QTOF), contendo 54,05 % de 6-gingerol, 19,45% de 8-gingerol e 26,5 % de 10-gingerol, a que corresponde uma massa molecular de 314,7 g.mol-1. O complexo γ-CD·gingerois, obtido por co-precipitação, foi caracterizado por FTIR, {1H} 13C CP-MAS RMN, DSC e PXRD. Também neste caso foi observado o empacotamento em canal. Por um ajuntamento segundo Pawley, foi possível refinar os parâmetros de célula em a = b = 23,886(3) Å e c = 23,356(3) Å (tetragonal). A atividade antioxidante de γ-CD·gingerois foi estudada pelo ensaio de proteção do β-caroteno, tendo-se obtido resultados similares aos dos gingerois não incluídos. Os gingerois e o γ-CD·gingerois foram usados para preparar iogurte fortificado com 1% (m/m) de gingerol (ou equivalente de complexo) tendo-se verificado que o complexo é mais facilmente disperso na matriz do que os gingerois não encapsulados. A cor do iogurte fortificado com γ-CD·gingerois apresentou-se mais semelhante à do iogurte simples enquanto para o iogurte com gingerois registaram maiores diferenças. Os iogurtes fortificados foram ainda estudados quanto à durabilidade, não se tendo observado alterações de pH nem aparecimento de odores desagradáveis durante quatro semanas, enquanto no iogurte simples a formação de odor se iniciou entre a segunda e a terceira semana. A atividade antioxidante dos iogurtes fortificados medida pelo método de ABTS foi superior à do controlo, sendo a condição mais promissora verificada para a amostra com gingerois. Estes resultados sugerem que a matriz interfere com a atividade antioxidante de γ-CD·gingerois.Cyclodextrin inclusion of multi-component guests such as essential oils and plant extracts is a current topic of research. These systems are usefull for a number of applications in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The present work focus on two of these systems, having as guests Cistus ladanifer essential oil and a mixture of gingerols obtained from fresh ginger rhizome. The C. ladanifer essential oil composition was elucidated by GC-MS, which allowed identifying 94.3 % of the components and to establish the approximate Mw at 143.7 g.mol-1. The oil was subsequently included into beta and gamma cyclodextrins (β and γ-CDs) by co-precipitation. Identification of the included components of the oil was done by chloroform extraction followed by GC-MS analysis. β-CD preferentially included compounds of higher molecular weight, whereas γ-CD included lower molecular weight compounds. Solid state analysis of the inclusion complexes comprised infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), {1H} 13C CP-MAS RMN and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) that suggests the occurrence of channel packing for both. Gingerols were obtained from fresh ginger by maceration in isopropanone followed by column chromatography. The product was analysed by 1H RMN and mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOF), revealing a composition of 54.05 % 6-gingerol, 19.45 % 8-gingerol and 26.5 % 10-gingerol, and a corresponding Mw of 314.7 g.mol-1. The γ-CD·gingerols complex was obtained by co-precipitation and characterized by FTIR, {1H} 13C CP-MAS RMN, DSC and PXRD. It presented the typical γ-CD complexes packing in the form of infinite channels. PXRD data was further treated with a Pawley extraction allowing to identify a tetragonal unit cell with the parameters refined at a = b = 23.886(3) Å e c = 23.356(3) Å. The antioxidant activity of γ-CD·gingerois and free gingerols, as evaluated by the β-carotene bleaching assay, showed similar potencies. Free gingerois and the complex of γ-CD·gingerols were employed in fortification of yoghurt, at a concentration of 1% (m/m) of gingerol (or its equivalents mass for the complex). A better dispersion into the matrix was observed for the γ-CD·gingerols–fortified yogurts in comparison with gingerols-fortified samples. The colour of the yoghurts fortified with the complex was almost similar to that of plain yoghurt, whereas those fortified with free gingerols had more colour variation in regard to plain yoghurt. The storage stability of fortified yoghurts was evaluated through pH monitoring and the formation of malodours. No changes in pH or malodours were observed for four weeks. In turn, a malodour in simple yoghurt was noticed starting from the second to the third week of storage. The antioxidant activity of yoghurts, as measured by the ABTS assay, revealed a higher antiradical action for gingerols-fortified and γ-CD·gingerols–fortified yogurts when compared to that of plain yogurts, with the most promising results being registered for the gingerols-fortified samples. These particular results suggest that food matrix might interfering the antioxidant activity of γ-CD·gingerols

Natural products as novel anti-obesity agents: insights into mechanisms of action and potential for therapeutic management

Obesity affects more than 10% of the adult population globally. Despite the introduction of diverse medications aimed at combating fat accumulation and obesity, a significant number of these pharmaceutical interventions are linked to substantial occurrences of severe adverse events, occasionally leading to their withdrawal from the market. Natural products serve as attractive sources for anti-obesity agents as many of them can alter the host metabolic processes and maintain glucose homeostasis via metabolic and thermogenic stimulation, appetite regulation, pancreatic lipase and amylase inhibition, insulin sensitivity enhancing, adipogenesis inhibition and adipocyte apoptosis induction. In this review, we shed light on the biological processes that control energy balance and thermogenesis as well as metabolic pathways in white adipose tissue browning, we also highlight the anti-obesity potential of natural products with their mechanism of action. Based on previous findings, the crucial proteins and molecular pathways involved in adipose tissue browning and lipolysis induction are uncoupling protein-1, PR domain containing 16, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ in addition to Sirtuin-1 and AMP-activated protein kinase pathway. Given that some phytochemicals can also lower proinflammatory substances like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1 secreted from adipose tissue and change the production of adipokines like leptin and adiponectin, which are important regulators of body weight, natural products represent a treasure trove for anti-obesity agents. In conclusion, conducting comprehensive research on natural products holds the potential to accelerate the development of an improved obesity management strategy characterized by heightened efficacy and reduced incidence of side effects

Capsaicin - Sensitive Neural Afferentation and the Gastrointestinal Tract

The capsaicin, a component of paprika, has been used in the culinary practice of every day nutritional practice. This agent is known to cause a variety of actions in the body through activating capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurons. A recently launched book entitled, Capsaicin-Sensitive Neural Afferentation and the Gastrointestinal Tract: from Bench to Bedside, is attractive for several reasons. First, Prof. Mozsik, a chief editor of this book, is known internationally as an expert in capsaicin pharmacology. Since he has worked for many years as a head of internal medicine, taking care of patients with various GI diseases, he is able to make a correct interpretation of various findings obtained in basic researches to clinical events. Second, although there are many articles about capsaicin, they mostly deal with basic research and finding but do not include much about clinical finding. Third, this book encompassed review articles written by internationally accepted scientists leading the field of capsaicin research, who highlighted the current state of knowledge on pharmacology, physiology and clinical phathophysiology of capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurons, and discussed directions for future research. Overall, this book is for people who are interested in the capsaicin action in body

Health-Promoting Components of Fruits and Vegetables in Human Health

Diet and lifestyle choices can substantially predispose an individual to, or protect against, many age- and obesity-related chronic diseases. According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, dietary bioactives arecompounds in foodsnot needed for basic human nutrition but responsible for changes in health status.1 These compounds are safe at normal food consumption levels (e.g., anthocyanins in berries) and their biological activities may come from a single compound (e.g., lutein in spinach) or a class of compounds (e.g., avenanthramides in oats) even if the exact identity and composition are unknown. Bioactive compounds of plants; can vary significantly in their ratios and relative concentrations depending onfactors such as cultivation, soil, altitude, and weather conditions. Substantial scientific evidence is available for some health promoting phytochemicals, such as dose-response relations, for performance and/or reduction in the risk of chronic disease. However, several limitations relating to absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of many dietary bioactives still exist and must be better understood This Special Issue compiles recent discoveries that advance our understanding of how dietary bioactive, particularly from fruits and vegetables, influence long-term health maintenance and disease prevention