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Prosopis juliflora is a xerophytic, nitrogen‐fixing plant distributed in arid and semi‐arid regions. The fruits of this plant are pods, which have seeds inside, and both pods and seeds have high nutritional value and bioactive potential. Different derivatives can be obtained from the pods and seeds: flour, starch, syrup, protein concentrate, and gums. This review aims to gather information from the literature on P. juliflora. It focuses on the nutritional value, bioactive activity, and technological application of pods, seeds, and their derivatives, highlighting their use in human nutrition and new research perspectives. The pod of P. juliflora can be used in several ways, as it has high levels of nutrients. It is used as a food supplement; it has antimicrobial effects and phytochemicals associated with other bioactive activity. Among the pod derivatives, flour is the most studied and can be widely used in bakery products. The seed of P. juliflora also has high nutritional potential and bioactive activity. Among its other derivatives, the gum stands out and can be used for various purposes in the food industry. To expand the use of pods, seeds, and their derivatives in human nutrition, further studies are needed on chemical composition, bioactive activity, toxicity, and nutritional, bioactive, technological, and sensory effects of their application in food products. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequent cancer worldwide, accounts for about 10% of the total cancer cases, and ranks as the second cause of death by cancer. CRC is more prevalent in developed countries in close causal relation with occidental diets. Due to anatomy, the diet has a strong impact on CRC. High contents in meat are acknowledged risk factors whereas a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is an established CRC protective factor. Fruits and vegetables contain numerous Bioactive Food Components (BFCs), physiologically active food compounds, beneficial on health. Preventive and therapeutic benefits of BFCs in cancer have increasingly been reported over the past 20 years. BFCs show both chemopreventive and anti-tumor properties in CRC but more interestingly, abundant research describes BFCs as enhancers of conventional cancer treatments. Despite these promising results, their clinical transferability is slowed down by bioavailability interrogations and their poorly understood hormetic effect. In this review, we would like to reposition BFCs as well-fitted for applications in CRC. We provide a synthetic overview of trustworthy BFC applications in CRC, with a special highlight on combinatory approaches and conventional cancer treatment potentiation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, obesity is a leading public health problem worldwide. The growing prevalence of obesity significantly accounts for other cardio-metabolic diseases, including hypertension and diabetes. Several studies have shown that obesity is strongly associated with genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and dietary factors, especially the disordered profiles of gut microbiota (GM). The present review concluded mechanistic studies and potential correspondent treatments for obesity. Specifically, the anti-obesity effects of food-derived compounds manipulating GM were highlighted. The potential limitations of bioactive compounds on absorption in the intestinal tract were also discussed. Thus, the future direction of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as an approach to support modulating host GM (considered to be a potential therapeutic target for obesity) was discussed. This review shed light on the role of GM modulation strategies for the prevention/treatment of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musa paradisiaca L. (Musaceae), a tropical plant named banana is used as food and as medicine in Brazil. Banana inflorescence, popularly known as mangará, presents several biological activities including anti-inflammatory effects. Here, we demonstrated the immunomodulatory activity of banana inflorescence extract (HEM) on a mice model of combined allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome (CARAS) and in human macrophages. The HEM inhibited the eosinophil migration, production of cytokines as IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-17A dependent on IFN-ɣ production in the airway. The mechanism of the extract was, in part, by the NF-κB signaling pathway inhibition. Besides, the HEM decreased expression of the CD86 and HLA-DR receptors on human M1 macrophages independently of M2 modulation. Therefore, we infer that the inflorescence, a disposable material from the banana crops, has anti-allergic property in the CARAS model and modulates the human macrophages, characterizing it as biologically important material for the production of phytomedicine.

Nowadays, obesity is a leading public health problem worldwide. The growing prevalence of obesity significantly accounts for other cardio-metabolic diseases, including hypertension and diabetes. Several studies have shown that obesity is strongly associated with genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and dietary factors, especially the disordered profiles of gut microbiota (GM). The present review concluded mechanistic studies and potential correspondent treatments for obesity. Specifically, the anti-obesity effects of food-derived compounds manipulating GM were highlighted. The potential limitations of bioactive compounds on absorption in the intestinal tract were also discussed. Thus, the future direction of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as an approach to support modulating host GM (considered to be a potential therapeutic target for obesity) was discussed. This review shed light on the role of GM modulation strategies for the prevention/treatment of obesity.

Faveleira (Cnidoscolus quercifolius) is a plant native to Caatinga and resistant to drought periods. The seed of this plant is an oilseed and its nutritional composition may vary according to the presence or not of thorns and depending on the period in which it was collected. Different derivatives can be obtained from the seed: oil, press cake, flour, almond, and protein isolate. This article aims to collect information about the faveleira, pointing out the gaps that have not been researched and underlining the nutritional value, bioactive activity and potential use of the seeds and their derivatives in human food. The faveleira seed can be used in several ways. Its derivatives have the potential to be used in human food and have bioactive compounds in their composition. Among these derivatives, oil is the most studied to date and the press cake stands out for its high antioxidant activity. In order to promote the use of faveleira seed and its derivatives in human food, further studies about other bioactive activities of oil, description and use of the various derivatives in food products, isolation of bioactive compounds and the viability of processing these derivatives at the industrial level are needed. • This is the first review addressing faveleira seed and its derivatives. • Seed and derivatives have potential application in human food. • Faveleira seed oil is the most studied derivative. • Faveleira seed press cake is a by-product with high antioxidant power. • Further studies are needed addressing faveleira seed and its derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron deficiency anemia affects a significant part of the human population. Due to the unique properties of plant ferritin, food enrichment with ferritin iron seems to be a promising strategy to prevent this malnutrition problem. This protein captures huge amounts of iron ions inside the apoferritin shell and isolates them from the environment. Thus, this iron form does not induce oxidative change in food and reduces the risk of gastric problems in consumers. Bioavailability of ferritin in human and animal studies is high and the mechanism of absorption via endocytosis has been confirmed in cultured cells. Legume seeds are a traditional source of plant ferritin. However, even if the percentage of ferritin iron in these seeds is high, its concentration is not sufficient for food fortification. Thus, edible plants have been biofortified in iron for many years. Plants overexpressing ferritin may find applications in the development of bioactive food. A crucial achievement would be to develop technologies warranting stability of ferritin in food and the digestive tract.

The paper presents the determination of iron forms in food products. The procedure of sample extraction was developed and optimized, preserving the content of particular forms of iron. The colorimetric method using 2,2′-bipirydyl (measurements at 520 nm) was applied in Fe(II) determinations, while in Fe(III) determinations, the colorimetric method with potassium thiocyanate (measurements at 470 nm) was applied. The total content of iron was determined by the technique of atomic absorption spectrometry, which allowed for the determination of iron content in organic and inorganic complex compounds. Detection limits of 1 mg kg were obtained for all determined iron forms, with the precision ranging between 0.7 % and 1.5 % for 10 mg kg concentration. The optimized analytical procedure was applied in the determinations of iron forms in iron-fortified food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the usability of fruits of selected species growing in Europe for the smoothies production. The organoleptic assessment, analysis of polyphenols and vitamin C content and antioxidant activity of products were determined. The panellists were most in favour of the smoothies containing cranberry, black currant and bilberry purees as well as juice from dog rose. Polymerised proanthocyanidins were found to predominate in most of the products, except for the black currant smoothies ( B3) where the main group of polyphenols were anthocyanins. The content of proanthocyanidins was higher in the smoothies containing dog rose juice. The analysed products differed significantly in the content of vitamin C, as the highest content of ascorbic acid was determined in black currant smoothies with dog rose juice and bilberry puree (168.98 mg/100 g). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Musa paradisiaca inflorescence (HEM), waste product of banana has immune bioactivity. • HEM inhibits airway syndrome by inhibiting type 2 immune cells by NF-κB pathway. • HEM induces a T H 1 profile that improves severe allergic inflammation in the airway. • HEM down-modulates human macrophages by decrease expression CD86 and HLA-DR. Musa paradisiaca L. (Musaceae), a tropical plant named banana is used as food and as medicine in Brazil. Banana inflorescence, popularly known as mangará, presents several biological activities including anti-inflammatory effects. Here, we demonstrated the immunomodulatory activity of banana inflorescence extract (HEM) on a mice model of combined allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome (CARAS) and in human macrophages. The HEM inhibited the eosinophil migration, production of cytokines as IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-17A dependent on IFN-ɣ production in the airway. The mechanism of the extract was, in part, by the NF-κB signaling pathway inhibition. Besides, the HEM decreased expression of the CD86 and HLA-DR receptors on human M1 macrophages independently of M2 modulation. Therefore, we infer that the inflorescence, a disposable material from the banana crops, has anti-allergic property in the CARAS model and modulates the human macrophages, characterizing it as biologically important material for the production of phytomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prunus padus L., is not very popular plant, it is commonly found due to low soil requirements and easy to settle in various places. As for now, concerning food technology, there is no wide application for P. padus. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of using bird cherry bark as an ingredient in herbal functional teas. In the first step, the conditions for extraction of the bark were electrochemically optimized. It was proven that the highest content of polyphenols could be found in the sample consisting of chamomile, linden flower, and calendula (7939.8 ± 106.6 mg/100 g dm). In the beta-carotene bleaching test, the highest activity could be spotted for calendula tea (16.7 ± 1.1c%) and chamomile tea (15.0 ± 2.0c%) and concerning the test for linden flower tea without added bark (134.4 ± 15.1b μg ascorbic acid /mL). The property of the tested teas to inhibit cholinesterases was proven. What is more, P. padus bark infusion showed the highest activity of 15.8 ± 1.1d μg neostigmine/mL, for acetylcholinesterases (AChE) inhibition and 21.2 ± 1.0c μg neostigmine/mL for butyrylcholinesterases (BChE). The same tea also showed the highest activity to reduce ions of iron (Fe(III)): 25.3 ± 0.9c μg Trolox /mL and glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase inhibition, 87.0 ± 1.1e% and 64.9 ± 2.0d% respectively. The use of P. padus bark may be vital in the preventive care concerning modern-age diseases and allow for the production of a new range of products with distinctive sensory characteristics and functional properties and, at the same time, in combating the spread of P. padus in the farm and forest ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]