'Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food': Hippocrates revisited

Thinking Beyond Food to Nutrition and Beyond Cells to Immunology

By the time I was tasked to lead a Special Issue on the "Impacts of Micronutrients on Immune System and Inflammatory Diseases", seeing publications from so many different areas was something I could not have expected [...].

Food Preservation in the Industrial Revolution Epoch: Innovative High Pressure Processing (HPP, HPT) for the 21st-Century Sustainable Society

The paper presents the 'progressive review' for high pressure preservation/processing (HPP) (cold pasteurization) of foods and the next-generation high-pressure and high temperature (HPHT, HPT) food sterilization technologies. It recalls the basics of HPP and HPT, showing their key features and advantages. It does not repeat detailed results regarding HPP and HPT implementations for specific foods, available in numerous excellent review papers. This report focuses on HPP and HPT-related issues that remain challenging and can hinder further progress. For HPP implementations, the reliable modeling of microorganisms' number decay after different times of high pressure treatment or product storage is essential. This report indicates significant problems with model equations standard nonlinear fitting paradigm and introduces the distortion-sensitive routine enabling the ultimate validation. An innovative concept based on the barocaloric effect is proposed for the new generation of HPT technology. The required high temperature appears only for a strictly defined short time period controlled by the maximal pressure value. Results of the feasibility test using neopentyl glycol as the barocaloric medium are presented. Attention is also paid to feedback interactions between socioeconomic and technological issues in the ongoing Industrial Revolution epoch. It indicates economic constraints for HPP and HPT developments and emerging business possibilities. The discussion recalls the inherent feedback interactions between technological and socioeconomic innovations as the driving force for the Industrial Revolution epoch.

Edible Insects in Thailand: An Overview of Status, Properties, Processing, and Utilization in the Food Industry

Edible insects have become increasingly popular in Thailand as a nutritious and appealing alternative food source. As the edible insect industry in the country expands rapidly, efforts are being made to transform it into an economically viable sector with substantial commercial potential. Some of the most consumed and sold edible insects in Thailand include locusts, palm weevils, silkworm pupae, bamboo caterpillars, crickets, red ants, and giant water bugs. With its strong growth, Thailand has the potential to emerge as a global leader in the production and promotion of edible insect products. Edible insects are an excellent source of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. In particular, crickets and grasshoppers are protein-rich, with the average protein content of edible insects ranging from 35 to 60 g/100 g of dry weight or 10 to 25 g/100 g of fresh weight. This surpasses the protein content of many plant-based sources. However, the hard exoskeleton of insects, which is high in chitin, can make them difficult to digest. In addition to their nutritional value, edible insects contain biologically active compounds that offer various health benefits. These include antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-collagenase, elastase-inhibitory, α-glucosidase-inhibitory, pancreatic lipase-inhibitory, antidiabetic/insulin-like/insulin-like peptide (ApILP), antidiabetic, anti-aging, and immune-enhancing properties. The Thai food industry can process and utilize edible insects in diverse ways, such as low-temperature processing, including refrigeration and freezing, traditional processing techniques, and incorporating insects into products, such as flour, protein, oil, and canned food. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the status, functional properties, processing, and utilization of edible insects in Thailand, and it serves as a valuable resource for those interested in edible insects and provides guidance for their application in various fields.

Molecular insights and therapeutic implications of nanoengineered dietary polyphenols for targeting lung carcinoma: part I

Lung cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, and non-small-cell lung cancer accounts for most lung cancer cases. Nanotechnology-based drug-delivery systems have exhibited immense potential in lung cancer therapy due to their fascinating physicochemical characteristics, in vivo stability, bioavailability, prolonged and targeted delivery, gastrointestinal absorption and therapeutic efficiency of their numerous chemotherapeutic agents. However, traditional chemotherapeutics have systemic toxicity issues; therefore, dietary polyphenols might potentially replace them in lung cancer treatment. Polyphenol-based targeted nanotherapeutics have demonstrated interaction with a multitude of protein targets and cellular signaling pathways that affect major cellular processes. This review summarizes the various molecular mechanisms and targeted therapeutic potentials of nanoengineered dietary polyphenols in the effective management of lung cancer.

Review on nutraceuticals: phase transition from preventive to protective care

Nutraceuticals are essential for healthcare which is an alternative medicine that has gained popularity in recent years. Nutraceuticals consist of nutrients, herbals, and dietary supplements, which make them useful in preserving and promoting health, fighting illness, and improving overall quality of life. Its success or failure will be determined by its rapid expansion, research advances, lack of standards, marketing enthusiasm, quality assurance, and regulations. Nutraceuticals have been used in different regions under different names/categories. however, globally there are no stringent pharmaceutical standards for nutraceutical health products till date, but slowly regulators are paying attention on it. Nutraceuticals can be broadly classified according to it clinical significance, source and therapeutic effects. Nutraceuticals and functional foods have grown to be a multibillion-dollar business worldwide in recent years and personalization is the emerging approach to deliver the best therapeutic effect in future. This review carries extensive information about nutraceutical history, classification, regulatory aspects and industrial perspective.

Polyphenols in Ruminant Nutrition and Their Effects on Reproduction

The feeding of domestic animals with diets in which polyphenols are present is increasingly attracting the attention of nutritionists and scientists. This review summarizes the knowledge regarding polyphenols' possible positive and negative effects and their bioavailability. The bioavailability of substances is a prerequisite for any postabsorption effect in vivo. Positive and negative properties have been confirmed in previous studies on the diets of domestic animals rich in polyphenols, such as secondary metabolites of plants. Free radicals are formed in every organism, leading to oxidative stress. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules and can react in cells with macromolecules and can cause damage, including in reproductive cells. Some polyphenols at specific concentrations have antioxidant properties that positively affect animal reproduction by improving the quality of male and female gametes. The intake of phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen function can induce various pathological conditions in the female reproductive tract, including ovarian, fallopian, and uterine dysfunction. The metabolism of genistein and daidzein yields the metabolites equol and p-phenyl-phenol, leading to a decline in cow fertilization. The findings so far confirm that numerous questions still need to be answered. This review points out the importance of using polyphenols that have both benificial and some unfavorable properties in specific diets.

Exploring the Role and Potential of Probiotics in the Field of Mental Health: Major Depressive Disorder

The field of probiotic has been exponentially expanding over the recent decades with a more therapeutic-centered research. Probiotics mediated microbiota modulation within the microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGBA) have been proven to be beneficial in various health domains through pre-clinical and clinical studies. In the context of mental health, although probiotic research is still in its infancy stage, the promising role and potential of probiotics in various mental disorders demonstrated via in-vivo and in-vitro studies have laid a strong foundation for translating preclinical models to humans. The exploration of the therapeutic role and potential of probiotics in major depressive disorder (MDD) is an extremely noteworthy field of research. The possible etio-pathological mechanisms of depression involving inflammation, neurotransmitters, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and epigenetic mechanisms potentially benefit from probiotic intervention. Probiotics, both as an adjunct to antidepressants or a stand-alone intervention, have a beneficial role and potential in mitigating anti-depressive effects, and confers some advantages compared to conventional treatments of depression using anti-depressants.

Phenolic Compounds and Its Bioavailability: In Vitro Bioactive Compounds or Health Promoters?

Botanical preparations present a widespread and secular history of use. In fact, natural matrices possess a rich pool of phytochemicals, with promising biological effects. Among them, phenolic compounds have revealed to confer very important attributes to improve the well-being and longevity of worldwide population. Numerous in vitro studies have been carried out evaluating the wide spectrum of bioactivities of phenolic compounds, including its health effects, but through in vivo experiments some of these previous results cannot be properly confirmed, and considerable variations are observed. Pharmacokinetic parameters, including the assessment of bioavailability and bioefficacy of phenolic compounds, still continue to be largely investigated and considered a great hot topic among the food science and technology researchers. Thus, based on these crucial aspects, this chapter aims to provide an extensive approach about the question of the bioavailability of phenolic compounds, describing its biosynthetic routes and related mechanisms of action; to focus on the current facts and existing controversies, highlighting the importance of in vivo studies and the impact of phenolic compounds on the quality of life and longevity.

"I Am I and My Bacterial Circumstances": Linking Gut Microbiome, Neurodevelopment, and Depression

Recently, there has been renewed interest in the role played by microbiome in both human health and human disease. A correct equilibrium between the human host and their microorganisms is important for an appropriate physiological function. Extensive research has shown that microbes that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract-or gut microbiota-are involved not only in both nutritive and digestive activities but also in immunological processes. Moreover, the gut microbiome influences both central nervous system and energy homeostasis. An altered gut microbiome has been associated with the pathophysiology of different diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders. Apparently, both environmental-diet, exposition to antibiotics, and infections-and host-genetic factors have a strong influence on gut microbiome, modulating the risk for neuropsychiatric illness. Also, early life disruption of the microbiome-gut-brain (MGB) axis has been associated with an increased risk of developing depression later in life, suggesting a link between gut microbiome, neurodevelopment, and depression. This review aims to contribute to this growing area of research by exploring the role played by the gut microbiome in neurodevelopment and in the etiology of the depressive syndrome, including nutritional, immunological, and energy homeostasis approaches.

Allergic diseases among children: nutritional prevention and intervention

Allergic diseases comprise a genetically heterogeneous group of chronic, immunomediated diseases. It has been clearly reported that the prevalence of these diseases has been on the rise for the last few decades, but at different rates, in various areas of the world. This paper discusses the epidemiology of allergic diseases among children and their negative impact on affected patients, their families, and societies. These effects include the adverse effects on quality of life and economic costs. Medical interest has shifted from tertiary or secondary prevention to primary prevention of these chronic diseases among high-risk infants in early life. Being simple, practical, and cost-effective are mandatory features for any candidate methods delivering these strategies. Dietary therapy fits this model well, as it is simple, practical, and cost-effective, and involves diverse methods. The highest priority strategy is feeding these infants breast milk. For those who are not breast-fed, there should be a strategy to maintain beneficial gut flora that positively influences intestinal immunity. We review the current use of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, and safety and adverse effects. Other dietary modalities of possible potential in achieving this primary prevention, such as a Mediterranean diet, use of milk formula with modified (hydrolyzed) proteins, and the role of micronutrients, are also explored. Breast-feeding is effective in reducing the risk of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic eczema among children. In addition, breast milk constitutes a major source of support for gut microbe colonization, due to its bifidobacteria and galactooligosaccharide content. The literature lacks consensus in recommending the addition of probiotics to foods for prevention and treatment of allergic diseases, while prebiotics may prove to be effective in reducing atopy in healthy children. There is insufficient evidence to support soy formulas or amino acid formulas for prevention of allergic disease. A healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, may have a protective effect on the development of asthma and atopy in children. In children with asthma and allergic diseases, vitamin D deficiency correlates strongly with asthma, allergic rhinitis, and wheezing.