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Bioactive Plant Compounds as Components of Functional and Fortified Food

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are a valuable source of various compounds with more or less documented biological activity. Both basic nutrients and plant secondary metabolites can positively affect human health. Food containing natural plant ingredients has been of particular interest to consumers in recent years. Such food can be considered in the context of functional or enriched food. Food fortification with plant ingredients rich in biologically active compounds is a challenge for food technologists and nutritionists. Apart from the nutritional value or microbiological quality, functional properties also determine the use of plant ingredients as food additives. Additionally, digestibility, bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and bioactivity of food components are very important. Equally important, apart from the therapeutic effect, is the acceptance of potential consumers.

Articles of interest for this Special Issue entitled “Bioactive Plant Compounds as Components of Functional and Fortified Food” concern the content of phytochemicals in natural or fortified food, and broadly understood biological and pro-health activity, both in vitro and in vivo.

Dr. Urszula Szymanowska
Dr. Monika Karaś
Guest Editors

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Keywords

phytochemicals
functional food
food fortification
bioavailability
antioxidant
antihypertensive
anti-inflammatory
anticancer
antiobesity
consumer acceptance

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1909 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Protein-Rich Powdered Beverages Stabilized with Flax Seeds Gum—Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Properties of the Potentially Bioaccessible Fraction

by Justyna Bochnak-Niedźwiecka, Urszula Szymanowska and Michał Świeca

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(14), 7159; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12147159 - 15 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1455

Abstract

The functional beverages market is one of the fastest-growing sectors of functional food production. An innovative recipe for powdered fruit and vegetable drinks fortified with lentil proteins (AGF) and stabilized with flax seed gums (FSG) was developed. The study focused on the analysis of potentially bioaccessible fractions from the produced beverages in terms of their antioxidant, antiproliferative activities and physicochemical properties. The contents of bioactive components were tailored by the incorporation of lyophilized fruits and vegetables, the FSG and the AGF. Digestion in vitro effectively released phenolics from all matrices. The highest contents of potentially bioavailable polyphenols were recorded for the AGF based beverages enriched with 5% of FSG and green-leafy vegetables (58 mg/100 mL) and those with lyophilized fruit (54 mg/100 mL). The reducing power of the beverages was mainly affected by the presence of the AGF, while the FSG and lyophilized fruit improved the chelating power. The digests applied in the concentrations mimicking physiological concentrations showed antiproliferative properties against gastric and colon adenocarcinoma—they seemed to be tailored by bioactive peptides and phenolics, respectively. The addition of the FSG improved the stability of the beverages increasing the time required for a reduction of 20% of the initial optical density by 16- and 28-times in the beverages without additives or enriched with vegetables. Both, the AGF and FSG stabilize the beverages after rehydration and are sources of bioaccessible antioxidant and anticancer components, which create their functionality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Plant Compounds as Components of Functional and Fortified Food)

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Review

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15 pages, 470 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Beetroot Ingredients in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease

by Julian Szymański, Dominik Szwajgier and Ewa Baranowska-Wójcik

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 1044; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13021044 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3589

Abstract

Beets (Beta vulgaris L.) are a source of numerous bioactive compounds, including betalain pigments, phenols, and saponins. The bioactive compounds show neuroprotective properties due to their antioxidant activity (they protect cells against oxidative stress caused by the overaccumulation of reactive oxygen species), anti-inflammatory effects, and the ability to lower the activity of acetylcholinesterase. The most common pigment present in beetroot is betanin. Scientists have repeatedly demonstrated the antioxidant activity of this compound, which is capable of protecting the cell membrane of neurons against peroxidation. The phenolic compounds present in the root showed the same effect. Phenolic acids are the most prevalent group of such compounds, including gallic, ferulic, and vanillic acids. It has been shown that neurodegenerative diseases induced artificially (e.g., with sodium fluoride or trimethyltin chloride) are reversed by the administration of betanin. A similar protective effect has been demonstrated in streptozotocin-induced disease models. For example, the administration of vanillic acid improved spatial learning ability. Hence, processed beetroot (juices, jams, etc.) can offer viable benefits in preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The following review presents a detailed summary of the current state of knowledge regarding the most important bioactive compounds present in beetroots and their applicability in AD prevention and support therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Plant Compounds as Components of Functional and Fortified Food)

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