<![CDATA[Letters in Functional Foods (Volume 1 - Issue 1)]]> https://www.benthamscience.com/journal/212 RSS Feed for Journals | BenthamScience EurekaSelect (+https://www.benthamscience.com) 2023-12-07 <![CDATA[Letters in Functional Foods (Volume 1 - Issue 1)]]> https://www.benthamscience.com/journal/212 <![CDATA[Effect of Prebiotic Supplementation on Probiotic Viability and Physicochemical Characteristics of Fermented Coconut Water with <i>Bifidobacterium longum</i>]]>https://www.benthamscience.com/article/1267472023-12-07Background: Probiotics and prebiotics are functional ingredients that provide health benefits to consumers but they are mainly incorporated in dairy products. Designing a non-dairy product in which probiotics and prebiotics would be incorporated would allow more consumers to benefit from their advantages.

Objective: This study investigated the effect of supplementation of two different prebiotics, fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and inulin, on the viability of Bifidobacterium longum ATCC BAA-999 in coconut water.

Methods: Two concentrations of prebiotics used were 1% and 2%. The physicochemical characteristics of fermented coconut water with B. longum for 9 h at 37°C and during refrigerated storage at 4°C for 2 weeks were analyzed. The viability of B. longum in fermented coconut water was maintained above the recommended therapeutic level (7 log CFU/mL) with or without supplementation with prebiotics.

Results: Most distinct changes in colour (ΔE > 3) occurred in fermented coconut water compared to unfermented coconut water. An increase in the total soluble solids was also observed in fermented coconut water with the increase in the concentration of prebiotics. There were no significant changes in the clarity, pH, and concentrations of shikimic and malic acids in the fermented coconut water with or without supplementation with prebiotics over the 2 weeks of storage. Acetic acid production was observed in the fermented coconut water, with the highest acetic acid production in the fermented coconut water supplemented with 1% FOS after 2 weeks of storage.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated the potential use of coconut water as a medium to produce a probiotic drink.

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<![CDATA[Pulses as Sustainable Protein Sources: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Gaps]]>https://www.benthamscience.com/article/1268162023-12-07Pulses have redeemed the interest in terms of a sustainable and healthy diet due to their high protein content. Furthermore, the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals they contain also make them more valuable nutritionally. A sustainable diet should improve public health and food security and has a low environmental footprint. Pulses have been considered one of the emerging plant food proteins. Although they have beneficial components such as vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants, many drawbacks limit their use to consumers and the food industry. One of the drawbacks is their incomplete proteins due to the lack of sulfur-containing amino acids in their protein profile. Furthermore, the protein digestibility of pulses is low due to the antinutritional compounds they contain. The other drawback of pulses is their beany flavor and bitter taste that limits the acceptability of consumers. From the consumer's point of view, the other disadvantage is the laborious and timeconsuming preparation period.

This article provides a concise overview of the current state of knowledge on pulses as sustainable protein sources, underlining the gaps that limit their extensive application in the food industry. Based on the available scientific facts on pulses, finding an efficient method for removing beany flavor and overall sensorial acceptability and antinutritional factors, thus increasing protein digestibility is crucial. The most promising option to increase pulse protein digestibility seems to combine conventional and novel technologies that can modulate digestibility by different mechanisms, such as the removal of antinutritional factors, protein denaturation, and the design of the food matrix.

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<![CDATA[An Outlook on Pathological Pathways of Diabetes and Molecular Mechanisms of Anti-diabetic Phytobioactives]]>https://www.benthamscience.com/article/1329832023-12-07Background & Purpose: Diabetes is a disease that has affected many people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 80% of humans still rely on conventional or folk medicament in developed countries. The effectiveness of herbal medicines was credited to the phytochemical components.

Objective: This review aims to highlight the pathological pathways of diabetes and the antidiabetic mechanism of phytochemicals.

Materials and Methods: This organized search was compiled from the databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar till February 2023.

Results: Inflammatory and oxidative stress are mainly two examples of pathological pathways of diabetes that are explored. The reported antidiabetic phytochemicals work by increasing insulin secretion, lowering hepatic glucose output, controlling specific enzymes, and utilizing other mechanisms. For instance, studies on α-glucosidase inhibitors, modulation peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor-α, hypolipidaemic activity, antioxidants, inhibition of glycolytic enzymes like phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, improvement of glycosylated haemoglobin and increased expression of glucose transporters have been conducted.

Conclusion: Many natural secondary metabolites (phytochemicals) have significant potential for the manufacture of marketable, new, and efficient anti-diabetic medicines which can be used for clinical purposes.

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<![CDATA[Effects of Pesticides Carried by Foods on Human Gut Microbiota]]>https://www.benthamscience.com/article/1318252023-12-07