Incorporation of bioactive compounds–such as vitamins, probiotics, bioactive peptides, and antioxidants etc.–into food systems provide a simple way to develop novel functional foods that may have physiological benefits or reduce the risks of diseases. As a vital macronutrient in food, proteins possess unique functional properties including their ability to form gels and emulsions, which allow them to be an ideal material for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds. Based on the knowledge of protein physical–chemistry properties, this review describes the potential role of food proteins as substrate for the development of nutraceutical delivery systems in the form of hydrogel, micro-, or nano- particles. Applications of these food protein matrices to protect and delivery-sensitive nutraceutical compounds are illustrated, and the impacts of particle size on release properties are emphasized.

Food protein-based materials as nutraceutical delivery systems

http://sgpwe.izt.uam.mx/files/users/uami/acym/articulo_2.pdf

Functional cultures and health benefits

Dietary fiber is a general term. It covers a wide variety of substances that belong to the family of carbohydrates that resist hydrolysis by human alimentary enzymes but are fermented by colonic microflora. The main physiological effects of dietary fiber are primarily on gastric emptying and small intestinal transit time, resulting in an improved glucose tolerance and a decreased digestion of starch: second, on colonic transit time and large bowel functions due to fermentation by ceco-colonic microbial flora or bulking action. The so-called soluble dietary fibers are fermented to a large extent by a wide variety of anaerobic bacteria that result in an increase in bacterial biomass, an increase in fecal mass, a change in intracolonic pH, and production of short chain fatty acids and various gases as metabolic end products. The insoluble fibers are only marginally fermented: they serve almost exclusively as bulking agents that result in shorter transit time and increased fecal mass. The short chain fatty acids resulting from the colonic fermentation of dietary fiber are largely absorbed via the portal blood and reach both the liver and the peripheral tissues. They induce changes in glucose and fat metabolism leading to post-prandial hypoglycemia and long-term hypolipidemia. Inulin and oligofructose are fructans with a degree of polymerization of 2 to 60 and 2 to 20, respectively. Due to the structural conformation of their osidic bridge (beta 2-1), they both resist the hydrolysis by human alimentary enzymes. Moreover, when reaching the colon, both inulin and oligofructose are almost quantitatively fermented almost exclusively by colonic bifidobacteria and bacteroides. Such an extensive fermentation causes an increase in fecal bacterial biomass, a decrease in ceco-colonic pH, and produces a large amount of fermentation products among which the short chain fatty acids that exert systemic effects on lipid metabolism. Thus, both inulin and oligofructose have most of the characteristics of a dietary fiber and the proposal is made to classify them as such. Moreover, they are bifidogenic factors, because, due to still unknown reasons, they are primarily fermented by bifidobacteria. It is concluded from this review that "nondigestible fructo-oligosaccharides," even though they are not included in the carbohydrate fraction that is quantified as dietary fiber by classic analytical methods, have most of the physiological effects of a dietary fiber.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Dietary fiber, inulin, and oligofructose: a review comparing their physiological effects

A multicompartmental in vitro model has been described, which simulates the dynamic events occurring within the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract of man and monogastric animals. The accuracy of t...

A multicompartmental dynamic computer-controlled model simulating the stomach and small intestine

This opinion of the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) deals with the setting of Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) for protein. The Panel concludes that a Population Reference Intake (PRI) can be derived from nitrogen balance studies. Several health outcomes possibly associated with protein intake were also considered but data were found to be insufficient to establish DRVs. For healthy adults of both sexes, the average requirement (AR) is 0.66 g protein/kg body weight per day based on nitrogen balance data. Considering the 97.5th percentile of the distribution of the requirement and assuming an efficiency of utilisation of dietary protein for maintenance of 47 %, the PRI for adults of all ages was estimated to be 0.83 g protein/kg body weight per day and is applicable both to high quality protein and to protein in mixed diets. For children from six months onwards, age-dependent requirements for growth estimated from average daily rates of protein deposition and adjusted by a protein efficiency for growth of 58 % were added to the requirement for maintenance of 0.66 g/kg body weight per day. The PRI was estimated based on the average requirement plus 1.96 SD using a combined SD for growth and maintenance. For pregnancy, an intake of 1, 9 and 28 g/d in the first, second and third trimesters, respectively, is proposed in addition to the PRI for non-pregnant women. For lactation, a protein intake of 19 g/d during the first six months, and of 13 g/d after six months, is proposed in addition to the PRI for non-lactating women. Data are insufficient to establish a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for protein. Intakes up to twice the PRI are regularly consumed from mixed diets by some physically active and healthy adults in Europe and are considered safe.

/pdf/scientific-opinion-on-dietary-reference-values-for-protein-228u8jg0hv.pdf

Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for protein.

Elaboration and characterization of whey protein beads by an emulsification/cold gelation process: application for the protection of retinol.

The Effect of Milk Fermentation by Lactobacillus helveticus on the Release of Peptides During In Vitro Digestion

A dialysis cell was devised to study in vitro digestion of proteins. The inner reaction vessel (surrounded by a tubular membrane with molecular weight cutoff of 1000) was fixed into a cylindrical outer compartment where buffer circulation was provided. The dimensions of compartments, membranes and buffer flow rate were determined with labelled amino acids in order to ensure the most efficient diffusion pattern. For the digestion assay, casein was first hydrolyzed with pepsin (pH 1.9) for 30 min. The mixture was then made alkaline (pH 7.5) and poured into the dialysis tube with pancreatin. Nitrogenous material collected with the sodium phosphate buffer was analyzed without further fractionation for the direct measurement of hydrolysis kinetic or of protein digestibility.

Dialysis Cell for the In Vitro Measurement of Protein Digestibility

An in vitro digestion method to assess the quality of proteins based on enzymatic hydrolysis is presented. The method consists of a two-step proteolysis at 37 degrees, a 30-minute incubation of the protein with pepsin at pH 1.9, followed by pancreatin digestion at pH 8 for 24 hours in a dialysis bag with a 1000 molecular weight cutoff for the continuous elimination of the digested products into a replaceable buffer. Three types of buffer replacement were tried. These were, in increasing order of efficiency: intermittent with either six changes (infrequent buffer replacement) or eleven changes (frequent buffer replacement) or continuously circulated at the rate of 212 ml/hour (continuous buffer replacement). By using three protein sources, i.e., casein, soybean and rapeseed proteins, it was found that the degree of digestion (dialyzed N) as well as the regularity of the process were markedly improved by increasing the frequency of buffer replacement. In spite of different pepsin digestibilities, as determined from the production of trichloroacetic acid-soluble N, the digestion of the three proteins gave equivalent results when the best procedure of buffer replacement was used (continuous buffer replacement). The deleterious effect of heat and alkali treatment on protein digestion was readily shown by this procedure and indicated casein to be a very heat-sensitive protein as compared to the others.

Assessment of Protein Digestibility by In Vitro Enzymatic Hydrolysis with Simultaneous Dialysis

An in vitro digestion method was proposed for studying protein digestion. Protein (casein) was submitted to peptic proteolysis in a closed system followed by hydrolysis with pancreatic enzymes in a “digestion cell” with continuous elimination of digested products by dialysis. The peptic digestion was performed with a pepsin source of high specific activity (3152 units/mg protein) with an enzyme:substrate (E:S) ratio of 1: 250. The second-step of proteolysis was carried out with pancreatin for 6 hr at an E:S ratio of 1:25. A 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.5, was used as the circulating dialysis buffer.

Laurent Savoie

Papers

Elaboration and characterization of whey protein beads by an emulsification/cold gelation process: application for the protection of retinol.

The Effect of Milk Fermentation by Lactobacillus helveticus on the Release of Peptides During In Vitro Digestion

Dialysis Cell for the In Vitro Measurement of Protein Digestibility

Assessment of Protein Digestibility by In Vitro Enzymatic Hydrolysis with Simultaneous Dialysis

Enzymatic Conditions of an In Vitro Method to Study Protein Digestion