Diet and Microbiome in Health and Aging

Diet plays a fundamental role in shaping the composition and metabolic activity of the gut microbiota and, thus, it could determine the interrelationship between the gut microbiome and the host. The colon is the part of the human body that is most densely populated, containing bacteria, archaea, viruses, and some unicellular eukaryotes that have co-evolved with humans in a commensal way. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the maintenance of normal host physiology. The rapid development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods for DNA sequencing in the last decade has facilitated in-depth study of gut microbiome composition and function. These methods have contributed to providing evidence regarding the relevance of the intestinal microbiota for host health as well as the basis for putative dietary interventions aimed at counteracting microbiota dysbiosis. Understanding the complex and dynamic interaction between dietary exposures and gut microbiota can help to elucidate their potential role in different pathologies and to guide future strategies for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Age-related changes in the gut microbiome are also associated with physiological changes in the gastrointestinal tract as well as in dietary patterns, with a concomitant decline in the normal function of the immune system that may contribute to increased risk of infection and frailty. More studies are needed to better understand how the microbiota shifts with different environmental factors and how they are associated with dietary changes

Qualitative and Nutritional Improvement of Cereal-Based Foods and Beverages

Increased consumer awareness of the effects of food in preventing nutrient-related diseases and maintaining physical and mental well-being has made nutritional improvement an important goal for the food and beverage industry, including the cereal sector. The Book “Qualitative and Nutritional Improvement of Cereal-Based Foods and Beverages” collects research articles aimed at exploring innovative ways to improve cereal-based foods and beverages; an old—if not ancient—group of products which are still on our table every day. The main directions of research aimed at nutritional improvement have to face either excess or deficiency in the diet. To this end, different strategies may be adopted, such as the reformulation of products, the introduction of functional ingredients, and the application of biotechnologies to increase the bioavailability of bioactive compounds. These interventions, however, can alter the physico-chemical and sensory properties of final products, making it necessary to achieve a balance between nutritional and quality modification. This book offers readers information on innovative ways to improve cereal-based foods and beverages, useful for researchers and for industry operators

Potential Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

As plant-based foods, both vegetables and fruits have been clearly associated with the presence of high amounts of bioactive compounds, and have been demonstrated as having a central role in the prevention of diseases. Many scientists of different research fields have lavished great effort both to characterize the bioactive compounds’ compositions and to deepen understanding regarding the mechanisms of action through which fruits and vegetables exert their health-promoting and/or disease-preventing properties. In this book, studies on the bioactive compounds’ composition of the main fruit and vegetable species, on their health effects as fresh-consumed, transformed products or applied in in vitro models, and on their mechanisms of actions against human pathologies are presented

The 1st International Electronic Conference on Chemical Sensors and Analytical Chemistry

The 1st International Electronic Conference on Chemical Sensors and Analytical Chemistry was held on 1–15 July 2021. The scope of this online conference was to gather experts that are well-known worldwide who are currently working in chemical sensor technologies and to provide an online forum for the presention and discussion of new results. Throughout this event, topics of interest included, but were not limited to, the following: electrochemical devices and sensors; optical chemical sensors; mass-sensitive sensors; materials for chemical sensing; nano- and micro-technologies for sensing; chemical assays and validation; chemical sensor applications; analytical methods; gas sensors and apparatuses; electronic noses; electronic tongues; microfluidic devices; lab-on-a-chip; single-molecule sensing; nanosensors; and medico-diagnostic testing