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The majority of the bioactive compounds present in canola seeds are phenolic compounds. They are present as aglycones, glycosides, monomers, polymerized structures, or as free or matrix-bound compounds. Conventional methods of extraction utilize an excessive amount of organic solvents and require high energy input. Current environmental issues associated with organic solvent disposal demand alternative methods for the extraction of phenolic compounds that are environmentally friendly and energy-efficient. Green technology has identified a number of alternative methods suitable for the extraction of phenolic compounds. This chapter will review those alternative green methods suitable for the extraction of phenolic compounds from canola and rapeseed. Such methods include ultrasonic extraction, microwave extraction, accelerated solvent extraction, subcritical water extraction, and supercritical fluid extraction.

Vitamin C is essential to prevent scurvy in humans and is implicated in the primary prevention of common and complex diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer. This chapter reviews the latest knowledge about dietary vitamin C in human health with an emphasis on studies of the molecular mechanisms of vitamin C maintenance as well as gene-nutrient interactions modifying these relationships. Epidemiological evidence indicates 5% prevalence for vitamin C deficiency and 13% prevalence for suboptimal status even in industrialized countries. The daily intake (dose) and the corresponding systemic concentrations (response) are related in a saturable relationship, and low systemic vitamin C concentrations in observational studies are associated with negative health outcomes. However, there is no evidence that vitamin C supplementation impacts the risks for all-cause mortality, impaired cognitive performance, reduced quality of life, the development of eye diseases, infections, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. This might be related to the fact that prevention would not be realized by supplementation in populations already adequately supplied through dietary sources. Recent genetic association studies indicate that the dietary intake might not be the sole determinant of systemic concentrations, since variations in genes participating in redox homeostasis and vitamin C transport had been associated with lowered plasma concentrations. However, impact sizes are generally low and these phenomena might only affect individual of suboptimal dietary supply.

Commercial transgenically produced products have become an essential part of our environment and food chain. This is demonstrated by the success of genetically modified crop varieties, which are starting to dominate the marketplace. Moreover, viable genetically modified microorganisms or isolates produced by them are utilized to produce food and food ingredients. This chapter identifies the major genetically modified organisms found in food to date, and summarizes their biochemistry and applications.

Publisher Summary The hallmarks of the immunopathology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are the selective and progressive CD4+ T cell depletion and the cellular dysfunction, which is observed even prior to the depletion of CD4+ cells and which also affects other immunologically relevant cells including CD8+ T cells and B cells. This chapter summarizes data suggesting that the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome may be (at least partly) the consequence of a virus-induced cysteine deficiency. Elevated plasma glutamate levels aggravate the cysteine deficiency, because glutamate inhibits competitively the membrane transport of cystine. Standard laboratory techniques are available to determine the plasma amino acid levels and the intracellular glutathione level either in unfractionated preparation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and monocytes or at the level of individual cells with a cytofluorometric technique. The established cysteine and glutathione deficiency of HIV-infected persons suggests the possibility that the intracellular oxidant/antioxidant status may be disturbed. Glutathione disulfide assays are available, but, in view of the generally much lower glutathione disulfide level, these assays would require many more cells.