Marine bioactives: pharmacological properties and potential applications against inflammatory diseases

Inflammation is a hot topic in medical research, because it plays a key role in inflammatory diseases: rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other forms of arthritis, diabetes, heart diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, allergies, asthma, even cancer and many others. Over the past few decades, it was realized that the process of inflammation is virtually the same in different disorders, and a better understanding of inflammation may lead to better treatments for numerous diseases. Inflammation is the activation of the immune system in response to infection, irritation, or injury, with an influx of white blood cells, redness, heat, swelling, pain, and dysfunction of the organs involved. Although the pathophysiological basis of these conditions is not yet fully understood, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have often been implicated in their pathogenesis. In fact, in inflammatory diseases the antioxidant defense system is compromised, as evidenced by increased markers of oxidative stress, and decreased levels of protective antioxidant enzymes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). An enriched diet containing antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, β-carotene and phenolic substances, has been suggested to improve symptoms by reducing disease-related oxidative stress. In this respect, the marine world represents a largely untapped reserve of bioactive ingredients, and considerable potential exists for exploitation of these bioactives as functional food ingredients. Substances such as n-3 oils, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals and peptides provide a myriad of health benefits, including reduction of cardiovascular diseases, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory activities. New marine bioactives are recently gaining attention, since they could be helpful in combating chronic inflammatory degenerative conditions. The aim of this review is to examine the published studies concerning the potential pharmacological properties and application of many marine bioactives against inflammatory diseases.     

Marine Carotenoids against Oxidative Stress: Effects on Human Health

Carotenoids are lipid-soluble pigments that are produced in some plants, algae, fungi, and bacterial species, which accounts for their orange and yellow hues. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants thanks to their ability to quench singlet oxygen, to be oxidized, to be isomerized, and to scavenge free radicals, which plays a crucial role in the etiology of several diseases. Unusual marine environments are associated with a great chemical diversity, resulting in novel bioactive molecules. Thus, marine organisms may represent an important source of novel biologically active substances for the development of therapeutics. In this respect, various novel marine carotenoids have recently been isolated from marine organisms and displayed several utilizations as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Marine carotenoids (astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, β-carotene, lutein but also the rare siphonaxanthin, sioxanthin, and myxol) have recently shown antioxidant properties in reducing oxidative stress markers. This review aims to describe the role of marine carotenoids against oxidative stress and their potential applications in preventing and treating inflammatory diseases.     

Use of Banana (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Musa acuminata</Emphasis> Colla AAA) Peel Extract as an Antioxidant Source in Orange Juices

Using banana peel extract as an antioxidant in freshly squeezed orange juices and juices from concentrate was evaluated. Free radical scavenging capacity increased by adding banana peel extracts to both types of orange juice. In addition, remarkable increases in antioxidant capacity using 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical were observed when equal or greater than 5 mg of banana peel extract per ml of freshly squeezed juice was added. No clear effects were observed in the capacity to inhibit lipid peroxidation. Adding 5 mg banana peel extract per ml of orange juice did not substantially modify the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of either type of juice. However, undesirable changes in the sensory characteristics (in-mouth sensations and colour) were detected when equal or greater than 10 mg banana peel extract per ml of orange juice was added. These results confirm that banana peel is a promising natural additive that increases the capacity to scavenge free radicals of orange juice with acceptable sensory and physicochemical characteristics for the consumer.     

Chemical composition and organoleptic evaluation of juice from steamed cashew apple blended with orange juice

Fully riped cashew apples (yellow variety) were steamed for 7 minutes prior to juice extraction. The extracted juice was blended with various proportions of sweet orange juice. Chemical composition and organoleptic evaluation were carried out on both the blended and unblended juices. The ascorbic acid content of unsteamed cashew apple juice was 287 mg/100 ml. Steaming of the cashew apple prior to juice extraction resulted in a decreased (230 mg/100 ml) content of ascorbic acid. It also led to slight decreases in soluble solids and titratable acidity. A comparison of the chemical composition of the two juices showed that the orange juice contained more sugars, titratable acidity and soluble solids but less ascorbic acid than cashew apple juice. Consequently, the soluble solids, titratable acidity, reducing and total sugars of the blends increased with increase in the proportions of orange juice while the content of ascorbic acid was decreasing. In spite of the decrease in ascorbic acid content of the blends, results showed that blended juice would no doubt be a very good source of ascorbic acid. Result of the organoleptic evaluation revealed that a 60% cashew apple and 40% orange juice gave a good quality juice in terms of flavor, after taste and overall acceptability.     

Increased Antioxidant Content in Juice Enriched with Dried Extract of Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Peel

Antioxidants are compounds responsible for free radical scavenging in the body. They protect the organism from oxidative modification of cells and tissues. These modifications have been associated with degenerative diseases, atherosclerosis and carcinogenesis. Punica granatum displays high antioxidant potential due to the presence of phenolic compounds, which are capable of disease prevention. The present study showed the highest antioxidant activity in pomegranate peel than in seeds and pulp. Based on these results, pomegranate peel was used to produce dried extract that was added to commercial tomato juice and orange juice with strawberries. Analysis to determine the content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity was performed on pomegranate pulp, seeds and peel and in juices enriched with dried extract of pomegranate peel. The dried extract was responsible for a significant increase in antioxidant activity of the juices, proportional to the concentrations added. However, although both flavors of enriched juices displayed high antioxidant levels, the samples with higher dried extract concentrations received the lowest scores from sensory analysis participants due to the characteristic astringent flavor of pomegranate peels. Therefore, to obtain greater acceptance in the consumer market, we concluded that the maximum addition of dried pomegranate peel extract is 0.5% in tomato juice and orange juice with strawberries.     

橙汁魔芋水晶软糖的生产工艺

以魔芋精粉为主要原料,以橙汁作为增味剂并辅以其他食品添加剂,对pH值、果胶量、糖酸比和凝胶温度等因素进行分析并采用正交法优选,制得有橙汁风味、营养丰富的水晶软糖,同时对产品进行感官、理化和微生物分析。结果表明,pH4．5,果胶含量1．1％,糖酸比90：1,凝胶温度63℃,最佳干燥时间18h,干燥温度55℃条件下可研制出组织状态、色泽和口感均优良的软糖。     

Effects of Pomegranate Juice on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: a Double-Blinded,Randomized Crossover Controlled Trial

The aim of this study is to investigate the simultaneous effect of pomegranate juice on components of the metabolic syndrome, including high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as an inflammatory index and glycemic and lipid profile indices in patients with metabolic syndrome. In a double- blind 2*2 crossover study, 30 individuals suffering from metabolic syndrome received a daily dose of 500 mL pomegranate juice for a period of one week. After one week of wash out period, they received a placebo for one week. Lipid profile, blood glucose control indices including fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and hs-CRP were measured at the beginning and end of the study. To analyze the data, a repeated measure analysis of variance and a t-test were performed. The results indicated that in comparison to the placebo, pomegranate juice was more effective in reducing the systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.00) and hs-CRP (p = 0.018). The level of triglyceride (p = 0.030) and very low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (VLDL-C) (p = 0.014) were increased after the consumption of pomegranate juice, as opposed to the baseline condition. The rest of lipid profile, fasting blood glucose (FBS), insulin, and HOMA-IR of the participants did not show any significant difference. Natural pomegranate juice supplementation lowered the level of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with metabolic syndrome as well as their blood hs-CRP. However, it also increased their triglyceride and VLDL-C.     

Marine carotenoids and oxidative stress

Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species plays an important role in the etiology of many diseases. Dietary phytochemical products, such as bioactive food components and marine carotenoids (asthaxantin, lutein, β-carotene, fucoxanthin), have shown an antioxidant effect in reducing oxidative markers stress. Scientific evidence supports the beneficial role of phytochemicals in the prevention of some chronic diseases. Many carotenoids with high antioxidant properties have shown a reduction in disease risk both in epidemiological studies and supplementation human trials. However, controlled clinical trials and dietary intervention studies using well-defined subjects population have not provided clear evidence of these substances in the prevention of diseases. The most important aspects of this special issue will cover the synthesis, biological activities, and clinical applications of marine carotenoids, with particular attention to recent evidence regarding anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.     

The storage effects of calcium-fortified orange juice concentrate in different packaging materials

Orange juice concentrate has been fortified with calcium in order to fulfil part of the recommended daily allowance of calcium and to overcome the problem of the shortage of milk and dairy products in Egypt. The loss of quality of calcium-fortified and unfortified orange juice concentrate was evaluated in three different packaging materials and when stored for ten weeks at room temperature. The results showed that vitamin C content decreased during storage for both the fortified and the unfortified samples. The trend of ascorbic acid breakdown was similar in all packaging treatments. The total titratable acidity declined during storage period; however, the decline was higher in the unfortified sample than in the fortified one. Also, the pH values increased along with the storage period. The results illustrated that the color values of both the fortified and unfortified diluted orange juice concentrate changed little at the end of the storage period. However, the samples packaged in low density polyethylene bags had the higher orange in the color values R and Y. The changes in the iron content for both samples was negligible during the storage period. However, a very slight change in the calcium content (4.5% and 4%) was observed after ten weeks of storage for both the unfortified and the fortified samples respectively. The acceptability of fortified orange juice rated higher than the unfortified one. The panelists' evaluation values were affected by the packaging treatment and storage time. The samples packaged in low density polyethylene bags had a higher level of decline of the panelists' evaluations than the ones packaged in laminated pouches or cans, while the latter had a lower level of decline.     

Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms of Fucoidans to Treat Inflammatory Diseases: A Review

Fucoidans are sulfated heteropolysaccharides found in the cell walls of brown seaweeds (Phaeophyceae) and in some marine invertebrates. Generally, fucoidans are composed of significant amounts of L-fucose and sulfate groups, and lesser amounts of arabinose, galactose, glucose, glucuronic acid, mannose, rhamnose, and xylose. In recent years, fucoidans isolated from brown seaweeds have gained considerable attention owing to their promising bioactive properties such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties. Inflammation is a complex immune response that protects the organs from infection and tissue injury. While controlled inflammatory responses are beneficial to the host, leading to the removal of immunostimulants from the host tissues and restoration of structural and physiological functions in the host tissues, chronic inflammatory responses are often associated with the pathogenesis of tumor development, arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, the authors mainly discuss the studies since 2016 that have reported anti-inflammatory properties of fucoidans isolated from various brown seaweeds, and their potential as a novel functional material for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.     

茶叶的调节免疫作用

免疫力是人体抵抗致病微生物,清除自身病变细胞、衰老细胞和损伤细胞等能力。免疫功能是否正常,是人们能否抵抗疾病和保持健康状态的重要基石。免疫学研究证明,人类90%以上的疾病都与免疫系统的功能异常有关。随着人们食物结构和饮食习惯的改变、工作与生活压力的增大、环境污染的加重,以及老龄化社会的来临,导致免疫力变差,使免疫相关的疾病增加。国内外大量研究表明,茶叶及其功能成分(茶多酚/儿茶素、茶氨酸、茶多糖、茶色素等)具有显著的免疫调节作用。茶叶可以通过调节炎症性免疫、代谢性免疫、肠道免疫、癌症免疫以及抑制病原微生物感染,减低人体发生免疫介导性疾病的风险。本文综合国内外的研究成果,从免疫系统与免疫调节、茶叶的免疫调节机制、茶叶活性成分的免疫调节作用和茶叶调节免疫的临床试验效果4个方面阐述了茶叶的免疫调节作用,旨在为健康饮茶增强人体免疫力提供科学依据。     

Potential Anti-Aging Substances Derived from Seaweeds

Aging is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The exact mechanisms underlying the aging process are not fully elucidated. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that several pathways, such as sirtuin, AMP-activated protein kinase, insulin-like growth factor, autophagy, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 play critical roles in regulating aging. Furthermore, genetic or dietary interventions of these pathways can extend lifespan by delaying the aging process. Seaweeds are a food source rich in many nutrients, including fibers, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds. The health benefits of seaweeds include, but are not limited to, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obese activities. Interestingly, a body of studies shows that some seaweed-derived extracts or isolated compounds, can modulate these aging-regulating pathways or even extend lifespans of various animal models. However, few such studies have been conducted on higher animals or even humans. In this review, we focused on potential anti-aging bioactive substances in seaweeds that have been studied in cells and animals mainly based on their anti-aging cellular and molecular mechanisms.     

Impact of DHA on Metabolic Diseases from Womb to Tomb

Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are important mediators in improving and maintaining human health over the total lifespan. One topic we especially focus on in this review is omega-3 LC-PUFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Adequate DHA levels are essential during neurodevelopment and, in addition, beneficial in cognitive processes throughout life. We review the impact of DHA on societal relevant metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM). All of these are risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia in later life. DHA supplementation is associated with a reduced incidence of both stroke and atherosclerosis, lower bodyweight and decreased T2DM prevalence. These findings are discussed in the light of different stages in the human life cycle: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and in later life. From this review, it can be concluded that DHA supplementation is able to inhibit pathologies like obesity and cardiovascular disease. DHA could be a dietary protector against these metabolic diseases during a person’s entire lifespan. However, supplementation of DHA in combination with other dietary factors is also effective. The efficacy of DHA depends on its dose as well as on the duration of supplementation, sex, and age.     

The Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Algae-Derived Lipid Extracts on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-Stimulated Human THP-1 Macrophages

Algae contain a number of anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and chlorophyll a, hence as dietary ingredients, their extracts may be effective in chronic inflammation-linked metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. In this study, anti-inflammatory potential of lipid extracts from three red seaweeds (Porphyra dioica, Palmaria palmata and Chondrus crispus) and one microalga (Pavlova lutheri) were assessed in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human THP-1 macrophages. Extracts contained 34%–42% total fatty acids as n-3 PUFA and 5%–7% crude extract as pigments, including chlorophyll a, β-carotene and fucoxanthin. Pretreatment of the THP-1 cells with lipid extract from P. palmata inhibited production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 (p < 0.05) and IL-8 (p < 0.05) while that of P. lutheri inhibited IL-6 (p < 0.01) production. Quantitative gene expression analysis of a panel of 92 genes linked to inflammatory signaling pathway revealed down-regulation of the expression of 14 pro-inflammatory genes (TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR8, TRAF5, TRAF6, TNFSF18, IL6R, IL23, CCR1, CCR4, CCL17, STAT3, MAP3K1) by the lipid extracts. The lipid extracts effectively inhibited the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory signaling pathways mediated via toll-like receptors, chemokines and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling molecules. These results suggest that lipid extracts from P. lutheri, P. palmata, P. dioica and C. crispus can inhibit LPS-induced inflammatory pathways in human macrophages. Therefore, algal lipid extracts should be further explored as anti-inflammatory ingredients for chronic inflammation-linked metabolic diseases.     

Inhibition of Bladder Tumor Growth by Chitooligosaccharides in an Experimental Carcinogenesis Model

Urinary bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with the highest incidence in industrialized countries. Patients with cancer commonly use unconventional and complementary therapy including nutraceuticals. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of chitooligosaccharides (in orange juice) in rat bladder cancer chemoprevention and as therapeutic agent, on a rat model of urinary bladder carcinogenesis induced with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine. Results indicate that chitooligosaccharides may have a preventive effect on bladder cancer development and a curative effect upon established bladder tumors, dependent on the concentration ingested 500 mg/kg b.w., every three days, showed capacity to inhibit and prevent the proliferation of bladder cancer; however, this was associated with secondary effects such as hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. The use of lower doses (50 and 250 mg/kg b.w.) showed only therapeutic effects. It is further suggested that this antitumor effect might be due to its expected anti-inflammatory action, as well as by mechanisms not directly dependent of COX-2 inhibition, such as cellular proliferation control and improvement in antioxidant profile.     

Whole grain phytochemicals and health

Phytochemicals and antioxidants in whole grains have not received as much attention as the phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables although the increased consumption of whole grains and whole grain products has been associated with reduced risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and all-cause mortality. Recent research has shown that the total phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of whole grains have been commonly underestimated in the literature, and that whole grains contain more phytochemicals than was previously reported. Most whole grain phenolics are in bound form, 85% in corn, 76% in wheat, and 75% in oats. In addition, whole grains contain unique phytochemicals that complement those in fruits and vegetables when consumed together. The beneficial effects associated with whole grain consumption are in part due to the existence of the unique phytochemicals of whole grains. The majority of phytochemicals of whole grains that are beneficial for health are present in the bran/germ fraction. In whole wheat flour, the bran/germ fraction contributed 83% of total phenolic content, 79% of total flavonoid content, 78% of total zeaxanthin, 51% of total lutein, and 42% of total β-cryptoxanthin. The bran/germ fraction of whole wheat may therefore impart greater health benefits when consumed as part of a diet, and help reduce the risk of chronic diseases. This paper will review recent research on the phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of whole grains and their unique contribution to the health benefits of whole grains.     

Pulp in Shop-Bought Orange Juice Has Little Effect on Flavonoid Content and Gut Bacterial Flavanone Degradation In Vitro

Orange juice is an important source of flavanones in the Western diet. However, little is known of the variation in flavanone content of shop-bought orange juice with pulp (OJP) or without pulp (OJ), nor the impact of pulp on the fate of flavanones in the gut. Total phenols, total flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, hesperidin and narirutin, and dietary fibre were measured in six orange juice brands sold as OJP and OJ. The inclusion of pulp had little impact on fibre content. Apart from total phenols (OJ: 208.4?±?10.7 μg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) ml^?1; OJP: 225.9?±?16.7 μg GAE ml^?1, P?<?0.05), there were no differences between OJ and OJP. The fate of flavanones in OJ and OJP (Tropicana) were further compared using in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) models. After in vitro upper GI digestion, recovery of hesperidin was higher in OJ compared with OJP (89?±?6 vs. 68?±?3%, P?=?0.033). After 2 h colonic fermentation, hesperidin was 1.2 fold higher in OJP than OJ. However, after 24 h colonic fermentation there was no significant difference between juices in terms of hesperidin, hesperetin, narirutin, naringenin and catabolites. In conclusion, the amount of pulp included in these shop-bought orange juices had little impact on flavanone metabolism in models of the GI tract. The effects of greater amounts of orange pulp remain to be determined.

     

Whole grain phytochemicals and health

Phytochemicals and antioxidants in whole grains have not received as much attention as the phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables although the increased consumption of whole grains and whole grain products has been associated with reduced risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and all-cause mortality. Recent research has shown that the total phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of whole grains have been commonly underestimated in the literature, and that whole grains contain more phytochemicals than was previously reported. Most whole grain phenolics are in bound form, 85% in corn, 76% in wheat, and 75% in oats. In addition, whole grains contain unique phytochemicals that complement those in fruits and vegetables when consumed together. The beneficial effects associated with whole grain consumption are in part due to the existence of the unique phytochemicals of whole grains. The majority of phytochemicals of whole grains that are beneficial for health are present in the bran/germ fraction. In whole wheat flour, the bran/germ fraction contributed 83% of total phenolic content, 79% of total flavonoid content, 78% of total zeaxanthin, 51% of total lutein, and 42% of total β-cryptoxanthin. The bran/germ fraction of whole wheat may therefore impart greater health benefits when consumed as part of a diet, and help reduce the risk of chronic diseases. This paper will review recent research on the phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of whole grains and their unique contribution to the health benefits of whole grains.     

Integrated utilisation of green biomass in the green biorefinery

Grass, clover and alfalfa are used for production of fodder pellets. In the green crop drying factories in the northern countries the drying is combined with pressing of the green crops resulting in production of large volumes of plant juices, green and brown juice. In order to get rid of these enormous amounts of plant juice, representing an environmental threat, it is our aim to convert the simple drying industry to a whole crop utilisation factory, a green biorefinery, where the plant juice can be used as raw material in a fermentation process. As the plant juice is very unstable, it has been necessary to develop a method for both conservation and utilisation of the juice. The plant juice is converted to a nice universal fermentation medium by lactic acid bacteria. A number of lactic acid producing strains have been tested. Among the most productive strains, Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei P4155 is found to be the most effective in utilising fructans and citric acid. Most carbohydrates and organic acids in the juice can be converted to lactic acid by two homofermentative lactobacilli. The highest lactic acid yield and productivity is reached when using not-heat sterilised brown or green juice as the fermentation medium. The amount of free amino acids in the juice is increased and the content of vitamins and other important growth factors kept unspoiled by the lactic acid fermentation. The fermented juice can be stored as it is or evaporated to a concentrated form and used in fermentation industries for production of amino acids, organic acids, enzymes etc.     

Fiber from tangerine juice industry

The four main tangerine varieties (Oroval, Hernandina, Fortuna and Clemenville) processed in the Mediterranean region were analyzed for juice yield, diverse by-products obtained in industrial processing (peel, core and frit) and fiber content: crude fiber (CF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), from the by-products (peel, core and frit) obtained in tangerine processing in pilot plant tests. Not much work is reported which is related to the effect on the characteristics of citrus by-products due to the configuration of the components in citrus juice extractors. In recent works, there appears to be a relationship between particle size and treatment, and the physiological functions of, at least, orange fibers. In this work, it was possible to correlate the configuration (as fruit size adaptation of it) and characteristics of the fiber obtained from the by-products. The variety Hernadina has the highest juice content and therefore has less peel, core and frit. The Oroval variety has more frit content, two times more than Hernandina and Clemenville and three times more than Fortuna. As regards crude fiber results it is clearly significant that the Oroval variety has a higher content than the rest of varieties. Regarding components, the core has the least fiber content and frit the highest. These results are useful to support marketing strategies based on the high dietetic fiber content of Clementines. This fiber could have a huge potential for food and pharmacy as an alternative to cereal fiber, improving economical profits from the tangerine juice extraction process.