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Antioxidant and Nutritional Evaluations of Food and Their Applications in...
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Antioxidant and Nutritional Evaluations of Food and Their Applications in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2024) | Viewed by 6246

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lara Costantini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: applied nutrition; polyphenols; antioxidant activity; omega-3; retinoic acid; novel foods; food chemistry; cancer biology; hypertension; breast tissue microbiota; gut microbiota; omega-3 and microbiota
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Nicolò Merendino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: omega-3 fatty acids; food science; nutrition; biochemistry; functional foods; food security
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable chronic diseases still kill 41 million people each year (74% of all deaths globally). Among the risk factors, metabolic risk factors are included, such as: raised blood pressure, overweight/obesity, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. Metabolic risk factors are closely related to eating habits, and adherence to dietary guidelines is still too low in the general population. Additionally, many processed and ultra-processed foods still contain high levels of salt, saturated fat, and free sugars, and they are low in fiber, antioxidant compounds, vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fatty acids. The nutritional enhancement of commercial foods, although it has improved in recent years, still needs evaluation and further efforts towards healthier and plant-based alternatives. The sensory characteristics’ improvement of the nutritionally valuable foods could be a viable strategy to enhance consumer compliance to dietary guidelines.

The present Special Issue aim to collect papers concerning: the large-scale nutritional and antioxidant evaluation of commercial foods; the nutritional and antioxidant enhancement of commercial foods; the use of innovative ingredients and processes to improve the nutritional and antioxidant characteristics of commercial foods; the use of innovative ingredients and processes to improve the sensory characteristics of nutritionally valuable foods.

Dr. Lara Costantini
Dr. Nicolò Merendino
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • noncommunicable chronic diseases
  • prevention
  • dietary guideline
  • antioxidants
  • processed and ultra-processed foods
  • salt
  • saturated fat
  • free sugars
  • fibers
  • sensory characteristics

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 5873 KiB  
Article
The Protective Effect against Lung Injury of Phytosome Containing the Extract of Purple Waxy Corn Tassel in an Animal Model of PM2.5-Induced Lung Inflammation
by Nut Palachai, Wipawee Thukham-mee and Jintanaporn Wattanathorn
Foods 2024, 13(20), 3258; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13203258 - 13 Oct 2024
Viewed by 969
Abstract
Lung inflammation caused by fine particulate matter (PM), particularly PM2.5, poses a significant public health challenge, with oxidative stress and inflammation playing central roles in its pathophysiology. This study evaluates the protective effects of phytosome-encapsulated extract of purple waxy corn tassel (PPT) against [...] Read more.
Lung inflammation caused by fine particulate matter (PM), particularly PM2.5, poses a significant public health challenge, with oxidative stress and inflammation playing central roles in its pathophysiology. This study evaluates the protective effects of phytosome-encapsulated extract of purple waxy corn tassel (PPT) against PM2.5-induced lung inflammation. Male Wistar rats received PPT at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg BW for 21 days prior to exposure and continued to receive the same doses for 27 days during PM2.5 exposure. Significant reductions in inflammatory markers, including cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-II), various interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), were observed, indicating that PPT effectively regulates the inflammatory response. Additionally, PPT improved oxidative stress markers by reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), thereby restoring lung antioxidant defenses. Notably, the study revealed that PPT modulates epigenetic mechanisms, as evidenced by decreased histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity and upregulation of sirtuins in lung tissue. These epigenetic modifications likely contribute to the reduction in inflammation and oxidative stress, suggesting a multifaceted protective role of PPT that involves both direct biochemical pathways and epigenetic regulation. The interplay between reduced inflammatory signaling, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and epigenetic modulation underscores PPT’s potential as a therapeutic agent for managing respiratory inflammation-related diseases and its promise for the development of future functional food products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant and Nutritional Evaluations of Food and Their Applications in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases)
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20 pages, 3336 KiB  
Article
Ethanol Extracts from Torreya grandis Seed Have Potential to Reduce Hyperuricemia in Mouse Models by Influencing Purine Metabolism
by Jianghui Yao, Enhe Bai, Yanwen Duan and Yong Huang
Foods 2024, 13(6), 840; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13060840 - 9 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1720
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ethanol extracts from Torreya grandis seed (EST) as a functional food in hyperuricemia mice. We investigated EST by analyzing its chemical composition. Using a mouse model of hyperuricemia induced by potassium oxonate [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ethanol extracts from Torreya grandis seed (EST) as a functional food in hyperuricemia mice. We investigated EST by analyzing its chemical composition. Using a mouse model of hyperuricemia induced by potassium oxonate (PO), we evaluated the effects of EST on uric acid (UA) production, inflammation-related cytokines, and gut microbiota diversity. The primary constituents of EST consist of various flavonoids and phenolic compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro. Notably, our findings demonstrate that EST significantly reduced UA levels in hyperuricemia mice by 71.9%, which is comparable to the effects observed with xanthine treatment. Moreover, EST exhibited an inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase activity in mouse liver, with an IC50 value of 20.90 μg/mL (36%). EST also provided protective effects to the mouse kidneys by modulating oxidative stress and inflammation in damaged tissues, while also enhancing UA excretion. Finally, EST influenced the composition of the intestinal microbiota, increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila, Corynebacterium parvum, Enterorhabdus, Muribaculaceae, Marvinbryantia, and Blautia. In summary, our research unveils additional functions of Torreya grandis and offers new insights into the future of managing hyperuricemia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant and Nutritional Evaluations of Food and Their Applications in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases)
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18 pages, 3108 KiB  
Article
Studies on the Changes of Fermentation Metabolites and the Protective Effect of Fermented Edible Grass on Stress Injury Induced by Acetaminophen in HepG2 Cells
by Tao He, Xianxiu Li, Zhenzhen Wang, Jianwei Mao, Yangchen Mao and Ruyi Sha
Foods 2024, 13(3), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13030470 - 2 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1508
Abstract
In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based untargeted metabolomics was used to describe the changes of metabolites in edible grass with Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp) fermentation durations of 0 and 7 days, and subsequently to investigate the protective effect of fermented edible grass [...] Read more.
In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based untargeted metabolomics was used to describe the changes of metabolites in edible grass with Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp) fermentation durations of 0 and 7 days, and subsequently to investigate the protective effect of fermented edible grass on acetaminophen-induced stress injury in HepG2 cells. Results showed that 53 differential metabolites were identified, including 31 significantly increased and 22 significantly decreased metabolites in fermented edible grass. Fermented edible grass protected HepG2 cells against acetaminophen-induced stress injury, which profited from the reduction in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the enhancement in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Cell metabolomics analysis revealed that a total of 13 intracellular and 20 extracellular differential metabolites were detected. Fermented edible grass could regulate multiple cell metabolic pathways to exhibit protective effects on HepG2 cells. These findings provided theoretical guidance for the formation and regulation of bioactive metabolites in fermented edible grass and preliminarily confirmed the protective effects of fermented edible grass on drug-induced liver damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant and Nutritional Evaluations of Food and Their Applications in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases)
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11 pages, 1276 KiB  
Article
Hazelnut Skin Waste as a Functional Ingredient to Nutritionally Improve a Classic Shortbread Cookie Recipe
by Lara Costantini, Maria Teresa Frangipane, Romina Molinari, Stefania Garzoli, Riccardo Massantini and Nicolò Merendino
Foods 2023, 12(14), 2774; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12142774 - 21 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1390
Abstract
Hazelnut skin (HS) is a byproduct of hazelnut processing (2.5% of total kernel) and becomes a food waste despite its high content of antioxidants, unsaturated fats, and fibers. Classic shortbread cookies have a large worldwide market, even if their nutritional composition does not [...] Read more.
Hazelnut skin (HS) is a byproduct of hazelnut processing (2.5% of total kernel) and becomes a food waste despite its high content of antioxidants, unsaturated fats, and fibers. Classic shortbread cookies have a large worldwide market, even if their nutritional composition does not meet nutritional guidelines due to the high content of saturated fats. In the present study, after the nutritional evaluation of four different HS varieties, 5% and 10% ratios of HS of the Tonda Gentile Romana variety were integrated into a classic shortbread cookie recipe, proportionally replacing the butter amount with the unsaturated fats naturally present in HS. The 10% HS addition determined a 20% increase in the monounsaturated oleic acid and a 15.7% decrease in the saturated palmitic acid, in addition to a significant ash increase. The sensory analysis revealed higher consumer acceptance of the 5% formulation, with scores comparable to the control. Although the 10% formulation obtained lower scores for consumer acceptance, 35% of the interviewed population said they would purchase it, indicating that this product, beyond the ethical dimension of using a food waste matrix to promote the circular economy, can attract the commercial interest of part of the population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant and Nutritional Evaluations of Food and Their Applications in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases)
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