Culinary Spices in Food and Medicine: An Overview of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. and L. M. Perry [Myrtaceae]

Spices-dried aromatic parts of plants (leaves, seeds, bark, roots, rhizomes, buds, etc) used to enhance flavour, taste and colour (sensory quality) of foods, are increasingly finding other useful roles in healthcare beyond their primary use as culinary organoleptic enhancers. Several spices are currently being investigated for their potential health benefits, because of the failing efficacy, toxicity and high cost associated with conventional drugs. One such spice: Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. and L.M.Perry [Myrtaceae] (Clove), has a multi-dimensional role in diet, medicine, functional foods and nutraceuticals, agriculture, among other industries. Peer-reviewed articles, mostly from PubMed and Google Scholar, were consulted for the purpose of this review. The nutritional and phytochemical contents, selected biological activities as well as some functional foods and beverages of clove and their uses for human health are presented. Although these observations are largely empirical, the efficacious attributes have led to their pharmacological applications in the indigenous system of medicine all over the world and bridge between food, diet and medicine. Considering the GRAS status of clove, more studies on bioavailability, accumulation, toxicity, dosage and efficacy of clove as a spice drug or functional foods in biological systems especially in humans are required. Meanwhile, clove and its products can be used as co-adjuvants in the prevention, treatment and management of chronic diseases. Further, many applications of clove in food, health, cosmetics, pharmaceutics, nanoparticles and agricultural industries are still open for investigations.

The Effect of pH and Sodium Caseinate on the Aqueous Solubility, Stability, and Crystallinity of Rutin towards Concentrated Colloidally Stable Particles for the Incorporation into Functional Foods

Poor water solubility and low bioavailability of hydrophobic flavonoids such as rutin remain as substantial challenges to their oral delivery via functional foods. In this study, the effect of pH and the addition of a protein (sodium caseinate; NaCas) on the aqueous solubility and stability of rutin was studied, from which an efficient delivery system for the incorporation of rutin into functional food products was developed. The aqueous solubility, chemical stability, crystallinity, and morphology of rutin (0.1–5% w/v) under various pH (1–11) and protein concentrations (0.2–8% w/v) were studied. To manufacture the concentrated colloidally stable rutin–NaCas particles, rutin was dissolved and deprotonated in a NaCas solution at alkaline pH before its subsequent neutralisation at pH 7. The excess water was removed using ultrafiltration to improve the loading capacity. Rutin showed the highest solubility at pH 11, while the addition of NaCas resulted in the improvement of both solubility and chemical stability. Critically, to achieve particles with colloidal stability, the NaCas:rutin ratio (w/w) had to be greater than 2.5 and 40 respectively for the lowest (0.2% w/v) and highest (4 to 8% w/v) concentrations of NaCas. The rutin–NaCas particles in the concentrated formulations were physically stable, with a size in the range of 185 to 230 nm and zeta potential of −36.8 to −38.1 mV, depending on the NaCas:rutin ratio. Encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of rutin in different systems were 76% to 83% and 2% to 22%, respectively. The concentrated formulation containing 5% w/v NaCas and 2% w/v rutin was chosen as the most efficient delivery system due to the ideal protein:flavonoid ratio (2.5:1), which resulted in the highest loading capacity (22%). Taken together, the findings show that the delivery system developed in this study can be a promising method for the incorporation of a high concentration of hydrophobic flavonoids such as rutin into functional foods.

Serum Amyloid A3 Promoter-Driven Luciferase Activity Enables Visualization of Diabetic Kidney Disease

The early detection of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in mice is necessary for the development of drugs and functional foods. The purpose of this study was to identify genes that are significantly upregulated in the early stage of DN progression and develop a novel model to non-invasively monitor disease progression within living animals using in vivo imaging technology. Streptozotocin (STZ) treatment has been widely used as a DN model; however, it also exhibits direct cytotoxicity to the kidneys. As it is important to distinguish between DN-related and STZ-induced nephropathy, in this study, we compared renal responses induced by the diabetic milieu with two types of STZ models: multiple low-dose STZ injections with a high-fat diet and two moderate-dose STZ injections to induce DN. We found 221 genes whose expression was significantly altered during DN development in both models and identified serum amyloid A3 (Saa3) as a candidate gene. Next, we applied the Saa3 promoter-driven luciferase reporter (Saa3-promoter luc mice) to these two STZ models and performed in vivo bioluminescent imaging to monitor the progression of renal pathology. In this study, to further exclude the possibility that the in vivo bioluminescence signal is related to renal cytotoxicity by STZ treatment, we injected insulin into Saa3-promoter luc mice and showed that insulin treatment could downregulate renal inflammatory responses with a decreased signal intensity of in vivo bioluminescence imaging. These results strongly suggest that Saa3 promoter activity is a potent non-invasive indicator that can be used to monitor DN progression and explore therapeutic agents and functional foods.

Using Secondary Fish Raw Materials to Produce Gerodietic Food Products

Elderly people frequently experience a decrease in body weight, associated primarily with a decrease in protein intake, for a variety of reasons, including social factors. In this regard, the consumption of liquid food rations enriched with watersoluble protein hydrolysates is the simplest solution to the problem of providing people with sufficient protein intake. Development of methods for the manufacture of fish and cereal-based products is promising due to the possibility to simulate the composition of a certain nutritional compound for functional consumption by various population groups. Our task was to substantiate the parameters and components for creating a product for gerodietic use. The development of the technology included the following stages: preparation of ingredients, such as cereal filler, by-products from herring cutting, natural food coloring, vegetable oil, table salt and water; their mixing; heat treatment; cooling and packaging. The finished product has a light orange color, characteristic of natural pollock roe, and a pleasant fishy smell; the ”fish eggs” are easily separated from each other. New types of gerodietic products make it possible to increase the nutritional and biological value of the diet of the elderly, as well as to inhibit the development of age-related pathological changes. Keywords: Secondary Raw Materials, Functional Foods, Gerodietic Food Products

An extract of Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae increases health span and mobility in Caenorhabditis elegans

Background Members of the Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae families which include fruits such as cherries, tomatoes and ginger are known to have health promoting effects. There is growing interest in consuming these “functional foods” as a means to increase health and healthy ageing. However, many studies explore the effect of these foods in isolation, not as a blend of multiple functional foods. Methods In this study, an extract containing the dried berries, fruits, and roots of members of these families was prepared, which we called Bioact®180. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was used to evaluate the effects of Bioact®180 on lifespan and health endpoints, including muscle and mitochondria structure and locomotion. Results Exposure to the 1000 µg/mL of Bioact®180 extract, containing 4% total phenols, were healthier, as observed by an increase in mean lifespan with and small but significant increase in maximal lifespan. Nematodes exposed to Bioact®180 displayed better mobility in mid-life stages as well as enhanced mitochondrial morphology, which was more comparable to younger animals, suggesting that these worms are protected to some degree from sarcopenia. Conclusions Together, our findings reveal that Bioact®180, a blend of fruits and roots from Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae family members has anti-aging effects. Bioact®180 promotes health and lifespan extension in C. elegans, corresponding to functional improvements in mobility.

Fermented Cream for Curd Fortified with Probiotic Cultures: Biotechnological Aspects

Introduction. Contemporary food industry strives to increase the production volume of high-quality and biologically complete protein products. The Foodnet market also raised the demand for functional foods in Russia. The research objective was to develop a new functional curd product fortified with probiotic microflora. Study objects and methods. The study featured cow’s milk, skimmed milk, cream, whey protein concentrate Milkiland-WPC 80, pollen, glutamine, starter cultures DVS Danisco Probat 576 and Howaru Bifido ARO-1, buckwheat flour, and oat flour. The experiment included physicochemical, sensory, biochemical, and microbiological methods. Results and discussion. The milk-protein base of the curd product was produced in a GEA Westfalia KDB 30 curd separator. The research involved 15 and 20% cream with two different starter cultures. In case of 15% cream, Probat 576 Howaru Bifido appeared to be 1.66 times more active than ARO-1 Howaru Bifido, in case of 20% cream the result was even higher – 1.73 times. Probat 576 also demonstrated a better active acidity, i.e. 5.5 after three hours, which was two hours faster than ARO-1. Mathematical modeling revealed the positive effect of buckwheat and oat flour on the cream fermentation process. Oat flour (5%) was the optimal prebiotic, while buckwheat flour added its color to the final product, thus spoiling its market quality. Conclusion. The new biotechnology for a curd product fortified with probiotic cultures can expand the range of functional products for sports diet.

Production of Scenedesmus almeriensis Using Pilot-Scale Raceway Reactors Located inside a Greenhouse

The microalga S. almeriensis was produced in spring and summer using 80 m2 raceway reactors located inside a greenhouse in Almería, Spain. This microalga was selected because it is a fast-growing and robust strain with potential applications in the production of functional foods and feeds or as a high-value agricultural biostimulant. Overall, the biomass productivity obtained in summer was 24.9 ± 0.9 g·m−2·day−1. This value was higher than that obtained in spring, with an average value of 21.4 ± 1.3 g·m−2·day−1 (p < 0.05). The Fv/Fm value of the cultures at the stationary phase was comparable and around 0.6, which is the optimum of this strain. No major differences in the macromolecular composition of the biomass were observed between seasons, with an average protein, lipid, ash, and carbohydrate content of 37.9, 4.6, 10.8, and 46.7%, respectively. The data reported herein were used to validate a previously described model. The differences between the experimental and the predicted biomass productivities were below 5% in spring and 8% in summer, although a larger dataset is needed to validate the model. Overall, results supported the robustness of the selected strain and its utilisation in different industrial sectors.

Effect of Oat-Based Ingredients on the Quality of Pastry Products

Introduction. Whole grain products can prevent some chronic diseases. Oats and oat-based foods are rich in beta-glucan, which makes them a perfect ingredient for functional foods. The present research objective was to introduce oat-based ingredients into the formulation of sugar cookies and study the quality of the finished product. Study objects and methods. The study involved various formulations of sugar cookies with different proportions of oat meal and composite flour. Sensory, physicochemical, rheological, structural, and mechanical properties were determined according to standard methods. Results and discussion. The mass shares of protein, fat, and dietary fiber increased together with the share of oat meal: protein – 11.9–12.5%, fat – 2.3–3.7%, dietary fiber – 4.1–4.5%. The swelling rates were 3.41–4.60, which was higher than in the wheat flour sample (2.94). Oat meal increased the viscosity of the model suspensions from 50 to 500 Pa·s The sample with the biggest share of oat meal had the greatest strength (1700 g). The water absorption also increased (193%): it was 220 when the share of oat meal was 20% and 221% when it was 30%. Oat meal decreased the water activity from 0.360 to 0.290 as its concentration grew. Conclusion. The optimal amount of oat meal was 30% and that of oatmeal flakes – 10% of the flour amount. The research also defined the effect of oat meal and oat flakes on the composite flour blend, model dough, and sugar cookes. The article introduces a new commercial formulation of sugar biscuits.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra, G. uralensis, and G. inflata) and Their Constituents as Active Cosmeceutical Ingredients

The interest in plant extracts and natural compounds in cosmetic formulations is growing. Natural products may significantly improve cosmetics performance since they have both cosmetic and therapeutic-like properties, known as cosmeceutical effects. Glycyrrhiza genus, belonging to the Leguminosae family, comprises more than 30 species, widely distributed worldwide. The rhizomes and roots are the most important medicinal parts currently used in pharmaceutical industries and in the production of functional foods and food supplements. In the last few years, the interest in their potential activities in cosmetic formulations has greatly increased. Glycyrrhiza spp. extracts are widely implemented in cosmetic products for their good whitening effect. The biological effects of Glycyrrhiza extracts are especially ascribable to the occurrence of specialized metabolites belonging to the flavonoid class. This review focuses on the botany and the chemistry of the main investigated Glycyrrhiza spp. (G. glabra, G. uralensis, and G. inflata) along with their cosmeceutical activities categorized as skin anti-aging, photoprotective, hair care, and anti-acne. It has been highlighted how, along with Glycyrrhiza extracts, three main flavonoids namely licochalcone A, glabridin, and dehydroglyasperin C are the most investigated compounds. It is noteworthy that other molecules from licorice show potential cosmeceutical effects. These data suggest further investigations to clarify their potential value for cosmetic industries.