Food & Function Blog

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

Stabilization of food dispersions using enzymes
Benjamin Zeeb, Lutz Fischer and Jochen Weiss  
Food Funct., 2013, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60499C  

N-methylpyridinium, a degradation product of trigonelline upon coffee roasting, stimulates respiratory activity and promotes glucose utilization in HepG2 cells
Annett Riedel, Christina Maria Hochkogler, Roman Lang, Gerhard Bytof, Ingo Lantz, Thomas Hofmann and Veronika Somoza  
Food Funct., 2013, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60320B 

Nrf2 activation in the liver of rats subjected to a preconditioning sub-chronic iron protocol
Paula Morales, Romina Vargas, Luis A. Videla and Virginia Fernández  
Food Funct., 2014, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60265F  

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

Issue 1 of Food & Function is now available to read online.

The front cover this month features work by Min-Hsiung Pan and co-workers from Taipei, Taiwan. In this review, they summarize the current knowledge and underlying molecular mechanisms of the chemopreventative activities of Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) and its potential effects on the development of various human diseases.

Read the article in full – it’s free to access for the next six weeks:
Chemopreventative effects of tetrahydrocurcumin on human diseases
Jia-Ching Wu, Mei-Ling Tsai, Ching-Shu Lai, Ying-Jan Wang, Chi-Tang Ho and Min-Hsiung Pan  
Food Funct., 2014, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60370A

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The top 10 most-accessed Food & Function articles between June and September 2013 were as follows:

Nuts, especially walnuts, have both antioxidant quantity and efficacy and exhibit significant potential health benefits
Joe A. Vinson and Yuxing Cai  
Food Funct., 2012, 3, 134-140, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO10152A

Anti-inflammatory activity of natural dietary flavonoids
Min-Hsiung Pan, Ching-Shu Lai and Chi-Tang Ho  
Food Funct., 2010, 1, 15-31, DOI: 10.1039/C0FO00103A

Transcription profiles of LPS-stimulated THP-1 monocytes and macrophages: a tool to study inflammation modulating effects of food-derived compounds
Wasaporn Chanput, Jurriaan Mes, Robert A. M. Vreeburg, Huub F. J. Savelkoul and Harry J. Wichers  
Food Funct., 2010, 1, 254-261, DOI: 10.1039/C0FO00113A

Hass avocado modulates postprandial vascular reactivity and postprandial inflammatory responses to a hamburger meal in healthy volunteers
Zhaoping Li, Angela Wong, Susanne M. Henning, Yanjun Zhang, Alexis Jones, Alona Zerlin, Gail Thames, Susan Bowerman, Chi-Hong Tseng and David Heber  
Food Funct., 2013, 4, 384-391, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO30226H

Review of in vitro digestion models for rapid screening of emulsion-based systems
David Julian McClements and Yan Li  
Food Funct., 2010, 1, 32-59, DOI: 10.1039/C0FO00111B

The interactions between endogenous bacteria, dietary components and the mucus layer of the large bowel
Alicia M. Barnett, Nicole C. Roy, Warren C. McNabb and Adrian L. Cookson
Food Funct., 2012, 3, 690-699, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO30017F

Pomegranate: a fruit that ameliorates metabolic syndrome
Svjetlana Medjakovic and Alois Jungbauer  
Food Funct., 2013, 4, 19-39, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO30034F

High internal phase agar hydrogel dispersions in cocoa butter and chocolate as a route towards reducing fat content
Thomas S. Skelhon, Patrik K. A. Olsson, Adam R. Morgan and Stefan A. F. Bon  
Food Funct., 2013, 4, 1314-1321, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60122F

The role of antioxidants and other agents in alleviating hyperglycemia mediated oxidative stress and injury in liver
Aparajita Dey and J. Lakshmanan  
Food Funct., 2013,4, 1148-1184, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO30317A

Characterization of polarized THP-1 macrophages and polarizing ability of LPS and food compounds
Wasaporn Chanput, Jurriaan J. Mes, Huub F. J. Savelkoul and Harry J. Wichers  
Food Funct., 2013, 4, 266-276, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO30156C
Take a look at the articles, and then let us know your thoughts and comments below.

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Scientists in the US have shown that dietary intake of glucoraphanin, a compound found in broccoli sprouts, reduces the negative effects of diesel exhaust particles on asthma and allergies. Diesel exhaust particles contain a range of redox active compounds that irritate the linings of the airways by causing oxidative stress. This irritation is even worse in asthmatics and allergy sufferers.

Sprouts of three to four day old broccoli plants are particularly rich in glucoraphanin © Shutterstock

Glucoraphanin is a precursor for sulforaphane, which stimulates the expression of around 200 antioxidant producing enzymes. Antioxidants counteract the effects of oxidising species from pollutants in the tissues lining the airways.

The sprouts of three to four day old broccoli plants are particularly rich in glucoraphanin, although it is still present in older broccoli plants. Other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage and, kale are also good sources of glucoraphanin.

In their study the group based at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, exposed 29 people with allergies to 300µg of diesel exhaust particles, a dose equivalent to around 40 hours spent breathing polluted air near a typical Los Angeles highway. Subjects who drank juice enriched with 100µmol broccoli sprout extract before exposure to diesel exhaust particles had a significantly reduced immune response.

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in Food & Function:
Sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprout extract attenuates nasal allergic response to diesel exhaust particles
David Heber, Zhaoping Li, Maria Garcia-Lloret, Angela M. Wong, Tsz Ying (Amy) Lee, Gail Thames, Michael Krak, Yanjun Zhang and Andre Nel  
Food Funct., 2014, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60277J

Issue 12 of Food & Function is now available to read online.

The front cover this month features work by Wei-Hsuan Hsu, Tzu-Ming Pan and co-workers from Taipei, Taiwan. In their work they investigate the effect of two active compounds which have been reported to inhibit pancreatic inflammation and improve insulin resistance, and which, taken together, have the potential to be developed as an anti-diabetic agent in the future.

Read the article in full – it’s free to access for the next six weeks:
Monacolin K and monascin attenuated pancreas impairment and hyperglycemia induced by advanced glycation endproducts in BALB/c mice
Wei-Hsuan Hsu, Si-Shi Lu, Bao-Hong Lee, Ya-Wen Hsu and Tzu-Ming Pan  
Food Funct., 2013,4, 1742-1750, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60268K

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

Effects of herbal infusions, tea and carbonated beverages on alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity
Sha Li, Li-Qin Gan, Shu-Ke Li, Jie-Cong Zheng, Dong-Ping Xu and Hua-Bin Li  
Food Funct., 2014, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60282F

Chemopreventative effects of tetrahydrocurcumin on human diseases
Jia-Ching Wu, Mei-Ling Tsai, Ching-Shu Lai, Ying-Jan Wang, Chi-Tang Ho and Min-Hsiung Pan  
Food Funct., 2014, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60370A

Short term and dosage influences of palm based medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols on body fat and blood parameters in C57BL/6J mice
Yee-Ying Lee, Teck-Kim Tang, Nur Azwani Ab Karim, Noorjahan Banu Mohamed Alitheen and Oi-Ming Lai 
Food Funct., 2014, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60358J

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

Issue 11 of Food & Function is now available to read online.

The front cover this month features work by Petr Nachtigal and co-workers from Prague, Czech Republic. In their work they investigate whether Spirulina Platensis, a water blue-green alga, can activate atheroprotective heme oxygenase-1 (Mnox1) – a mechanism which would suggest the benefit of S.  platensis as a food supplement in the reduction of atherosclerotic disease.

Read the article in full – it’s free to access for the next six weeks:
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, 4, 1586-1594, DOI: 10.1039/C3FO60230C

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