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At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources

PubMed2000

Heterogeneity of gastric histology and function in food cobalamin malabsorption: absence of atrophic gastritis and achlorhydria in some patients with severe malabsorption.

BACKGROUND: The common but incompletely understood entity of malabsorption of food bound cobalamin is generally presumed to arise from gastritis and/or achlorhydria. AIM: To conduct a systematic comparative examination of gastric histology and function. SUBJECTS: Nineteen volunteers, either healthy or with low cobalamin levels, were prospectively studied without prior knowledge of their absorption or gastric status. METHODS: All subjects underwent prospective assessment of food cobalamin absorption by the egg yolk cobalamin absorption test, endoscopy, histological grading of biopsies from six gastric sites, measurement of gastric secretory function, assay for serum gastrin and antiparietal cell antibodies, and direct tests for Helicobacter pylori infection. RESULTS: The six subjects with severe malabsorption (group I) had worse histological scores overall and lower acid and pepsin secretion than the eight subjects with normal absorption (group III) or the five subjects with mild malabsorption (group II). However, histological findings, and acid and pepsin secretion overlapped considerably between individual subjects in group I and group III. Two distinct subgroups of three subjects each emerged within group I. One subgroup (IA) had severe gastric atrophy and achlorhydria. The other subgroup (IB) had little atrophy and only mild hypochlorhydria; the gastric findings were indistinguishable from those in many subjects with normal absorption. Absorption improved in the two subjects in subgroup IB and in one subject in group II who received antibiotics, along with evidence of clearing of H pylori. None of the subjects in group IA responded to antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Food cobalamin malabsorption arises in at least two different gastric settings, one of which involves neither gastric atrophy nor achlorhydria. Malabsorption can respond to antibiotics, but only in some patients. Food cobalamin malabsorption is not always synonymous with atrophic gastritis and achlorhydria, and hypochlorhydria does not always guarantee food cobalamin malabsorption.

Achlorhydria↗

PubMed2026

Probiotic-derived extracellular vesicles as food-based nanocarriers: Mechanisms, functional applications, and future perspectives in food systems.

Probiotic-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) are a promising type of postbiotic nanoparticle derived by fermentation of probiotics, and have gained growing interest as a potential application in food science and nutrition. These are lipid bilayer vesicles of nanoscale, which are naturally released by probiotic cells and contain a wide variety of bioactive molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolites. Moreover, PDEVs are highly stable, biocompatible, and can be easily engineered to have surfaces with high functionality, which makes them good candidates in functional engineering. In contrast to traditional live probiotics, PDEVs overcome the difficulties of preserving microbial viability during processing and storage, thus providing superior safety, stability, and predictable biological performance. This is a systematic review of the various functions of PDEVs in food systems. We conclude on the processes through which PDEVs control intestinal barrier integrity, alter gut microbiota composition, and alter host immune responses, and their potential to enhance gut health when added to functional foods. In addition to their health-promoting effects, PDEVs have shown significant potential as natural antimicrobial agents to preserve food and as effective nanocarriers of hydrophobic bioactive compounds, including fucoxanthin, to improve their stability, bioavailability, and targeted delivery. Moreover, PDEVs can be used as new regulators of microbial fermentation. However, it should be noted that a lot of the evidence that is available is still preliminary and the effectiveness of these applications in real food-processing and storage conditions has not been fully proven. Although they have potential, there are a number of challenges that still hinder the widespread use of PDEVs in the food industry. These involve the creation of scalable and cost-effective production processes, batch-to-batch consistency, vesicle stability in a variety of food matrices, and regulatory and safety considerations. Other emerging engineering approaches, such as surface functionalization and cargo loading, are also discussed in this review and could further increase the specificity, functionality, and application versatility of PDEVs in food systems. Moving forward, the incorporation of PDEVs into the next generation functional foods, novel food preservation methods, and customized nutrition plans should be prioritized in future studies. Further developments in these fields can make PDEVs useful platforms at the interface of food microbiology, nanotechnology, and human health.

Probiotics↗

PubMed2001

Identification of whey proteins in tradional Bulgarian yougurt.

Functional foods hold a great promise for future trends in human nutrition. Consumption of milk and milk products have a pronounced probiotic effects together with the expected modification of allergenic properties of milk due to the process of fermentation. The proteolytic system of lactic acid bacteria consists a cell wall bound proteinase and several intracellular peptidases, and can contribute to the liberation of bioactive peptides. Food-derived bioactive peptides are claimed to be health enhancing components which can be used for functional food. In our study we focused our attention on beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin in early stages of yogurt fermentation of traditional Bulgarian products. Biochemical techniques were used to measure the concentration of these two whey proteins during fermentation. At a result of the done study alteration in the concentration of beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin were detected. The studied proteolytic activity of the strains, used in the fermentation process confirmed the received results.

Fermentation↗

PubMed2001

Relation of Soy Consumption to Nutritional Knowledge.

Is it reasonable to believe that the consumption of medicinal and functional foods such as soy is driven by nutritional knowledge? A national survey of 770 U.S. consumers indicated that 39% of male and female subjects did not know of any health benefits associated with soy. Among those who know of soy's nutritional benefits, consumption occurred only among those who perceived these benefits as specifically relevant to themselves. People who had even a slight familiarity with functional foods were more likely to consume soy. Improving the taste properties of soy appeared to have a more dramatic potential impact on the consumption of those who were knowledgeable about functional and medicinal foods than on the general population.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Exploiting expolysaccharides from lactic acid bacteria.

Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) synthesized by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a major role in the manufacturing of fermented dairy products. EPS production is characterized by a large variety in terms of quantity, chemical composition, molecular size, charge, type of sidechains and rigidity of the molecules. Monosaccharide unit's composition, linkages, charge and size determine the EPS' intrinsic properties and their interactions with other milk constituents. EPSs contribute to texture, mouthfeel, taste perception and stability of the final product. Furthermore, it was reported that EPS from food grade organisms, particularly LAB, have potential as food additives and as functional food ingredients with both health and economic benefits. A better understanding of structure-function relationships of EPS in a dairy food matrix and of EPS biosynthesis remain two major challenges for further applications of EPS and the engineering of functional polysaccharides.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

The regulation of masticatory function and food bolus formation.

This review emphasizes the following points: 1. The values of the physiological parameters of mastication (number of cycles and total electromyographic activity in the sequence, sequence duration, cycle frequency in the sequence, kinetic characteristics of the cycles) are characteristic of each individual and vary widely from one individual to another. In a given individual their modification reflects an adaptation of mastication to the size of the food bolus, and the hardness and rheological characteristics of the food. 2. The ready-to-swallow food boluses produced by different individuals nevertheless display similar particle size distributions. 3. Ageing entails adaptation of the masticatory function and does not impair swallowing. 4. Observed increase in total electromyographic activity shows that more energy is expended in mastication by full denture wearers. Despite this increased muscle activity, loss of teeth, even if compensated for by complete dentures, hinders the formation of a normal bolus. The food boluses made by denture wearers thus contain many large-size particles. The impaired mastication observed in denture wearers approaches the masticatory disabilities found in persons with neuromotor deficiencies.

Aging↗

PubMed2005

Food-drug interaction between ferulic acid and nateglinide involving the fluorescein/H+ cotransport system.

In clinical, patients usually take many kinds of drugs at the same time. Thus, drug-drug interactions involving transporters can often directly affect the therapeutic safety and efficacy of many drugs. However, there have been few studies on food-drug interactions involving transporters. Dietary polyphenols have been widely assumed to be beneficial to human health. Polyphenols are commercially prepared and used as functional foods. We report here for the first time that ferulic acid, which is widely used as a functional food, affects the transport of clinical agents. It is important to be aware of the potential of food-drug interactions and to act in order to prevent undesirable and harmful clinical consequences.

Caco-2 Cells↗

PubMed2004

Dietary lipids and vascular function: UK Food Standards Agency workshop report.

The UK Food Standards Agency convened a group of expert scientists to review current research investigating the effect of dietary lipids on vascular function. The workshop highlighted the need for intervention studies to be sufficiently powered for these measures and that they should be corroborated with other, more validated, risk factors for CVD. Work presented at the workshop suggested a beneficial effect of long-chain n-3 PUFA and a detrimental effect of trans fatty acids. The workshop also considered the importance of the choice of study population in dietary intervention studies and that "at risk" subgroups within the general population may be more appropriate than subjects that are unrepresentatively healthy.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Modulation of gastrointestinal physiology through probiotic strains of Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium bifidum].

The products called functional foods, which besides being merely nutritional have different beneficial effects on the organism, are situated in the context of diet and health promotion. Amongst these functional foods we can distinguish, amongst others, between probiotic and prebiotic compounds. The micro-organisms most widely used in probiotic foods belong to the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium types. In this article we have studied the effect of diets supplemented with Lactobacillus casei or Bifidobacterium bifidum on animal development and especially on the intestinal function, centred on their immune, digestive and absorptive activity in growing animals. The bacteria strains used modify the activity of the small intestine of healthy mice, significantly affecting their enzymatic activity (sucrase, maltase and aminopeptidase) and the collection of nutrients (galactose and glycilsarcosine), as well as the intestinal immune activity (higher number of Peyer's patches). However, these effects do not appear to disturb the development of the growing animals since no significant differences are appreciated in their body weight or in their blood parameters. These results make clear the possible beneficial effects on intestinal physiology and contribute to the understanding of the possible mechanisms of action of the probiotics, which could be employed in the preventive treatment of different pathologies related to the digestive apparatus.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Prediction of a glucose appearance function from foods using deconvolution.

The glycaemic response of an insulin-treated diabetic patient goes through many transitory phases, leading to a steady state glycaemic profile following a change in either insulin regimen or diet. Most models attempting to model the glucose and insulin relationship try to model the effect of oral or injected glucose rather than that from the digestion of food. However, it is clear that a better understanding of the glycaemic response would arise from consideration of intestinal absorption from the gut. It is assumed that this type of absorption can be modelled by a so-called glucose appearance function (systemic appearance of glucose via glucose absorption from the gut) predicting the glucose load from the food. Much research has been carried out in the areas of hepatic balance, insulin absorption and insulin independent/dependent utilization. However, little is known about intestinal absorption patterns or their corresponding glucose appearance profiles. The strategy under investigation herein is to use deconvolution or backward engineering. By starting with specific results i.e. blood glucose and insulin therapy, it is possible to work backwards to predict the glucose forcing functions responsible for the outcome. Assuming compartmental consistency, this will allow a clearer insight into the true gut absorption process. If successful, the same strategy can be applied to more recent glucose and insulin models to further our understanding of the food to blood glucose problem. This paper investigates the Lehmann-Deutsch modified model of glucose and insulin interaction, created from the model proposed by Berger-Rodbard. The model attempts to simulate the steady state glycaemic and plasma insulin responses, independent of the initial values from which the simulation is started. Glucose enters the model via both intestinal absorption and hepatic glucose production. We considered a 70 kg male insulin-dependent diabetic patient with corresponding hepatic and insulin sensitivity parameters of 0.6 and 0.3 respectively. Net hepatic glucose balance was modelled piecewise by linear and symmetric functions. A first-order Euler method with step size of 15 minutes was employed. For the simulation, only Actrapid and NPH injections were considered. The injection of insulin and the glucose flux to the gut were started simultaneously to avoid any delay associated with gastric emptying. The systemic appearance of glucose was compared from two view points, not only to assess the strategic principle, but also to assess the suitability of the modifications made by Lehmann and Deutsch. The first is a forward prediction using the compartmental structure. This analysis involves the rate of gastric emptying without time delay. The second is a backward prediction from experimentally observed blood glucose profiles. Investigations involved porridge, white rice and banana containing the same carbohydrate content (25 g). Results obtained from the first analysis were dependent on the rate of gastric emptying, especially its ascending and descending branches. Results from the second analysis were dependent on the dose and type of insulin administered. Both predicted profiles showed consistency with physiological reasoning, although it became apparent that such solutions could be unstable. Furthermore, both types of prediction were similar in structure and appearance, especially in simulations for porridge and banana. This emphasized the consistency and suitability of both analyses when investigating the compartmental accuracy and limitations within a model. The new strategic approach was deemed a success within the model, and the modifications made by Lehmann and Deutsch appropriate. We suggest that a gastric emptying curve with a possible gastric delay is the way forward in regulating the appearance of glucose via gut absorption. The Lehmann-Deutsch gastric curve is described by either a trapezoidal or triangular function dependent on the carbohydrate cont

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Substrate specificity of the nateglinide/H(+) cotransport system for phenolic acids.

In clinical, patients usually take many kinds of drugs at the same time. Thus, drug-drug interactions involving transporters can often directly affect the therapeutic safety and efficacy of many important drugs. However, there have been few studies on food-drug interactions involving transporters. Dietary polyphenols have been widely assumed to be beneficial for human health. Polyphenols are found ubiquitously, and they are commercially prepared and used as functional foods. We have reported that ferulic acid, which is one of the most well-known polyphenols and is used as a functional food, affected the transport of nateglinide, an antidiabetic drug, by Caco-2 cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of other polyphenols on the nateglinide/H(+) transport system. We report here that caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid have a different inhibitory manner on the uptake of nateglinide. The results of this study are useful to identify the substrate specificity of the nateglinide/H(+) cotransporter.

Biological Transport↗

PubMed2000

[Use of margarine fortified with phytosterols as a therapeutic food].

The intake of one tub of margarine with added phytosterols per week has been shown to reduce plasma total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by 9 and 13% respectively, with no effect on high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or triglyceride levels. This reduction in cholesterol concentration may help to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease by 20 to 50%. No significant side effects have been reported. Phytosterols reduce cholesterol levels by inhibition of cholesterol absorption in the intestine. The margarines with added phytosterols are an example of functional foods (novel foods) which are designed to enhance health or contribute to reduction in a specific disease risk. In 1997, the European Union has introduced rules for the evaluation of novel foods, the Novel Food Regulatory Approval Procedure. Post-marketing surveillance of functional foods is obligatory to control long term safety and efficacy.

Cholesterol, HDL↗

PubMed1999

Public health issues arising from microbiological and labelling quality of foods and supplements containing probiotic microorganisms.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy and helpfulness of labelling on products containing probiotic bacteria. DESIGN AND SETTING: 52 such products - 44 from the UK (21 supplements, 15 fermented functional foods, eight 'health-care' products) and eight from continental Europe - have been tested for microbiological content, and results compared to the information available on their labels. Products were stored in the dark at 4 degrees C and analysed before their expiry or sell-by date. Careful note was taken of wording on labels, package inserts, packaging, promotional literature and catalogue descriptions, as applicable. Products were cultured on appropriate bacteriological media, and organisms grown were counted and identified. RESULTS: Bioyoghurts gave no indication of numbers, and only five accurately described their bacterial content; results of culture were usually satisfactory. 'Healthcare' products (mostly intended for the bowel) usually indicated the presence of bacteria, but the numerical content was hard to ascertain, and cultural results fell short of label claims. Supplements were sometimes incorrectly labelled in bacteriological terms, and often contained markedly reduced numbers and/or had extraneous strains and/or strains specified on the label were missing. Products from continental Europe (that were sold for specific medical indications) seemed of a higher microbiological standard. The potential pathogen Enterococcus faecium was found in nine products. The most successful of the new functional foods in Britain now contain probiotics, and probiotic preparations are prominent among the expanding range of nutritional supplements presently available to consumers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings have public health implications, and suggest that improvements are needed in labelling and quality assurance procedures for products containing probiotic organisms. The presence of the potential pathogen Enterococcus faecium (intentionally or as a contaminant) in some products calls for a review of the value of this species as a probiotic.

Dietary Supplements↗

PubMed2003

Phytosterols and human lipid metabolism: efficacy, safety, and novel foods.

Plant sterols have been known for several decades to cause reductions in plasma cholesterol concentrations. These plant materials have been granted a conditional health claim in the United States regarding their effects in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and are being sold in functional foods in several countries in Europe as well as in the United States and Australia. It is generally suggested that daily consumption of approximately 2 g of plant sterols can lower cholesterol concentrations as part of a dietary prevention strategy. However, phytosterols have been added and tested for their cholesterol-lowering effects mainly in spreads. Consumption of these high-fat foods seemingly flies in the face of current recommendations for the promotion of heart health, which suggest lowering total fat and energy intake to maintain weight. Hence, new food formulations are being evaluated using phytosterols incorporated into low-fat and reduced-fat food items. The purpose of this review is to examine the cholesterol-lowering efficacy of plant sterols, focusing on novel food applications, their mechanism of action, and safety. These novel food formulations include new solubilization processes that lead to improved uses for plant sterols, as well as new foods into which phytosterols have been incorporated, such as breads, cereals, and beef. Such new foods and formulations should pave the way for greater use of phytosterols in heart health promotion, increasing the longer-term potential for the creation of innovative functional foods containing plant sterols and their derivatives.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

General introduction to the importance of genomics in food biotechnology and nutrition.

Knowledge of the human genome and other genomes, the selection of health-beneficial components, information and communication technology (ICT)-driven plant cultivation and small-scale processes will together change the agrofoods business from a rather low-tech to a high-tech (functional) foods business. ICT will provide consumers with information that in combination with their private genetic passport may be used to select those functional foods that are most beneficial for them.

Biotechnology↗

PubMed1983

Salting of food--a function of hole size and location of shakers.

The establishment of an association between hypertension and the level of sodium in the diet has focused interest in many countries on the amount of salt added to food, with estimates of intake in western countries being in the range 6-14 g per person per day. As a result, many health authorities have advocated a decrease in salt consumption by the population in general, a common suggestion for achieving a meaningful reduction being to limit the amount of salt used at the table. It is generally assumed that salting habits are influenced by taste preference as shaped by socio-cultural determinants. However, from our observations of the rate of discretionary salt usage of over 1,900 people (mainly adults) consuming main meals in public institutions in Sydney, Australia, were suggest that salting is strongly influenced by the physical factor of mode of presentation of salt to the consumer, particularly the hole size of the salt shaker, and is not influenced by demographic variables.

Australia↗

PubMed2003

Bioactive phytochemicals in Indian foods and their potential in health promotion and disease prevention.

Besides being a source of nutrients, foods, particularly plant foods, are a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals or bionutrients. Studies carried out during the past 2-3 decades have shown that these phytochemicals have an important role in preventing chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, coronary heart disease and hyper-cholesterolaemia. The major classes of phytochemicals with disease-preventing functions are dietary fibre, antioxidants, detoxifying agents, immunity-potentiating agents and neuropharmacological agents. Each class of these functional agents consists of a wide range of chemicals with differing potency. For example, antioxidant function is exhibited by some nutrients, such as vitamin E, vitamin C and provitamin A. Other phytochemicals that have antioxidant properties are carotenoids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and isothiocyanates. Some of these phytochemicals have more than one function. Foods rich in these chemicals and exhibiting disease-protecting potential are called functional foods. Indian habitual diets, which are based predominantly on plant foods like cereals, pulses, oils and spices, are all good sources of these classes of phytochemicals, particularly dietary fibre, vitamin E, carotenoids and phenolic compounds. There is, however, much scope for further systematic research in screening Indian foods and diets for these phytochemicals and assessing their potential in protecting against chronic diseases.

Antioxidants↗

PubMed2026

Metabolomic and structural signatures of pigmented and non-pigmented Himalayan rice landraces.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the anti-oxidant properties, starch composition, pasting behavior, structural properties, textural properties and non-targeted metabolomic profiles of pigmented and non-pigmented rice landraces as potential next-generation functional food ingredients. RESULTS: Pigmented rice demonstrated 1.34 times more anti-oxidant activity as compared to non-pigmented rice. Pigmented landraces showcased superior nutritional and functional attributes, including higher total dietary fiber and starch content. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed distinct molecular signatures with enhanced peak transmittance, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated greater crystallinity ranging from 36-44.3% in pigmented rice compared with 30-40% in non-pigmented rice, suggesting improved digestibility and processing versatility. Pigmented rice recorded less amylose content hence tended to possess increased adhesiveness values whereas non-pigmented rice revealed greater amylose content hence was coupled with greater hardness values. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images revealed that pigmented rice had densely packed and polygonal starch granules whereas non-pigmented rice had loosely packed starch granules with intergranular voids. Untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling identified 84 metabolites, including unique compounds such as 3,3-dimethylbutanol and ethanoic acid, along with shared metabolites such as sucrose and linoleic acid, highlighting notable biochemical diversity. Multivariate statistical analyses using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway mapping further differentiated the metabolomic landscapes, with variable importance in the projection (VIP) scores identifying key bioactive contributors. CONCLUSION: Pigmented rice landraces exhibited significant functional and nutritional advantages, making them promising candidates for functional food development and nutritional improvement programs. These findings support their potential role in advancing sustainable and health-oriented food systems. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Oryza↗