Nanotechnology in Nutraceuticals

Production to Consumption

Shampa Sen, Yashwant Pathak

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN:
  9781498721882
• eBook ISBN:
  9781315353715
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

While nutraceuticals were verified to be expedient, they often lack stability, bioavailability, and permeability, and nano-nutraceuticals are being developed to afford a solution to the problem. Nanotechnology in Nutraceuticals: Production to Consumption delves into the promises and prospects of the application of nanotechnology to nutraceuticals, addressing concepts, techniques, and production methods. Nutraceuticals retain less stability, efficacy, and bioavailability when entering the human body. To overcome such problems, nanotechnology shows promise when applied as a tool to improve the quality and stability of nutraceuticals. This book discusses metallic nanoparticles and their applications in the food industry with specific application to nutraceuticals. It includes detailed discussion on potential functional properties of nutraceuticals with regard to antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory activity, and anti-cancer activity. Since nanoparticles can be toxic past a certain limit, implementing nanotechnology under thoughtful regulations is considered critical. The book addresses these issues with chapters covering the principles for the oversight of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials in nutraceuticals, the implications of regulatory requirements, the ethics and economics of nano-nutraceuticals, and consumer acceptance of nanotechnology based foods.

1

Recent Trends in Nutraceutical Research and Development

From Concept to Applications

Avipsha Sarkar, Alok Prakash, Yashwant V. Pathak, and Shampa Sen

Contents

1.1 Nutraceuticals: Basic concepts

1.1.1 Introduction

1.1.2 Classification of nutraceuticals

1.1.3 Prior investigation

1.1.4 Contemporary explorations

1.2 Nutraceuticals: Applications

1.2.1 Nutraceuticals: A functional food

1.2.2 Functional food: Definition

1.2.3 Probiotics and prebiotics

1.2.4 Nutraceuticals: Antioxidants

1.2.5 Nutraceuticals: Antiaging

1.2.6 Nutraceuticals: Anticancer

1.2.7 Nutraceuticals from algae: Functions

1.2.8 Nutraceuticals: Therapeutic applications

1.2.9 Metallonutraceuticals

1.3 Future research

1.4 Conclusion

References

1.1 Nutraceuticals: Basic concepts

Since ancient times, consuming food from plants has provided immense benefits to human health. To be precise, plants contain various phytochemical compounds, mostly polyphenols. These polyphenols are responsible for the aforementioned beneficial activity, as reported by various research studies. Recently pharmaceutical products that contain nutraceuticals as their active ingredient have appeared in health products. These active ingredients are comprised mainly of phytochemicals with bioactivity (Espín et al. 2007). The most popular phytochemicals used in the nutraceutical industry are anthocyanins, resveratrol, isoflavones, and polyphenols like ellagic acid, proanthocyanins, and flavanones. The Indian market has also taken the initiative to promote the concept of functional food (see Figure 1.1).

Nutraceuticals are basically diet supplements. They have been made accessible within a nonfood medium and are being used for the delivery of known bioactive agents in the health product industries. This is done to enhance human health by introducing dosages of active compounds from food in a higher amount than the amount that can be introduced by the consumption of normal food products. Figure 1.2 illustrates the research evidence that suggests nutraceuticals are safe as well as efficient as diet supplements and pharmaceuticals.

Figure 1.1 The Indian market of nutraceuticals.

Figure 1.2 Research evidence.

1.1.1 Introduction

There are several definitions for nutraceuticals, one of them being “food, or parts of food, that provide medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease” (from Dr. Stephen DeFelice of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine).

A nutraceutical, like lycopene, can be found in several forms. It can be obtained as a fraction of an intact food source, which is normally present in a tomato slice, or found from tomatoes as an element of a refined food, or as lycopene supplemented in a fruit juice as an embellished essence of the food, or provided in supplemental form (Wildman 2006).

Any kind of food that is consumed is known to have a direct connection to human health. The term health refers to the physical, physiological, and mental state of a human being. It has been known from various studies that food derived from plants like nuts, spices, wine, fruits, grains, vegetables, and so on are beneficially associated with human health, predominantly being favorable to old-aged humans. The instances of age-related diseases, such as certain types of cancer (e.g., gastrointestinal cancer), cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes, are more prevalent with the increase in life expectancy of humans. By escalating the use of food products from plants, development of these chronic diseases can be delayed, as recommended by various health organizations all over the world.

Plant-derived food products show a positive effect on the reduction of chronic diseases due to the presence of phytochemicals. These phytochemicals are nonnutritive secondary metabolites and show a wide range of biological activities. As bioactive compounds, these phytochemicals have low effectiveness in comparison to pharmaceutical products, but a perceptible long-term physiological effect can be seen if they are regularly ingested in the diet.

Dietary supplement is distinguished by the U.S. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. A dietary supplement

• Is a product that consists of more than one nutritional ingredient like an amino acid, a vitamin, an aromatic plant, or mineral. It is a product (excluding tobacco) that is projected to increase the diet. In order to complement the diet, man escalates the entire daily intake of a nutritional substance like a mixture of several ingredients, an extract, a metabolite, or constituents.

• Is proposed in the form of liquid, capsule, or tablet for eating in medication.

• Incorporates accepted novel drug candidates, antibiotics that are licensed, or a marketed nutritional supplement that is an approved biologic before sanction, certification, or authorization.

1.1.2 Classification of nutraceuticals

Nutraceuticals can be classified based on food source (Figure 1.3) and mechanism of action.

Food sources include plants, animals, and microbials.

• Plant sources: beta-glucan, ascorbic acid, gamma-tocotrienol, quercetin, luteolin, cellulose, gallic acid, perillyl alcohol, indole-3-carbinol, pectin, daidzein, glutathione, potassium, allicin, d-limonene, genestein, lycopene, hemicellulose, lignin, capsaicin, alpha-tocopherol, zeaxanthin

• Animal sources: conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), selenium, zinc

• Microbials: yeast, Bifidobacterium, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus

Modes of action include bone protective, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, blood lipid profile, and antioxidant.

• Anticancer: ellagic acid, capsaicin, genestein, daidzein, carnosol, alpha-tocotrienol, gamma-tocotrienol, CLA, limonene, ajoene, alpha-tocopherol, glycyrrhizin, curcumin, lutein, diallyl sulfide

• Constructive control on blood lipid profile: monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), beta-glucan, delta tocotrienol, quercetin, resveratrol, gamma-tocotrienol, saponins, beta sitosterol, quercetin, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)

• Antioxidants: ascorbic acid, tannins, CLA, tocotrienols, alpha tocotrienols, beta-carotene, polyphenols, lutein, catechins, gingerol, tocopherols, glutathione, indole-3-carbinol, ellagic acid, lycopene, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, gingerol, chlorogenic acid

• Anti-inflammatory: EPA, capsaicin, linolenic acid, quercetin, curcumin, DHA osteogenic, genistein, CLA, calcium, soy protein, daidzein (Wildman 2006)

Figure 1.3 Nutraceuticals according to food source.

1.1.3 Prior investigation

Widespread research on nutraceuticals has become popular since obesity, besides being a pro-inflammatory disease, has also been linked with type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer, and other chronic diseases. Certain nutraceuticals work by antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The most generally studied among these is curcumin (yellow pigment derived from turmeric) as a cure for obesity and related disorders. By interacting with cells of the muscle and pancreas along with adipocytes and macrophages, curcumin can suppress the pro-inflammatory factors like NF-κB, Wnt/ß-catenin, and activators of transcription-3. It can activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ and Nrf2 cell signaling pathways, thereby decreasing production of interleukin-6 as well as leptin, TNFs, and MCP-1 (Figure 1.4). Hence, there is an upregulation of adiponectin and other antiinflammatory gene products. Other nutraceuticals, derived from cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, have been shown to be effective against obesity and insulin resistance (Aggarwal 2010).

Figure 1.4 Functions of curcumin.

1.1.4 Contemporary explorations

Recent research on anthocyanins has provided new insight to its health benefits. It has been suggested that the gene alteration due to the consumption of anthocyanins might be the reason. Current development in the research on nutraceuticals and anthocyanins has been possible because of rigorous animal trials and in vitro studies on animals. The current research is also strengthening from increasing the number of human trials. Health benefits include effects on brain cognitive function, visual capacity, ulcer protection, cancer prevention, obesity, and cardiovascular risk. There have been various studies that have shown the anthocyanins as a cause to improve the nocturnal vision in myopic patients. Purified anthocyanoside oligomers have been used for these studies. The patients were given repetitive dosage of anthocyanoside oligomers and it showed a positive effect on nocturnal vision in myopic subjects. Various other studies have shown that the berry extracts and anthocyanins lead to an increment in cognitive performance, enhanced memory and reduction of ischemic damage to the brain. The current research reports have also shown that anthocyanins can lead to prevention of diabetes and obesity. This is because anthocyanins reduce the blood sugar level, adipose tissue and body weight gain. Dietary anthocyanin has been shown to prevent cardiovascular diseases in vitro and in vivo studies. It has been observed that consumption of anthocyanins leads to a reduced level of LDL cholesterol and total plasma cholesterol.

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a very important and common plant having both gastronomic and remedial uses coming up from its several biological activities, which include antibiotic, anticancer, antithrombotic, and lipid-lowering cardiovascular effects. People have been well aware of the medicinal properties of garlic for centuries, but there was no scientific evidence to support. However, recent research has helped us to understand the pharmacological properties of garlic and the associated products. Garlic is asexually propagated and difficult to grow by conventional means. The involvement of biotechnological processes such as tissue culture and gene transfer may possibly improve this crop. Due to new improvisations in instrumentation and dispensation technologies together with more cautious experimental methods, better harvests can be foreseen in the market (Bhagyalakshmi et al. 2005).

Garlic at a glance

• Garlic oil and benzyl salicylate reduces acetate and enhances propionate and butyrate proportions, which is an antimethanogenic effect.

• It breaks down the dietary protein.

• The effects of saponins and tannins on rumen and microbial activity is quiescent.

• Garlic is a fat-burning substance.

Figure 1.5 Functions of resveratrol.

Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trihydroxystilbene), a phytopolyphenolic component that belongs to a class of stilbenes (profusely found in several roots, grapes, berries, and peanuts), got renewed interest after it was identified in red wine roughly two decades back. It is thought that resveratrol may be behind the “French paradox” (i.e., French pe...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Series Preface
• Foreword
• Preface
• Editors
• Contributors
• 1 Recent Trends in Nutraceutical Research and Development: From Concept to Applications
• 2 Nanofood Materials Characteristics and Evaluations
• 3 Principles for the Oversight of Nanotechnologies and Nanomaterials in Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods
• 4 Metallic Nanoparticles in the Food Industry: Advantages and Limitations
• 5 Targeted Delivery of Nutraceuticals Using Nanoparticles
• 6 Developments and Applications of Silver Nanoparticles in the Nutraceuticals Industry
• 7 Nanoemulsions in Food Science and Nutrition
• 8 Dietary Fibers and Etiology of Health and Disease: An Emerging Concept of Nanonutraceuticals
• 9 Nanotechnology in Probiotics and Prebiotics
• 10 Modeling and Simulation of Nanobiosystems with Special Reference to Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
• 11 Nanostructured Lipid Carriers
• 12 Challenges in the Development of Functional Foods: Role of Nanotechnology
• 13 Nanotechnology in Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods: Production to Consumption
• 14 Industrial Production of Nanonutraceuticals
• 15 Nanotechnology in Food Products: Implications in Regulatory Requirements
• 16 Nanotechnology-Based Nutraceuticals for Use in Cardiovascular Disease: Toward a Paradigm Shift in Adjuvant Therapy
• 17 Nanonutraceuticals: Are They Safe?
• 18 Consumer Acceptance of Nanotechnology-Based Foods and Food Innovations
• 19 Ethics and Economics of Nanonutraceuticals
• 20 Novel Nanoencapsulation Structures for Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Applications
• 21 Mesoporous Silica Particles as Encapsulation and Delivery Systems for Food Ingredients and Nutraceuticals.
• Index