The purpose of this review is not to explain autophagy (as clearly there is a plethora of reviews and research papers on the topic) but to provide the autophagy-savvy reader with an overview of the impact of autophagy research on a number of current topics in food biotechnology. To understand this connection, we need to remember that autophagy is, at the end of the day, a type of stress response. Since as humans we are heterotrophic eukaryotic organisms, our cells, and the cells of those organisms that we consume, use autophagy as part of the day-to-day business of living. Thus, a number of food biotechnology processes such as brewing and winemaking employ eukaryotic organisms under autophagy-inducing conditions, as noted below. In addition, food spoilage processes also involve eukaryotic organisms and these processes also involve physiological aspects that impinge on autophagy. Finally, the recently introduced concept of "functional foods" introduces the possibility of engineering foodstuff for the induction or inhibition of autophagy in the consumer, with a potential promise of health benefits that merits further research. In this review, we will provide a perspective on the current literature in these three areas, their relationship to current basic research in autophagy, and their future applicative potential. (+info)
Inulin increases glucose transport in C2C12 myotubes and HepG2 cells via activation of AMP-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways.
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Food safety and food labeling from the viewpoint of the consumers.
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Distrust of food safety has grown among the Japanese people after the occurrence of bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE) in 2001. The Food Safety Commission was formed under the Cabinet Office and made a network among the ministries. The newly-established Consumer Agency may strengthen the quick response to emergencies. Shoku-iku (food and dietary education) Law is being implemented by the Cabinet Office with cooperation from relevant ministries and NGOs. Food Sanitation Law and Health Promotion Law are briefly explained, and the necessity of functional nutriology for non-nutrient biologically active substances is described. With regard to public health nutrition, a new food label showing energy balance and antioxidant unit (AOU) as a surrogate marker of fruit and vegetables has been developed for tailor-made nutrition which makes it easy to for individuals to control energy intake. (+info)
Impact of a synbiotic food on the gut microbial ecology and metabolic profiles.
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Food and therapeutic product interactions - a therapeutic perspective.
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Foods and therapeutic products are both used for well defined purposes. In simple terms food provides energy for sustenance, while therapeutic products are taken for managing ailments (1). However, over the years roles of foods have changed considerably. Now, food no longer is seen as simply the provider of energy, but it is expected to provide physiological benefits for good health and productive lifestyles. Well managed combination of foods and therapeutic products plays important role in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including a number of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, obesity. Most often food is combined with medicine to enhance the benefits of medicine - an additive and/or synergistic effect: food-therapeutic product synergism. At the most basic level, food is a complex mixture of chemicals with many functional groups; hence, they not only confer positive effects, but may also make negative contributions. The later effect is of major concerns among the health practitioners and regulatory officials. (+info)
Merging traditional Chinese medicine with modern drug discovery technologies to find novel drugs and functional foods.
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Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) are rapidly gaining attention in the West as sources of new drugs, dietary supplements and functional foods. However, lack of consistent manufacturing practices and quality standards, fear of adulteration, and perceived deficiencies in scientific validation of efficacy and safety impede worldwide acceptance of TCM. In addition, Western pharmaceutical industries and regulatory agencies are partial toward single ingredient drugs based on synthetic molecules, and skeptical of natural product mixtures. This review concentrates on three examples of TCM-derived pharmaceuticals and functional foods that have, despite these usual obstacles, risen to wide acceptance in the West based on their remarkable performance in recent scientific investigations. They are: Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), the source of artemisinin, which is the currently preferred single compound anti-malarial drug widely used in combination therapies and recently approved by US FDA; Thunder god vine (Tripterygium wilfordii) which is being developed as a botanical drug for rheumatoid arthritis; and green tea (Camellia sinensis) which is used as a functional beverage and a component of dietary supplements. (+info)
Novel findings on the metabolic effects of the low glycaemic carbohydrate isomaltulose (Palatinose).
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