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Hussain A, Kausar T, Sehar S, Sarwar A, Quddoos MY, Aslam J, Liaqat A, Siddique T, An QU, Kauser S, Rehman A, Nisar R. A review on biochemical constituents of pumpkin and their role as pharma foods; a key strategy to improve health in post COVID 19 period. Food Prod Process and Nutr 2023; 5:22. [PMCID: PMC10030350 DOI: 10.1186/s43014-023-00138-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Progression of today’s world has been given setback due to the adversity of a novel, viral, deadly outbreak COVID 19, which raised the concerns of the scientists, researchers and health related officials about the inherent and adaptive immune system of the living body and its relation with healthy diet balanced with pharma foods. Now world is coming out of the destructive pandemic era, the choice of right food can help to build and boost adaptive immunity and pumpkin due to excellent profile of functional and nutraceutical constituents could be the part of both infected and non-infected person’s daily diet. Vitamins like A, C and E, minerals like zinc, iron and selenium, essential oils, peptides, carotenoids and polysaccharides present in pumpkin could accommodate the prevailing deficiencies in the body to fought against the viral pathogens. In current post COVID 19 scenario adequate supply of healthy diet, balanced with pharma foods could play a basic role in boosting immune system of the populations. This review covers the pharmacological activities of pumpkin functional constituents in relation with COVID 19 pandemic. Pumpkins are well equipped with nutraceuticals and functional bioactives like tocopherols, polyphenols, terpenoids and lutein therefore, consumption and processing of this remarkable vegetable could be encouraged as pharma food due to its antihyperlipidemic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. Need of healthy eating in current post COVID 19 period is very crucial for healthy population, and medicinal foods like pumpkin could play a vital role in developing a healthy community around the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashiq Hussain
- grid.412782.a0000 0004 0609 4693Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
- Punjab Food Authority, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Tusneem Kausar
- grid.412782.a0000 0004 0609 4693Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Sawera Sehar
- grid.440564.70000 0001 0415 4232Department of Zoology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha Sarwar
- grid.412782.a0000 0004 0609 4693Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Yousaf Quddoos
- grid.412782.a0000 0004 0609 4693Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Jawed Aslam
- grid.412782.a0000 0004 0609 4693Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Atif Liaqat
- grid.510450.5Institute of Food Science and Technology, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan
| | | | - Qurat Ul An
- grid.412782.a0000 0004 0609 4693Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Samina Kauser
- grid.412782.a0000 0004 0609 4693Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Rehman
- grid.412782.a0000 0004 0609 4693Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Rizwan Nisar
- grid.412782.a0000 0004 0609 4693Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
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Faccinetto-Beltrán P, Gómez-Fernández AR, Santacruz A, Jacobo-Velázquez DA. Chocolate as Carrier to Deliver Bioactive Ingredients: Current Advances and Future Perspectives. Foods 2021; 10:2065. [PMID: 34574174 DOI: 10.3390/foods10092065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Consumer demand for healthier foods with improved taste and convenience has urged the food industry to develop functional foods added with bioactive ingredients that can supplement basic nutrition (food supplement) or exert a pharmacological effect (nutraceuticals). Chocolate could be used as an ideal carrier to deliver bioactive ingredients, mainly due to its high acceptability by consumers. However, a drawback of using chocolate as functional food is its high sugar content, which impedes its commercialization with the diabetic population. Therefore, there is need to develop sugar-free chocolate formulations added with bioactive ingredients. Nevertheless, sugar replacement and bioactive ingredients addition is a major technological challenge that affects texture, rheology, and sensory properties of chocolate. This review is designed as a practical guide for researchers and food industries to develop the next generation of functional chocolates. Different functional chocolate formulations, including sugar-free, are reviewed as potential carriers for the delivery of bioactive compounds. The physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability of the functional chocolates presented are also highlighted. Finally, future perspectives, such as the use of nanotechnology to improve the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of active ingredients, as well as the need for clinical trials to validate the pharmacological effect of functional chocolates, are also discussed.
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