Editorial Board Members’ Collection Series: Potential Health Benefits of Plant Food-Derived Bioactive Components

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2023) | Viewed by 6521

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Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: environmental impact assessment; environmental analysis; ecology; plant biology; food; forestry; agroforestry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant-derived bioactive compounds (PDBC), mainly the so-called secondary metabolism compounds have been reported to have beneficial effects in different human health diseases. Some of these compounds are derived from well-known fruits, cereals, nuts and vegetables, while others are poorly studied despite originating from wild plants used by humans (food or ailment) worldwide. The most common PDBCs are alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenes, and saponins, among others, and the beneficial effects on human health are abundant. Alkaloids such as vinblastine or vincristine have long been recognized to have anti-cancer activities, while the antioxidant activity of dietary polyphenols (anthocyanins, coumarins, flavonoids) is important in preventing oxidative stress-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases. Plant terpenes might have anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting various proinflammatory pathways in bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, while the great diversity of saponins has a wide range of pharmacological properties including antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant effects.

Prof. Dr. Gian Carlo Tenore
Dr. Ren-You Gan
Dr. Fernando Henrique Reboredo
Dr. Francisca Rodrigues
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • food plants
  • human health benefits
  • secondary metabolism compounds
  • wild plants

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 25681 KiB  
Article
Thermal Degradation of Vegetable Oils
by Yi-Hsiou Tsai, Donyau Chiang, Yu-Ting Li, Tsong-Pyng Perng and Sanboh Lee
Foods 2023, 12(9), 1839; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091839 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2079
Abstract
Vegetable oils provide lipids and nutrition and provide foods with a desirable flavor, color, and crispy texture when used to prepare fried foods. However, the oil quality is degraded at elevated temperatures, and thus must be examined frequently because of the damage to [...] Read more.
Vegetable oils provide lipids and nutrition and provide foods with a desirable flavor, color, and crispy texture when used to prepare fried foods. However, the oil quality is degraded at elevated temperatures, and thus must be examined frequently because of the damage to human health. In this study, sunflower, soybean, olive, and canola oils were examined, and their properties were measured periodically at different elevated temperatures. The unsaturated triglyceride in oils reacted with the environmental oxygen or water vapor significantly changes in optical absorbance, viscosity, electrical impedance, and acid value. We used defect kinetics to analyze the evolution of these oil properties at elevated temperatures. The optical absorbance, viscosity, and electrical impedance follow the second-order, first-order, and zeroth-order kinetics, respectively. The rate constants of the above kinetics satisfy the Arrhenius equation. Olive oil has the lowest rate of color center and dynamic viscosity among the four oils, with the smallest pre-exponential factor and the largest activation energy, respectively. The rate constants of acid reaction also satisfy the Arrhenius equation. The activation energies of the polar compound and acid reaction are almost the same, respectively, implying that the rate constant is controlled by a pre-exponential factor if four oils are compared. Olive oil has the largest rate constant of acid reaction among the four oils, with the lowest pre-exponential factor. Full article
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32 pages, 1391 KiB  
Review
Composition, Microbiota, Mechanisms, and Anti-Obesity Properties of Rice Bran
by Bhagavathi Sundaram Sivamaruthi, Karthikeyan Alagarsamy, Subramanian Thangaleela, Muruganantham Bharathi, Periyanaina Kesika and Chaiyavat Chaiyasut
Foods 2023, 12(6), 1300; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12061300 - 18 Mar 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3683
Abstract
Rice is a major cereal crop and a staple food for nearly 50% of people worldwide. Rice bran (RB) is a nutrient-rich by-product of rice processing. RB is rich in carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, lipids, minerals, and several trace elements (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, [...] Read more.
Rice is a major cereal crop and a staple food for nearly 50% of people worldwide. Rice bran (RB) is a nutrient-rich by-product of rice processing. RB is rich in carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, lipids, minerals, and several trace elements (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and manganese). The extraction process and storage have influenced RB extracts and RB oil’s quality. The RB composition has also varied on the rice cultivars. The color of RB indicates the richness of the bioactive compounds, especially anthocyanins. γ-oryzanol, tocopherols, tocotrienols, and unsaturated fatty acids are major components of RB oil. It has been established that RB supplementation could improve the host’s health status. Several preclinical and clinical studies have reported that RB has antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anticolitis, and antidiabetic properties. The beneficial biological properties of RB are partially attributed to its ability to alter the host microbiome and help to maintain and restore eubiosis. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and lung disease, account for 74% of deaths worldwide. Obesity is a global health problem and is a major reason for the development of NCDs. The medical procedures for managing obesity are expensive and long-term health supplements are required to maintain a healthy weight. Thus, cost-effective natural adjuvant therapeutic strategy is crucial to treat and manage obesity. Several studies have revealed that RB could be a complementary pharmacological candidate to treat obesity. A comprehensive document with basic information and recent scientific results on the anti-obesity activity of RB and RB compounds is obligatory. Thus, the current manuscript was prepared to summarize the composition of RB and the influence of RB on the host microbiome, possible mechanisms, and preclinical and clinical studies on the anti-obesity properties of RB. This study suggested that the consumption of RB oil and dietary RB extracts might assist in managing obesity-associated health consequences. Further, extended clinical studies in several ethnic groups are required to develop dietary RB-based functional and nutritional supplements, which could serve as an adjuvant therapeutic strategy to treat obesity. Full article
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