Anthocyanin absorption and metabolism by human intestinal Caco-2 cells: a review

Anthocyanins from different plant sources have been shown to possess health beneficial effects against a number of chronic diseases. To obtain any influence in a specific tissue or organ, these bioactive compounds must be bioavailable, i.e., effectively absorbed from the gut into the circulation and transferred to the appropriate location within the body while still maintaining their bioactivity. One of the key factors affecting the bioavailability of anthocyanins is their transport through the gut epithelium. The Caco-2 cell line, a human intestinal epithelial cell model derived from a colon carcinoma, has been proven to be a good alternative to animal studies for predicting intestinal absorption of anthocyanins. Studies investigating anthocyanin absorption by Caco-2 cells report very low absorption of these compounds. However, the bioavailability of anthocyanins may be underestimated since the metabolites formed in the course of digestion could be responsible for the health benefits associated with anthocyanins. In this review, we critically discuss recent findings reported on the anthocyanin absorption and metabolism by human intestinal Caco-2 cells

Effects of domestic cooking process on the chemical and biological properties of dietary phytochemicals

peer-reviewedFoods are good sources of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers as well as phytochemicals, which are beneficial for the human body as nutritional supplements. The nutritional value (crude fibers, crude proteins, crude fats, flavonols, carotenoids, polyphenols, glucosinolate, chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid) and biological or functional properties (antioxidant activity, anticancer activity, or anti-mutagenic activity) of foods can be well retained and protected with the appropriate cooking methods. The chemical, physical and enzyme modifications that occur during cooking will alter the dietary phytochemical antioxidant capacity and digestibility. This paper reviewed the recent advances on the effects of domestic cooking process on the chemical and biological properties of dietary phytochemicals. Furthermore, the possible mechanisms underlying these changes were discussed, and additional implications and future research goals were suggested. The domestic cooking process for improving the palatability of foods and increasing the bioavailability of nutrients and bioactive phytochemicals has been well supported

Effects of honey addition on antioxidative properties of different herbal teas

Tea and herbal infusions are among the major contributors of phenolic compounds, specifically flavonoids, in our daily diet. Honey is another antioxidant-rich food that is widely used as a natural sweetener. In this work, the effects of honey addition on antioxidant properties of different herbal teas were investigated. For this purpose, 2 different types of honey (flower and pine honey) were added into 9 different herbal teas (melissa, green tea, rosehip, sage, echinacea, fennel, linden, daisy, and ginger) at 4 different temperatures (55°C, 65°C, 75°C, and 85°C), and the changes in the content of total pheolics, total flavonoids, and total antioxidant capacity were determined. The total phenolic content and the total antioxidant capacity of the honey-added-tea samples were found to be increased (up to 57% for both), especially with pine honey and at higher temperatures of honey addition. The findings of this study supported the use of honey as a natural sweetener in tea in order to be able to benefit from the health-enhancing antioxidative properties of these two promising food products

Measuring the Impact of Resistance Training on Core Muscle Effective Lever Arms and Improving Biomechanical Modeling

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common types of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) in the U.S.; resulting in pain and discomfort as well as reducing the efficiency and productivity of workplaces. It presents a major economic burden for both industries and individuals. Although LBP is a multifactorial problem, major root causes commonly originate from work-related issues such as MMH tasks. Evaluating jobs and estimating relative risks have always been a challenge for safety practitioners. Biomechanical models have been widely employed to estimate the capabilities of the spine and its relevant structures to develop LBP mitigation strategies. Accurate measurement of low back geometry is an important factor for biomechanical models and can improve the risk estimation capability of such models. Improving trunk muscle strength can help to reduce spinal loading and increase torso stability, therefore helping to reduce LBP. Muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) is the most common and effective predictor of muscle force capability. The erector spinae muscle (ESM) group is generally used to estimate the force capacity or strength of low back muscles. Many studies have demonstrated that exercise, especially resistance training (weightlifting) and core stability exercises, can strengthen the back muscles and theoretically increase lifting capacity and therefore reduce subsequent risk for low back disorders. The objectives of this dissertation were: 1) to quantify trunk muscle response to resistance training; 2) to develop regression models to predict muscle CSA and lever arms; 3) to estimate low back muscle capability by calculating muscle force per unit area; 4) to investigate the reliability of the MRI-derived measurements; and 5) to improve the risk estimation capability of an existing biomechanical tool by incorporating personal factors and torso flexion angle. The results of this dissertation indicate that performing a comprehensive, whole-body exercise routine can significantly increase low back muscle CSAs, however; their effective lever arm lengths were largely unaffected by such training. Muscle CSAs and lever arm measurements can be predicted using simple subject demographics. The morphometric data of the lower back muscles can be obtained reliably via MRI, and these measurements can subsequently improve biomechanical modeling. Accounting for individual differences in low back geometry allows for more precise ergonomic risk evaluation

Bioavailability of Rosehip (Rosa canina L.) Infusion Phenolics Prepared by Thermal, Pulsed Electric Field and High Pressure Processing

In this study, the in vitro bioavailability of rosehip infusion phenolics, mainly catechin, as a response to conventional and non-thermal treatments by combining gastrointestinal digestion and a Caco-2 cell culture model, was investigated. After application of thermal treatment (TT, 85 °C/10 min), high pressure (HPP, 600 MPa/5 min) or pulsed electric field (PEF, 15 kJ/kg) processing, all samples were subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Then, the amount of maximum non-toxic digest ratio was determined by the cytotoxicity sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Next, Caco-2 cells were exposed to 1:5 (v/v) times diluted digests in order to simulate the transepithelial transportation of catechin. Results showed that non-thermally processed samples (5.19 and 4.62% for HPP and PEF, respectively) exhibited greater transportation across the epithelial cell layer compared to than that of the TT-treated sample (3.42%). The present study highlighted that HPP and PEF, as non-thermal treatments at optimized conditions for infusions or beverages, can be utilized in order to enhance the nutritional quality of the final products

Effects of Lipid-Based Encapsulation on the Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability of Phenolic Compounds

Phenolic compounds (quercetin, rutin, cyanidin, tangeretin, hesperetin, curcumin, resveratrol, etc.) are known to have health-promoting effects and they are accepted as one of the main proposed nutraceutical group. However, their application is limited owing to the problems related with their stability and water solubility as well as their low bioaccessibility and bioavailability. These limitations can be overcome by encapsulating phenolic compounds by physical, physicochemical and chemical encapsulation techniques. This review focuses on the effects of encapsulation, especially lipid-based techniques (emulsion/nanoemulsion, solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes/nanoliposomes, etc.), on the digestibility characteristics of phenolic compounds in terms of bioaccessibility and bioavailability

Carotenoids in fresh and processed tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits protect cells from oxidative stress injury

BACKGROUND: Lipophilic antioxidants in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits exert important functions in reducing the risk of human diseases. Here the effect of thermal processing on the antioxidant activity of lipophilic extracts from the commercial tomato hybrid ‘Zebrino’ was analysed. Carotenoid content and lipophilic antioxidant activity were determined and the ability of tomato extracts in rescuing cells from oxidative stress was assessed. RESULTS: Lipophilic antioxidant activity was completely retained after heat treatment and extracts were able to mitigate the detrimental effect induced by oxidative stress on different cell lines. Lycopene alone was able to rescue cells from oxidative stress, even if to a lower extent compared with tomato extracts. These results were probably due to the synergistic effect of tomato compounds in protecting cells from oxidative stress injury. CONCLUSION: The current study provides valuable insights into the health effect of the dietary carotenoids present in fresh and processed tomato fruits

Cell systems to investigate the impact of polyphenols on cardiovascular health

Polyphenols are a diverse group of micronutrients from plant origin that may serve as antioxidants and that contribute to human health in general. More specifically, many research groups have investigated their protective effect against cardiovascular diseases in several animal studies and human trials. Yet, because of the excessive processing of the polyphenol structure by human cells and the residing intestinal microbial community, which results in a large variability between the test subjects, the exact mechanisms of their protective effects are still under investigation. To this end, simplified cell culture systems have been used to decrease the inter-individual variability in mechanistic studies. In this review, we will discuss the different cell culture models that have been used so far for polyphenol research in the context of cardiovascular diseases. We will also review the current trends in cell culture research, including co-culture methodologies. Finally, we will discuss the potential of these advanced models to screen for cardiovascular effects of the large pool of bioactive polyphenols present in foods and their metabolites

Investigating the antioxidant properties and rutin content of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) leaves and branches

The present study focused on the antioxidant properties and rutin content of leaves and branches of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (Sea buckthorn) in Turkey. Dried leaves (leaf tea), processed (PB) and unprocessed branches (UB) of Sea buckthorn (SBT) were extracted with ethanol and prepared in forms of aqueous extract (AE). All samples were analyzed for their contents of rutin, total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC) and total antioxidant capacity by using DPPH and CUPRAC methods. TPC of leaves from ethanolic extracts (EE) were significantly higher than UB and PB extracts. The DPPH scavenging activity of extracts ranged from 41.93 ± 3.57 and 132.43 ± 6.57 mg trolox equivalent (TE)/g, and the antioxidant capacity measured with CUPRAC method were in between 129.4 ± 18.1 and 538.5 ± 34.8 mg TE/g. Both EE and AE of leaf samples had significantly higher rutin content compared to the UB and PB samples. Taking the high antioxidant and rutin content of leaves into account and with respect to their positive health effects, consumption of SBT as a herbal tea should be investigated.Keywords: Sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides, leaves, antioxidant, phenolic profile, rutin conten

The Reciprocal Interactions between Polyphenols and Gut Microbiota and Effects on Bioaccessibility

As of late, polyphenols have increasingly interested the scientific community due to their proposed health benefits. Much of this attention has focused on their bioavailability. Polyphenol–gut microbiota interactions should be considered to understand their biological functions. The dichotomy between the biotransformation of polyphenols into their metabolites by gut microbiota and the modulation of gut microbiota composition by polyphenols contributes to positive health outcomes. Although there are many studies on the in vivo bioavailability of polyphenols, the mutual relationship between polyphenols and gut microbiota is not fully understood. This review focuses on the biotransformation of polyphenols by gut microbiota, modulation of gut microbiota by polyphenols, and the effects of these two-way mutual interactions on polyphenol bioavailability, and ultimately, human health