Archive for September, 2013

Issue 10 of Food & Function is now available online

Issue 10 of Food & Function is now available to read online.

The front cover this month features work by Daniele Del Rio and co-workers from Parma, Italy. In their work they propose an in silico approach to evaluate the potential xenoestrogenic agonistic behavior of ellagitannin-derived metabolites, and highlight  xenoestrogenic activity that differs depending on the chemical structure.

Read the article in full – it’s free to access for the next six weeks:
Modelling the possible bioactivity of ellagitannin-derived metabolites. In silico tools to evaluate their potential xenoestrogenic behavior
Luca Dellafiora, Pedro Mena, Pietro Cozzini, Furio Brighenti and Daniele Del Rio  
Food Funct., 2013, 4, 1442-1451, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60117J

 

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Atheroprotective pathway of superfood spirulina

Scientists investigating the health enhancing properties of spirulina have identified that its atheroprotective activity may be due to it having a protein with a similar structure to bilirubin.

spirulina-tablets

Traditionally eaten by the Aztecs, spirulina is now easily available in tablet and powder forms © Shutterstock

Spirulina, a blue–green algae taken as a food supplement, has gained cult superfood status because it is packed full of proteins, polysaccharides and vitamins. It has also sparked a craze of urban gardening – barrels of the edible algae are being grown on rooftops in Bangkok, Thailand. Although its atheroprotective effects are well established, scientists have been unsure about the mechanism behind its activity.

Now a team, led by Petr Nachtigal at Charles University in Prague, say they are closer to the answer. Spirulina’s atheroprotective activity was already thought to be due to an algal protein complex called phycocyanobilin (PCB). PCB is structurally related to the human bile pigment bilirubin, which is clinically proven to protect against oxidative-stress related diseases such as atherosclerosis.

 Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in Food & Function:
Spirulina platensis and phycocyanobilin activate atheroprotective heme oxygenase-1: A possible implication for atherogenesis
Zbynek Strasky, Lenka Zemankova, Ivana Nemeckova, Jana Rathouska, Ronald J Wong, Lucie Muchova, Iva Subhanova, Jana Vanikova, Katerina Vanova, Libor Vitek and Petr Nachtigal  
Food Funct., 2013, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60230C

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HOT papers in Food & Function

Here is the latest HOT paper published in Food & Function, as recommended by the referees:

Hepatoprotective properties of the Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn): a review
Karadka Ramdas Thilakchand, Rashmi Teresa Mathai, Paul Simon, Rithin T. Ravi, Manjeshwar Poonam Baliga-Rao and Manjeshwar Shrinath Baliga  
Food Funct., 2013, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60237K

C3FO60237K ga

 

This paper is free to access for the next 4 weeks!

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HOT papers in Food & Function

Here are the latest HOT papers in Food & Function, as recommended by the referees:

Role of endothelial cell membrane transport in red wine polyphenols-induced coronary vasorelaxation: involvement of bilitranslocase
Lovro Ziberna, Jong-Hun Kim, Cyril Auger, Sabina Passamonti and Valérie Schini-Kerth  
Food Funct., 2013, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60160A

C3FO60160A ga


Modelling the possible bioactivity of ellagitannin-derived metabolites. In silico tools to evaluate their potential xenoestrogenic behavior
Luca Dellafiora, Pedro Mena, Pietro Cozzini, Furio Brighenti and Daniele Del Rio  
Food Funct., 2013, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60117J

C3FO60117J ga

Both the papers listed above are free to access for the next 4 weeks!

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