The marine environment represents a relatively untapped source of functional ingredients that can be applied to various aspects of food processing, storage, and fortification. Moreover, numerous marine-based compounds have been identified as having diverse biological activities, with some reported to interfere with the pathogenesis of diseases. Bioactive peptides isolated from fish protein hydrolysates as well as algal fucans, galactans and alginates have been shown to possess anticoagulant, anticancer and hypocholesterolemic activities. Additionally, fish oils and marine bacteria are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, while crustaceans and seaweeds contain powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds. On the basis of their bioactive properties, this review focuses on the potential use of marine-derived compounds as functional food ingredients for health maintenance and the prevention of chronic diseases.

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/6/1056/pdf

Marine Bioactives as Functional Food Ingredients: Potential to Reduce the Incidence of Chronic Diseases

Enzyme-assisted extraction of bioactives from plants

Natural bioactive compounds include a broad diversity of structures and functionalities that provide an excellent pool of molecules for the production of nutraceuticals, functional foods, and food additives. Some of those compounds can be found in nature at high concentration such as polyphenols but others can only be found at very low levels, so that massive harvesting is needed to obtain sufficient amounts, and their structural diversity and complexity make chemical synthesis unprofitable. The inherent difficulties in screening and producing these compounds have led to the development of advanced technologies. The commonly used methods for their extraction are the conventional liquid–liquid or solid–liquid extraction and the advanced include pressurized-liquid extraction, subcritical and supercritical extractions, and microwave- and ultrasound-assisted extractions. In addition, these extraction techniques have been improved with previous steps (enzyme-and instant controlled pressure drop-assisted extractions) which help to release the compounds from the matrix. These technologies could provide in the next few years an innovative approach to increase the production of specific compounds for use as nutraceuticals or as ingredients in the design of functional foods.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1541-4337.12005

Technologies for Extraction and Production of Bioactive Compounds to be Used as Nutraceuticals and Food Ingredients: An Overview

Background. There are several health benefits that honeybee products such as honey, propolis, and royal jelly claim toward various types of diseases in addition to being food. Scope and Approach. In this paper, the effects of honey, propolis, and royal jelly on different metabolic diseases, cancers, and other diseases have been reviewed. The modes of actions of these products have also been illustrated for purposes of better understanding. Key Findings and Conclusions. An overview of honey, propolis, and royal jelly and their biological potentials was highlighted. The potential health benefits of honey, such as microbial inhibition, wound healing, and its effects on other diseases, are described. Propolis has been reported to have various health benefits related to gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, and gynecological, oral, and dermatological problems. Royal jelly is well known for its protective effects on reproductive health, neurodegenerative disorders, wound healing, and aging. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms of action of honey, propolis, and royal jelly on the abovementioned diseases and activities have not been not fully elucidated, and further research is warranted to explain their exact contributions.

/pdf/honey-propolis-and-royal-jelly-a-comprehensive-review-of-y6nmq6pgty.pdf

Honey, Propolis, and Royal Jelly: A Comprehensive Review of Their Biological Actions and Health Benefits.

This review gives an updated picture of each class of phenolic compounds and their properties. The most common classification implies the subdivision of phenolics in two main groups: flavonoids (e.g., anthocyanins, flavanols, flavanones, flavonols, flavonones, and isoflavones) and non-flavonoids (e.g., phenolic acids, xanthones, stilbens, lignans, and tannins) polyphenols. The great interest in polyphenols is associated with their high potential application for food preservation and for therapeutic beneficial use. The relationship between polyphenol intake and human health has been exploited with special reference to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cancer. The use of current existing databases of bioactive compounds including polyphenols is described as key tools for human health research.

/pdf/polyphenols-a-concise-overview-on-the-chemistry-occurrence-2evnm5d0qr.pdf

Polyphenols: A concise overview on the chemistry, occurrence, and human health

http://www.beauty-review.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Bioactive-compounds-Definition-and-assessment-of-activity.pdf

Bioactive compounds: definition and assessment of activity

Bioactive compounds: safety and efficacy.

The efficacy and safety of bioactive compounds depend on a few known and unknown parameters. What is a physiologic dose and how can that dose be defined in cases of bioactive compounds with apoorknowledge of supplyanddistribution? Whatsafety sets areneeded? How canindividual aspects such as polymorphisms or differences in absorption be considered? A group of experts tried to answer these and related questions during the 23rd Hohenheim Consensus Meeting at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. O 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Consensus Meeting—Part II Bioactive compounds: Safety and efficacy

This scoping review critically discusses the publications of the last 30 years on the impact of mild to moderate iodine deficiency and the additional impact of endocrine disrupters during pregnancy on embryonal/fetal brain development. An asymptomatic mild to moderate iodine deficiency and/or isolated maternal hypothyroxinemia might affect the development of the embryonal/fetal brain. There is sufficient evidence underlining the importance of an adequate iodine supply for all women of childbearing age in order to prevent negative mental and social consequences for their children. An additional threat to the thyroid hormone system is the ubiquitous exposure to endocrine disrupters, which might exacerbate the effects of iodine deficiency in pregnant women on the neurocognitive development of their offspring. Ensuring adequate iodine intake is therefore essential not only for healthy fetal and neonatal development in general, but it might also extenuate the effects of endocrine disruptors. Individual iodine supplementation of women of childbearing age living in areas with mild to moderate iodine deficiency is mandatory as long as worldwide universal salt iodization does not guarantee an adequate iodine supply. There is an urgent need for detailed strategies to identify and reduce exposure to endocrine disrupters according to the “precautional principle”.

/pdf/iodine-deficiency-maternal-hypothyroxinemia-and-endocrine-2yqrnrh4.pdf

Iodine Deficiency, Maternal Hypothyroxinemia and Endocrine Disrupters Affecting Fetal Brain Development: A Scoping Review

Biomarkers and their role in evaluating efficacy and safety were the topic of the 23rd Hohenheim Consensus Meeting at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. Scientists who had published and reviewed scientific and regulatory papers on the topic were invited, among them basic researchers, toxicologists, clinicians, and nutritionists. The participants were presented with 11 questions (in bold font), which were discussed and answered (in italic font) at the workshop, with the aim of summarizing the current state of knowledge on the subject. The explicatory text accompanying the short answers was produced and agreed on after the conference and was backed up by corresponding references. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rolf Grossklaus

Papers

Bioactive compounds: definition and assessment of activity

Bioactive compounds: safety and efficacy.

Consensus Meeting—Part II Bioactive compounds: Safety and efficacy

Iodine Deficiency, Maternal Hypothyroxinemia and Endocrine Disrupters Affecting Fetal Brain Development: A Scoping Review

Consensus Meeting—Part I Bioactive compounds: Definition and assessment of activity