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The diversified use of natural products from annually regenerating tissues from tropical tree taxa may contribute to biodiversity conservation through sustainable use. In this review, we compiled food and medicinal properties and uses of the megadiverse Brazilian Myrtaceae, reported in 95 scientific articles, 5 reference books, 2 online databases, and 1 practitioner source. Among the 551 species assessed for conservation status, we found food or medicinal uses in 187, a third of which are under some degree of threat of extinction. We provide a comprehensive summary of their reported properties for food (168 species) and medicine (42 species). Fruits, leaf essential oil, and plant extracts are the main products researched. A total of 44 fruit species were found with some risk of extinction status, especially red-purple and yellow-orange-colored fruits, but only 10 species have been scientifically studied. Research related to the medicinal properties of Myrtaceae species has been performed mainly for essential oils and plant extracts. The species Campomanesia phaea, Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus, Plinia edulis, and Eugenia mattosii stand out regarding their scientifically proven medicinal use. These products have a set of nutritional components and/or bioactive compounds that can supply specific demands from the food, pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic industries. The outstanding suitability for sustainable planting and continuous harvesting of Myrtaceae fruits and leaves provides a thus-far neglected opportunity for conservation through sustainable use of their natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Whey protein contains a wide range of bioactive components and has been found to have various functional properties including immunoenhancing, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, antidiabetic, muscle loss-preventing, and skin-protecting effects. However, as a high-quality dietary protein that can benefit human health, its application in health foods is restricted by particular product types and insufficient innovation. Therefore, this article provides a systematic and comprehensive review of the composition, digestion, absorption, metabolism, and functions of whey protein and its application in health products in China. This review hopes to improve the public’s understanding of the nutritional value of whey protein, broaden its application scope as a health product, and promote its applications in functional foods and clinical formulations and consequently the high-quality development of the health industry.

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A wide variety of health benefits have been demonstrated by medicinal plants, including potent antiviral properties. Additionally, many herbal remedies are known to reduce inflammation and boost immunity, making them an effective preventive measure against viral infections. The study aims to evaluate the perception of medicinal herbs and healthy foods during the pandemic period among Saudi patients. Furthermore, the study seeks to understand how people view medicinal herbs and healthy foods as a means of mitigating the effects of the pandemic and how that perception varies across different demographics. It will also assess the availability of these options in the country and how they have been utilized by the population. A cross-sectional online study was conducted among COVID-19-infected Saudi population at the University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The perception of the use of medicinal herbs and the effect of healthy foods on the treatment or reduction of symptoms of COVID-19 was evaluated. The efficacy of 23 herbal products was evaluated. A total of 909 participants with COVID-19 infection were surveyed; 86.14% were women, 93.73% were between the ages of 18–60, 51.05% were unemployed, 57.43% had a bachelor's degree, and 90.64% were non-smokers. Study participants used medicinal herbs, slime drinks, and medicinal herb tea to reduce coronavirus infection risk by 67.11, 43.56, and 7.18%, respectively. Gender, education, consuming healthy food, and drinking medicinal herbs displayed significant variation among the studied participants (p < 0.001). The study revealed a prevalence of ginger (62.9%), lemon (51.1%), mint (46.8%), honey (45.7%), and anise (43.0%) as commonly used medicinal herb products. To conclude, the survey found a link between gender, education, consuming healthy foods, and drinking medicinal herbs to reduce infection symptoms among Saudi Arabians. Accordingly, lifestyle choices can have a positive impact on health, even in the face of a challenging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: In Japan, "Foods with Functional Claims (FFC)" include processed foods (supplement form), other processed foods, and fresh produce. However, far fewer fresh produce-FFCs were submitted for government review compared to processed foods. Using an internet survey, we investigated consumers' general awareness and demand for fresh produce-FFCs compared to processed foods (supplement form) and other processed foods. Methods: A web survey was conducted through a participant recruitment website called "Go-toroku," operated by ORTHOMEDICO Inc. Over 50,000 Japanese registered on Go-toroku were invited to participate. No eligibility criteria were defined for this study. For this survey, a total of 23 questions were developed, covering various aspects such as respondents' background, health consciousness, the frequency of purchasing FFC, the functional claims they are inclined to purchase, and any doubts or concerns they have regarding fresh produce-FFC. Results: The survey ran from May 10 to June 20, 2023, and garnered 1,007 valid responses from participants ages 19 to 87 years. While approximately 80% reported being aware of FFCs, few participants reported having seen or purchased fresh produce-FFCs in stores. The top three FFC areas that they were inclined to want to purchase were "cholesterol-related," "body fat and body mass index (BMI)-related," and "skin-related" (moisture, elasticity, anti-ultraviolet light), regardless of category. Additionally, 36% of respondents expressed doubts or concerns about produce-FFCs, and some of them questioned the effectiveness and safety of these products. Conclusions: The study underscores the need for proper promotions to address consumer concerns or questions and bridge the gap between awareness and practice when it comes to purchasing fresh produce-FFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review mainly expounds the basis and application status of Acanthopanax senticosus in Chinese health food, summarizes the research progress related to its health function, and looks forward to its future development direction.

With the rapid development of the economy and society and the increasing improvement of people’s living standards, people have gained a scientific understanding of the sub-health state of the body. Many foods with functional claims such as supplementing dietary nutrients, maintaining or improving the body’s health status and reducing the risk of disease have emerged on the market. At the same time, as the country has introduced new policies, laws and regulations such as the “Healthy China 2030” plan to support the development of the health industry, the objective need for food functional claims has become increasingly apparent. But our current laws and regulations do not clearly definite the concept of functional foods and its requirements, so the directions of research, production and sale, market recognition and market regulation of functional foods are unclear. In particular, functional foods cannot be discriminated from health foods, which have a legal definition. In the long term, this will not only fail to promote scientific and technological innovations in ordinary foods, but also hinder the healthy development of the health food industry. In this paper, information concerning the definition and requirements of functional foods is collected and sorted out from government official documents, websites, academic journals, and other authoritative media, and the current focuses of research on functional foods in China and abroad are compared by visual analysis of high-frequency keywords. Moreover, this paper differentiates between the requirements for functional foods and those for health foods, and it suggests that top-level design be made for refined classification of functional foods on the market and puts forward suggestions on how to better connect each category with the current system.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are significant threats faced by the global population. The root cause of NCDs is related to food consumption and diet pattern. Fermented foods are ingrained as part of traditions in many countries and serve as a carrier for probiotics. Recent research has correlated the quality of gut microbiota and the functioning and overall well-being of the body. Thus, the addition of fermented foods as a significant part of the diet can manage and prevent the development of many NCDs. This review aims to cumulate the current research and development carried out on fermented foods, probiotic potential, and their mechanism in managing selected NCDs.

This study aimed to better understand consumers' perceptions toward superfoods, to reveal segments of consumers, and to describe their behavioral patterns and sociodemographic characteristics. Data were collected from a mail survey (n = 423). Consumer segmentation revealed six segments. The "superfoodies" (13%) showed a more positive attitude toward superfoods, believing in their health and sustainable benefits. Adventurous consumers (16%) showed less knowledge on superfoods, despite that, they believe in the benefits of those foods after receiving some information during the survey. Involved consumers (13%) presented high nutritional knowledge and believe in the future of superfoods. Indifferent consumers (23%) appear to have a neutral attitude toward superfoods. Skeptical consumers (21%) and rejectors (15%) seem to be more conservative and less interested and unconvinced about the benefits of consuming superfoods. These results help guide those producing, marketing, and selling superfoods, and serve as a basis to develop strategies for different target groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the awareness of public health nurses（PHNs）regarding health foods and the actual utilization of health food-related information in specific health guidance. A questionnaire survey among PHNs working in municipalities in Kagoshima Prefecture （ゝn = 170, response rate; 41.5％）was conducted in September 2022. As a result, 39.4％ of the PHNs had experience using health foods, and 43.5％ consulted about health food from local residents. Major topics of consultation included effectiveness（78.4％）and drug interactions （35.1％）. Approximately 10.2％ of the PHNs always confirm the use of health food during specific health guidance, while 41.6％ did not ever check. Additionally, 36.3％ of the PHN were aware of the obligation to report adverse events caused by health foods to the prefectural governments and Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. The present study showed that recognition and intelligibility on health foods varied among PHNs. Therefore, knowledge acquisition on safety and efficacy is needed for proper use of health foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide references for reform of health food market access system in China， the filing system and food products with function claims in Japan are studied. The differences of the laws and regulations of the filing system and food products with function claims between China and Japan is compared. There are significant differences between Japan and China on policy guidance and evaluation principle of supervision system. It is worth for reference in product information disclosure and the evaluation procedure of safety and function claim.

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Food & Machinery is the property of Food & Machinery Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Animal-derived raw materials are rich in various nutrients, especially the high level of protein, and have good application prospects in health foods and other fields. However, due to their special sources and processing methods, the requirements for the compliant use of animal-derived raw materials are stringent. Therefore, when animal-derived raw materials are used to produce health foods, great attention needs to be paid to relevant laws and regulations, processing methods and the requirements for their safe application. In recent years, a lot of new progress has been made in the studies on the bioactive ingredients and functions of animal-derived raw materials, but there are few reviews on the evidence for the compliance use of animal-derived raw materials in the production of health foods, the current status of the use of animal-derived raw materials in the production of health foods, and the health functions of animal-derived raw materials in functional foods. In this context, this paper presents the evidence for the compliance use of animal-derived raw materials in the production of health foods in China, and a statistical analysis of the current status of the use of animal-derived raw materials in the production of health foods using the national special food information query platform as a retrieval tool. We hope that this review will provide a useful reference for further mining, development and utilization of animal-derived raw materials.

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to characterize the adverse events of dietary supplements provided by medical professionals and to examine whether there are challenges when applying each case to the causality evaluation algorithm. Data from 290 individual cases collected by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in cooperation with the Tokyo Medical Association and Tokyo Pharmaceutical Association were analyzed. The causality evaluation algorithm that was used in this study was reported previously. Female patients accounted for 73% of those who experienced adverse events. Both male and female patients who had adverse events were in their 60s and 70s. Many of the participants had underlying diseases and aimed to improve their medical conditions. Furthermore, skin symptoms were the most common. Many of the supplements were made from natural substances, with an average of 7.7 ingredients in each product. More than half of the products were used for less than one month. In most cases, symptoms improved after discontinuation of the products or after the administration of medications. When each event was applied to the causality assessment algorithm, it was necessary to understand the information as follows: in cases of product discontinuation with simultaneous medications recovery was not concluding the product discontinuation, and the physician’s judgement should be place as objective evidence. The algorithm was successfully applicable to cases provided by medical professionals and the evaluated results for all cases were 30% possible and 62% highly possible. The evaluated results indicate the relationship between products/ingredients and the symptom, and by adding information on the symptom and its severity, it is possible to clarify the phenomenon to be noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble vitamin-like benzoquinone compound, which is synthesized endogenously from tyrosine in human body. It has many physiological functions, such as participating in ATP production capacity, scavenging free radicals and anti-oxidantion, enhancing immunity, stabilizing cell membranes and so on. Since the first coenzyme Q10 health food was approved in 2003, and by 2020, coenzyme Q10 was used as raw material for record management. China has approved 171 coenzyme Q10 health foods. In order to better understand the current situation of approved coenzyme Q10 health foods, the author took the research work of coenzyme Q10 health food raw materials list project which I participated in tracking as the starting point, based on the original China Food and Drug Administration website and the date of approved products from 1996 to 2020 published on the website of the State Administration of Market Supervision, combined with the actual registration review work and related research status, comprehensively analyzed the review and approval of coenzyme Q10 health foods in the past 20 years from the aspects of safety, function claims, and quality control. The author also proposed some opinions and suggestions on strengthening the study of the published coenzyme Q10 raw material catalogue, and to explore the inclusion of amino acids, probiotics, protein and other dietary nutrients into the raw material catalogue management, pay attention to the construction of the exclusive quality standard system of dietary supplement raw materials.

Description of the subject. Prunella vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae) is an edible herb used in Europe and Asia as herbal tea, food, dietary supplement or medicinal plant since several centuries. Although the composition and properties of the aerial parts are well documented in the literature, Prunella vulgaris seeds have never been investigated. Objectives. The aim of this work was to characterize the composition of these seeds to assess not only their nutritional potential (protein, lipid and minerals content), but also their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential as well as their specialized metabolites composition. Method. The protein, lipids and mineral content were determined. The phenolic compounds were isolated; elucidation of their structures was done by means of HR-MS and one- and two-dimensional NMR analysis. They were then evaluated for their biological activity, together with seed extracts. Results. Omega-3 rich oil and an interesting amino acids profile were detected in the seeds as well as the presence of a high content of polyphenolic compounds, including two structurally new compounds (phenylpropane derivatives) which were isolated and structurally characterized. The two compounds described here for the first time, were named amolsamic acids A&B. The seeds and amolsamic acids showed an interesting antioxidant potential, and a strong anti-inflammatory activity on neutrophils, MPO and HRP models. Conclusions. These findings highlight the real health promoting potential of P. vulgaris seeds and make them a good candidate as super-food or food supplement.

In order to establish a method for the determination of anthocyanins in health foods, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used for qualitative identification of anthocyanins, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for quantitative detection of anthocyanins. The results showed that the suitable conditions for TLC identification were developing agent: V(formic acid)∶V(water-n)∶V(butanol)= 9.1∶8.4∶32.5, spotting amount: 2 μL. Anthocyanin was detected at 4.361~52.332 μg/mL (R2 =0.999 5). The internal linear relationship is good, with the average sample recovery rate is 98.22% (RSD=1.23%, n=6), and the precision, repeatability and stability are good. Experiments show that the established thin-layer identification method for anthocyanins is stable and feasible.

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, a rapid detection method utilizing colloidal gold immunochromatography (CG-ICA) was developed for the detection of illegally added prednisone acetate in health foods. Initially, the preparation conditions of colloidal gold solution were optimized. The optimal potassium carbonate dosage, antibody diluent type, antibody dosage, probe labeling time, blocking time and BSA dosage were determined. Technical analysis was performed to ensure that the established CG-ICA exhibited satisfactory color development and inhibition rates. Under optimized conditions, the cut-off value of CG-ICA was 250 μg/kg. The assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 100 %, a false positive rate of 8 %, and a false negative rate of 0, indicating high specificity for prednisone acetate. The results obtained from testing actual samples were consistent with those obtained using LC-MS/MS, thereby verifying the reliability of the developed method. This method offers robust support for the rapid detection of illegally added prednisone acetate in health foods., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)