A global overview of dietary supplements: Regulation, market trends, usage during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and health effects

Over the last 20 years, the use of dietary supplements (DS) has continued to grow in many countries. Due to the public health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and amidst fears regarding COVID-19 vaccines and their low supply in many regions of the world, there has been a marked interest in the use of DS as alternative means of protecting against and treating this emerging disease, as well as boosting the immune system and minimizing the risk of inflammation. Despite a lack of evidence to suggest their efficacy, a surge in the sales of DS has been reported in many parts of the world. Questions have also been raised about the health effects associated with DS due to their increased use during the health crisis. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated their beneficial properties as well as some adverse and even toxic effects. In addition, given the current global interest in this issue, a review is needed to establish the status of dietary supplements before and during the health crisis. The aim of this review is to summarize the current evidence on the impact of dietary supplements on the incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their regulation and associated market trends. First, we provide an overview of DS, including a comprehensive review of the legislative and regulatory aspects of DS in the USA, China, the EU, and Algeria. Second, we describe the prevalence of the most commonly consumed DS and their efficacy as a prophylactic modality in the era of COVID-19. Additionally, we examine the structure and size of the DS market in the countries that predominantly produce and import them, its global market trend, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on market growth. Finally, in this review, we also discuss the profile of DS users.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

RECENT ADVANCES ON STABILITY OF ANTHOCYANINS

Since Neolithic era, natural pigments have been added to foods and colour of food products is still one of the major concerns of food industry. Anthocyanins are the most noticeable group among coloured flavonoids, widely existing in the roots, stems and leaves as well as flowers and fruits of the vascular plants. They have a high potential for use as natural colorants instead of synthetic pigments because of their attractive colour and pharmacological properties. Stable and attractive colours are a highly valued attribute in competitive food industry. Considerable studies have been done on the effects of the most important chemical and physical factors involved in the stability of anthocyanins (temperature, light, pH, SO2, metal, sugar, ascorbic acid and oxygen), their concentrations, chemical structures, and matrix food compositions. Furthermore, the effects of separation technologies including microwave/ultrasound assisted extraction (MAE, UAE), and Colloidal Gaz Aphron (CGA) fractionation on the stability of anthocyanins are reviewed