Food & Function Blog

The consumption of excess saturated fat is known to increase the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease. With this in mind, the food industry has been attempting to reduce the content of saturated and trans-fats in food products. In theory this could be achieved by replacing saturated fats, such as butter and hydrogenated oils, with unsaturated fats like vegetable oils. However, in practice, the physical characteristics of the food are altered and have less desirable qualities. Therefore, it is a challenge for scientists to reduce the saturated fat content of foods while maintaining the textural and mechanical properties such as mouth-feel, creaminess and firmness.

In this work, Alejandro Marangoni and co-workers from Guelph, Canada, have investigated the use of ethylcellulose (EC) oleogels for this purpose. Oleogels are very versatile and their mechanical properties can be tailored by altering the fatty acid profile of the oil component, or changing the viscosity or concentration of the polymer component. The team discovered that certain formulations of EC oleogels tend to separate into two distinct phases consisting of a soft interior core surrounded by a firm exterior sheath. The formation of the two distinct regions is highly dependent on the temperature gradient within the gel during setting. The results offer an alternative route to achieving a varying texture in an otherwise homogeneous gel.

Read this article for free until the 11th January 2013!

Fractionation of ethylcellulose oleogels during setting, Andrew J. Gravelle, Shai Barbut and Alejandro G. Marangoni, Food Funct., 2013, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo30227f

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Metabolic syndrome is a complex condition characterized by central obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, vascular dysfunction and insulin resistance. Visceral fat and oxidative stress are major factors contributing to developing metabolic syndrome. It is thought that the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin also play a pivotal role in this condition due to their antioxidant  activity and could offer protection against atherosclerosis and diabetes which are influenced by oxidative stress.

As eggs are a good source of highly bioavailable lutein and zeaxanthin (due to their incorporation in the lipid matrix of the yolk) scientists from Connecticut, US, have investigated the effects of eating 3 whole eggs daily for 12 weeks, as part of a weight loss regime. They found that, in combination with a carbohydrate restricted diet, eating eggs resulted in favorable effects on plasma carotenoid status in participants with metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, HDL and LDL were enriched with lutein and zeaxanthin, which may have significant health implications for preventing the development of metabolic syndrome-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.

To read the article in full for free until 3rd January 2013, please click the link below:

Egg intake improves carotenoid status by increasing plasma HDL cholesterol in adults with metabolic syndrome, Christopher N. Blesso, Catherine J. Andersen, Bradley W. Bolling and Maria Luz Fernandez, Food Funct., 2013, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo30154g

You may also be interested in this article which is free to access…

Effects of eggs on plasma lipoproteins in healthy populations, Maria Luz Fernandez, Food Funct., 2010, 1, 156-160

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Scientists from Texas, US, have investigated the effects of limonoids on human breast cancer cells. Limonoids, found in lemons and other citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, have been previously found to exhibit various health benefits such as antitumor , antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory properties. They have also been shown to prevent coronary heart disease. However, the mechanism behind their anticancer activity remains unclear.

Estrogen is known to affect breast cancer, and the presence estrogen receptors (ER) results in a better prognosis for the patient compared to ER-negative tumors. In this work, the team isolated and identified limonoids from lemon seeds and screened them for cytotoxicity against both ER-negative (MDA-MB-231) and ER-positive (MCF-7) breast cancer cells. Most of the limonoids showed antiaromatase activity, however anti-proliferative activity was significantly correlated with caspase-7 activation by limonoids.

The results show that citrus limonoids may have the potential to prevent estrogen-responsive breast cancer (MCF-7) via caspase-7 dependent pathways.

To read the article in full, please click the link below. Free to access until the 12th December 2012! 

Limonoids and their anti-proliferative and anti-aromatase properties in human breast cancer cells, Jinhee Kim, Guddadarangavvanahally K. Jayaprakasha and Bhimanagouda S. Patil, Food Funct., 2013, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo30209h

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Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease which results in an intolerance to gluten ingestion. Currently, the only treatment available for Celiac disease sufferers is to abide by a gluten-free diet, but this is often difficult as gluten is found in many food products which contain wheat, rye and barley. Therefore gluten-free breads and similar foods are becomming increasingly popular with Celiac sufferers, however the fibre content of these products is usually low. Now, researchers from Sao Paulo, Brazil, have investigated the effects of increasing levels of prebiotic inulin-type fructans (ITFs – soluble dietary fibers) on the sensory and nutritional quality of gluten-free bread.

The research team found that adding ITFs to the gluten-free bread provides additional structure and gas retention during baking, thus improving the bread quality by creating softer crumbs and an improved crust, which improve the sensory enjoyment. The in vitro and in vivo glycemic responses were also studied and it was found that addition of 12% ITF was sufficient to decrease the glycemic response of gluten-free bread. This results in breads with a low glycemic index that are high in prebiotic dietary fibre and can benefit patients with either celiac disease or diabetes.

Read the full article for free until the 15th November 2012:

Effects of prebiotic inulin-type fructans on structure, quality, sensory acceptance and glycemic response of gluten-free breads, V. D. Capriles and J. A. G. Areas, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo10283h

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Polyphenol compounds have previously been shown to have many health benefits including anticancer activity. However, the role of colonic microbiota in degrading dietary polyphenols is attracting great interest due to the potential health benefits associated with the bioactive catabolites (substances produced during destructive metabolism) absorbed into the circulatory system.

In this work, Alan Crozier and colleagues from Glasgow, UK, have investigated the aromatic compounds that result from colonic catabolism of Concord grape juice using an in vitro model of colonic fermentation. After consuming the grape juice substantial quantities of (poly)phenolic compounds reach the large intestine, where they are degraded to bioactive phenolic acids and aromatic compounds, which pass through the circulatory system before being excreted in the urine. The in vivo fate of these catabolites following absorption in the colon was also investigated by GC-MS. It was found that 40% of ingested (poly)phenolic compounds in Concord grape juice pass from the small to the large intestine and contributes to the increased bioavailabilty of the Concord grape polyphenolics.

To read the full article for free until the 1st November, please click the link below:

Colonic catabolism of dietary phenolic and polyphenolic compounds from Concord grape juice, Angelique Stalmach, Christine A. Edwards, Jo Lynne D. Wightman and Alan Crozier, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo30151b

You can keep up to date with the latest developments from Food & Function by signing up for free table of contents alerts and monthly e-newsletters.

Chronic vascular inflammation, induced by pathogenic bacterial or viral infection, or non-pathogenic factors such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (or “bad” cholesterol) plays an important part in the development of atherosclerosis and related conditions. In the process of vascular inflammation the vascular endothelial cells form a monolayer covering the inner surface of the blood vessels, which plays an important role in regulation. Curcuminoids have been extensively investigated for their antiinflammatory activity, however, the involvement of microRNAs in this activity is not well understood.

In this article by Susanne Mertens-Talcott and co-workers in the US, the antiinflammatory effects of curcuminoids has been investigated. The protective effects of standardized curcuminoid extract (SCE) on vascular inflammation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was studied and the mechanistic involvement of microRNAs in their antiinflammatory activity was assessed. Inflammation was induced by Escherichia coli lipopolysacharides and it was shown that curcuminoids protect HUVEC from inflammation-induced TLR-4 signalling and expression of cell adhesion molecules through mechanisms not involving microRNA-146a or microRNA-126.

To read the article in full for free until 17th October, click on the link below…

Standardized curcuminoid extract (Curcuma longa l.) decreases gene expression related to inflammation and interacts with associated microRNAs 1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), Gabriela Angel-Morales, Giuliana Noratto and Susanne Mertens-Talcott, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo30023k

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Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), found in ground beef extract, has been reported to show many beneficial health effects including anticancer activity and anti-obesity behaviour. The mechanism for the anti-obesity activity of CLA and its isomers is thought to involve an increase in energy expenditure, reduced adipocyte number and size, and an increase in lipolysis. However, the full mechanism and the influence of CLA isomers is not fully understood.

In this work, Yeonhwa Park and co-workers from the US investigated the effect of CLA on voluntary physical activity in an animal model using young N2KO mice. It was found that CLA improves voluntary physical activity in the animal model and reduced body fat by reducing serum triglyceride levels and down-regulatin mRNA expressions of C/EBPaand leptin. These findings suggest that dietary CLA could prevent inactivity-induced obesity, which may in turn prevent weight gain. The work could provide a foundation for future clinical trials using CLA for obesity prevention.

Look out for the story in Chemistry World!

Read the full article for free until the 12th October:

Preventive effects of conjugated linoleic acid on obesity by improved physical activity in nescient basic helix-loop-helix 2 knockout mice during growth period, Jun Ho Kim, Darla Gilliard, Deborah J. Good and Yeonhwa Park, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo30103b

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It is well known that maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is important for weight management and controlling obesity. However, obesity and related diseases such as type-2 diabetes are reaching epidemic proportions – trebling in Europe over the past 20 years. There are drug-based treatments available to control obesity and appetite, but these are often associated with adverse side-effects. Therefore the possibility to develop functional foods which are both nutritionally beneficial and also aid weight management is highly desirable.

Peptides produced by enteroendocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract have been shown to be important bioactive ingredients in functional foods because they regulate feed intake and satiety. In this Food & Function review by Linda Giblin and co-workers from Ireland, the interaction of functional foods with these cells are discussed in the context of developing foods with positive health benefits for obesity. The abilty of food components to modulate hormonal signals from gastrointestinal enteroendocrine cells are covered, including areas such as satiety signalling, incretin signalling and mechanisms of nutrient sensing.

To find out more, read the article for free until 2nd October by clicking the link below:

The effects of food components on hormonal signalling in gastrointestinal enteroendocrine cells, Christine M. Bruen, Fiona O’Halloran, Kevin D. Cashman and Linda Giblin, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO30086A

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Creaminess is a popular sensory feature of many fat-containing foods, particularly dairy foods such as ice creams, yoghurts and sauces and has an important influence on consumers’ preferences.  A consumer has no difficulty distinguishing a creamy food from a non-creamy one; however, the exact meaning of the sensory term is unclear despite wide study.  There is an increasing consumer demand for healthier fat-reduced food and although there are many different types of fat replacers which mimic some aspects of fat there is no replacer that can really mimic creaminess due to the lack of understanding of the sensory feature. 

Two main theories have emerged to explain creaminess, one that it is a chemical process based on molecule detection by taste buds, the other that it is a physical process based on sensing by mechanoreceptors and nerve endings in the mouth.  Although the two theories are contradictory, both have experimental evidence to support them.

The aim of this investigation by Jianshe Chen and Louise Eaton from the University of Leeds, UK, was to determine the main sensory stimuli and sensation mechanisms of food creaminess. The sensory creaminess of a set of four viscosity-matched fluid foods (single cream, evaporated milk, corn starch solution, and corn starch solution containing long chain free fatty acids) was tested by a panel of 16 assessors via controlled sensation mechanisms of smell only, taste only, taste and tactile and integrated multimodal.  The results showed that assessors were able to detect creaminess among fat-containing and non-fat-containing samples using smell, taste, tactile and multimodal inputs. As the number of sensory cues is increased, the assessor’s capability in distinguishing food creaminess also increases. Based on these findings, one may conclude that:

• Sensation and perception of creaminess is a complicated sensory experience, involving olfactory, gustatory, tactile, as well as visual mechanisms. The appearance of a product and its flavour make important contributions in the perception of food creaminess
• Food creaminess is not a primary sensory property detected only via either chemical or physical mechanisms, but is an integrated sensory feature derived from a number of primary sensory factors (smell, taste, tactile, visual, etc.)
• long chain fatty acids play no significant role in the perception of food creaminess.

Interested in knowing more? Read the full article for free until 28^th September

Multimodal mechanisms of food creaminess sensation, Jianshe Chen and Louise Eaton, Food Funct., 2012, Advance Article

You may also be interested in this recently published article, free till the end of September, which features on the cover of the current issue of Food & Function, a themed issue on cocoa, coffee and tea.

Impact of crema on the aroma release and the in-mouth sensory perception of espresso coffee, D. Barron, N. Pineau, W. Matthey-Doret, S. Ali, J. Sudre, J. C. Germain, E. Kolodziejczyk, P. Pollien, D. Labbe, C. Jarisch, V. Dugas, C. Hartmann and B. Folmer, Food Funct., 2012, 3, 923-930

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Lipid digestion has been widely studied because of its impact on human health and the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, ethical issues make in vivo human studies difficult, therefore, numerous in vitro digestion models have been developed which mimic the conditions in the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT). Dairy calcium has been shown to affect fat lipolysis and can reduce body weight and LDL cholesterols. However, the mechanism by which calcium lowers the blood cholesterol remains unclear.

In this work, Slavka Tcholakova and co-workers have developed a simple in vitro model for triglyceride (TG) lipolysis which mimics closely the conditions in the human stomach and small intestine. In this new model the pH profile in the small intestine is closely matched to real conditions using a bicarbonate buffer and the experimental procedure does not include complex equipment. In their study the proposed in vitro model was used to assess the effects of Ca2+, pH, and bicarbonate on the degree of TG lipolysis and on the solubilization of the lipolysis products and cholesterol in the aqueous phase. The model is also appropriate for studying other phenomena making it a versatile tool for studying the lipid-related phenomena occurring in the gastrointestinal tract.

Read the article for free until 18th September by clicking the link below:

In vitrostudy of triglyceride lipolysis and phase distribution of the reaction products and cholesterol: effects of calcium and bicarbonate, Zahari Vinarov, Liliya Petrova, Slavka Tcholakova, Nikolai Denkov Denkov, Simeon D. Stoyanov and Alex Lipse, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo30085k

You may also be interested in this review article, also free to access:

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

You can keep up to date with the latest developments from Food & Function by signing up for free table of contents alerts and monthly e-newsletters.