Dietary fiber as a wide pillar of colorectal cancer prevention and adjuvant therapy

Modification, biological activity, applications, and future trends of citrus fiber as a functional component: A comprehensive review

Citrus fiber, a by-product of citrus processing that has significant nutritional and bioactive properties, has gained attention as a promising raw material with extensive developmental potential in the food, pharmaceutical, and feed industries. However, the lack of in-depth understanding regarding citrus fiber, including its structure, modification, mechanism of action, and potential applications is holding back its development and utilization in functional foods and drugs. This review explores the status of extraction methods and modifications applied to citrus fiber to augment its health benefits. With the aim of introducing readers to the potential health benefits of citrus fibers, we have placed special emphasis on their regulatory mechanisms in the context of various conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer. Furthermore, this review highlights the applications and prospects of citrus fiber, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the utilization and exploration of this valuable resource.

Diet-Wide Association, Genetic Susceptibility and Colorectal Cancer Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Both genetic and dietary factors play significant roles in the etiology of colorectal cancer (CRC). To evaluate the relationship between certain food exposures and the risk of CRC, we carried out a large-scale association analysis in the UK Biobank.

METHODS

The associations of 139 foods and nutrients' intake with CRC risk were assessed among 118,210 participants. A polygenic risk score (PRS) of CRC was created to explore any interaction between dietary factors and genetic susceptibility in CRC risk. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of CRC risk linked to dietary variables and PRS were estimated using Cox regression models. Multiple comparisons were corrected using the error discovery rate (FDR).

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up of 12.8 years, 1466 incidents of CRC were identified. In the UK Biobank, alcohol and white bread were associated with increased CRC risk, and their HRs were 1.08 (95% CI: 1.03-1.14; FDRP = 0.028) and 1.10 (95% CI: 1.05-1.16; FDRP = 0.003), whereas dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese intakes were inversely associated. We found no evidence of any PRS-nutrient interaction relationship in relation to CRC risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that higher intakes of alcohol and white bread are associated with increased CRC risk, whilst dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese are inversely associated.

Nature's soothing solution: Harnessing the potential of food-derived polysaccharides to control inflammation

Reducing inflammation by diet is a major goal for prevention or lowering symptoms of a variety of diseases, such as auto-immune reactions and cancers. Natural polysaccharides are increasingly gaining attention due to their potential immunomodulating capacity. Structures of those molecules are highly important for their effects on the innate immune system, cytokine production and secretion, and enzymes in immune cells. Such polysaccharides include β-glucans, pectins, fucoidans, and fructans. To better understand the potential of these immunomodulatory molecules, it is crucial to enhance dedicated research in the area. A bibliometric analysis was performed to set a starting observation point. Major pillars of inflammation, such as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), enzymatic production of inflammatory molecules, and involvement in specific pathways such as Nuclear-factor kappa-B (NF-kB), involved in cell transcription, survival, and cytokine production, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), a regulator of genetic expression, mitosis, and cell differentiation. Therefore, the outcomes from polysaccharide applications in those scenarios are discussed.

Unveiling Plant-Based Pectins: Exploring the Interplay of Direct Effects, Fermentation, and Technological Applications in Clinical Research with a Focus on the Chemical Structure

Pectin, a plant-derived polysaccharide, possesses immense technological and biological application value. Several variables influence pectin's physicochemical aspects, resulting in different fermentations, interactions with receptors, and other functional properties. Some of those variables are molecular weight, degree of methylation and blockiness, and monosaccharide composition. Cancer cell cytotoxicity, important fermentation-related byproducts, immunomodulation, and technological application were found in cell culture, animal models, and preclinical and clinical assessments. One of the greater extents of recent pectin technological usage involves nanoencapsulation methods for many different compounds, ranging from chemotherapy and immunotherapy to natural extracts from fruits and other sources. Structural modification (modified pectin) is also utilized to enhance the use of dietary fiber. Although pectin is already recognized as a component of significant importance, there is still a need for a comprehensive review that delves into its intricate relationships with biological effects, which depend on the source and structure of pectin. This review covers all levels of clinical research, including cell culture, animal studies, and clinical trials, to understand how the plant source and pectin structures influence the biological effects in humans and some technological applications of pectin regarding human health.