scholarly journals Nutraceutical Supplements in the Thyroid Setting: Health Benefits beyond Basic Nutrition

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Benvenga ◽  
Ulla Feldt-Rasmussen ◽  
Daniela Bonofiglio ◽  
Ernest Asamoah
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Therapeutic Tool ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Major Nutrient ◽  
Real Concentration ◽  
Dietary Components ◽  
Effective Use

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in nutraceuticals, which may be considered as an efficient, preventive, and therapeutic tool in facing different pathological conditions, including thyroid diseases. Although iodine remains the major nutrient required for the functioning of the thyroid gland, other dietary components play important roles in clinical thyroidology—these include selenium, l-carnitine, myo-inositol, melatonin, and resveratrol—some of which have antioxidant properties. The main concern regarding the appropriate and effective use of nutraceuticals in prevention and treatment is due to the lack of clinical data supporting their efficacy. Another limitation is the discrepancy between the concentration claimed by the label and the real concentration. This paper provides a detailed critical review on the health benefits, beyond basic nutrition, of some popular nutraceutical supplements, with a special focus on their effects on thyroid pathophysiology and aims to distinguish between the truths and myths surrounding the clinical use of such nutraceuticals.

scholarly journals What is in a cup of joe? From green beans to spent grounds: a mini-review on coffee composition and health benefits

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovana B Celli ◽  
Adriano Costa de Camargo
Keyword(s):  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Lipid Fraction ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Green Beans ◽  
Caffeine Ingestion ◽  
Coffee Beans ◽  
Coffee Oil

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages consumed worldwide and is amongst the main dietary sources of bioactive compounds. Recent studies have described a positive association between caffeine ingestion and health, including improvement of exercise performance and enhancement of long-term memories in humans. However, from roasting to extraction, the processing of the coffee beans has a significant impact on the profile of bioactive compounds. For instance, roasting results on the reduction of 5-caffeoylquinic acid and trigonelline, while increases the concentration of melanoidins. Another important component is its lipid fraction (known as coffee oil), which can migrate to the surface of the beans and undergo changes in its composition during roasting. This mini-review presents an overview of the composition of coffee, including changes that occur during processing— from green beans to spent grounds, and recent research on its health benefits, with special focus on their antioxidant properties.

scholarly journals What is in a “Cup of Joe”? From green beans to spent grounds: a mini-review on coffee composition and health benefits

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovana B Celli ◽  
Adriano Costa de Camargo
Keyword(s):  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Lipid Fraction ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Green Beans ◽  
Caffeine Ingestion ◽  
Coffee Beans ◽  
Coffee Oil

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages consumed worldwide and is amongst the main dietary sources of bioactive compounds. Recent studies have described a positive association between caffeine ingestion and health, including improvement of exercise performance and enhancement of long-term memories in humans. However, from roasting to extraction, the processing of the coffee beans has a significant impact on the profile of bioactive compounds. For instance, roasting results on the reduction of 5-caffeoylquinic acid and trigonelline, while increases the concentration of melanoidins. Another important component is its lipid fraction (known as coffee oil), which can migrate to the surface of the beans and undergo changes in its composition during roasting. This mini-review presents an overview of the composition of coffee, including changes that occur during processing—from green beans to spent grounds, and recent research on its health benefits, with special focus on their antioxidant properties.

scholarly journals Nanocomposites for Food Packaging Applications: An Overview

Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Jawad Sarfraz ◽  
Tina Gulin-Sarfraz ◽  
Julie Nilsen-Nygaard ◽  
Marit Kvalvåg Pettersen
Keyword(s):  
Polymer Nanocomposites ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Nanocomposite Materials ◽  
Consumer Acceptability ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Packaging Materials ◽  
Mechanical And Thermal Properties ◽  
Low Concentrations

There is a strong drive in industry for packaging solutions that contribute to sustainable development by targeting a circular economy, which pivots around the recyclability of the packaging materials. The aim is to reduce traditional plastic consumption and achieve high recycling efficiency while maintaining the desired barrier and mechanical properties. In this domain, packaging materials in the form of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) can offer the desired functionalities and can be a potential replacement for complex multilayered polymer structures. There has been an increasing interest in nanocomposites for food packaging applications, with a five-fold rise in the number of published articles during the period 2010–2019. The barrier, mechanical, and thermal properties of the polymers can be significantly improved by incorporating low concentrations of nanofillers. Furthermore, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties can be introduced, which are very relevant for food packaging applications. In this review, we will present an overview of the nanocomposite materials for food packaging applications. We will briefly discuss different nanofillers, methods to incorporate them in the polymer matrix, and surface treatments, with a special focus on the barrier, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. On the practical side migration issues, consumer acceptability, recyclability, and toxicity aspects will also be discussed.

Dried Mangoes: Phytochemicals, Antioxidant Properties, and Health Benefits

Dried Fruits ◽  
2013 ◽  
pp. 457-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fouad Abdulrahman Hassan ◽  
Sadeq Hasan Al-Sheraji ◽  
Amin Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Health Benefits

scholarly journals Nutraceuticals in Thyroidology: A Review of in Vitro, and in Vivo Animal Studies

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1337
Author(s):  
Salvatore Benvenga ◽  
Silvia Martina Ferrari ◽  
Giusy Elia ◽  
Francesca Ragusa ◽  
Armando Patrizio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Complementary Medicines ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Dietary Components

Nutraceuticals are defined as a food, or parts of a food, that provide medical or health benefits, including the prevention of different pathological conditions, and thyroid diseases, or the treatment of them. Nutraceuticals have a place in complementary medicines, being positioned in an area among food, food supplements, and pharmaceuticals. The market of certain nutraceuticals such as thyroid supplements has been growing in the last years. In addition, iodine is a fundamental micronutrient for thyroid function, but also other dietary components can have a key role in clinical thyroidology. Here, we have summarized the in vitro, and in vivo animal studies present in literature, focusing on the commonest nutraceuticals generally encountered in the clinical practice (such as carnitine, flavonoids, melatonin, omega-3, resveratrol, selenium, vitamins, zinc, and inositol), highlighting conflicting results. These experimental studies are expected to improve clinicians’ knowledge about the main supplements being used, in order to clarify the potential risks or side effects and support patients in their use.

scholarly journals Bioactive Candy: Effects of Licorice on the Cardiovascular System

Foods ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikkel R. Deutch ◽  
Daniela Grimm ◽  
Markus Wehland ◽  
Manfred Infanger ◽  
Marcus Krüger
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Cardiovascular System ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Glycyrrhetinic Acid ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Active Constituent ◽  
Apparent Mineralocorticoid Excess ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Acute And Chronic Effects

Licorice, today chiefly utilized as a flavoring additive in tea, tobacco and candy, is one of the oldest used herbs for medicinal purposes and consists of up to 300 active compounds. The main active constituent of licorice is the prodrug glycyrrhizin, which is successively converted to 3β-monoglucuronyl-18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (3MGA) and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) in the intestines. Despite many reported health benefits, 3MGA and GA inhibit the 11-β-hydrogenase type II enzyme (11β-HSD2) oxidizing cortisol to cortisone. Through activation of mineralocorticoid receptors, high cortisol levels induce a mild form of apparent mineralocorticoid excess in the kidney and increase systemic vascular resistance. Continuous inhibition of 11β-HSD2 related to excess licorice consumption will create a state of hypernatremia, hypokalemia and increased fluid volume, which can cause serious life-threatening complications especially in patients already suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Two recent meta-analyses of 18 and 26 studies investigating the correlation between licorice intake and blood pressure revealed statistically significant increases both in systolic (5.45 mmHg) and in diastolic blood pressure (3.19/1.74 mmHg). This review summarizes and evaluates current literature about the acute and chronic effects of licorice ingestion on the cardiovascular system with special focus on blood pressure. Starting from the molecular actions of licorice (metabolites) inside the cells, it describes how licorice intake is affecting the human body and shows the boundaries between the health benefits of licorice and possible harmful effects.

scholarly journals Extracellular Vesicles as Biological Shuttles for Targeted Therapies

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 1848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Raimondo ◽  
Gianluca Giavaresi ◽  
Aurelio Lorico ◽  
Riccardo Alessandro
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Therapeutic Agents ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
And Function ◽  
Potential Use

The development of effective nanosystems for drug delivery represents a key challenge for the improvement of most current anticancer therapies. Recent progress in the understanding of structure and function of extracellular vesicles (EVs)—specialized membrane-bound nanocarriers for intercellular communication—suggests that they might also serve as optimal delivery systems of therapeutics. In addition to carrying proteins, lipids, DNA and different forms of RNAs, EVs can be engineered to deliver specific bioactive molecules to target cells. Exploitation of their molecular composition and physical properties, together with improvement in bio-techniques to modify their content are critical issues to target them to specific cells/tissues/organs. Here, we will discuss the current developments in the field of animal and plant-derived EVs toward their potential use for delivery of therapeutic agents in different pathological conditions, with a special focus on cancer.

scholarly journals Dietary Melatonin Supplementation Could Be a Promising Preventing/Therapeutic Approach for a Variety of Liver Diseases

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Bonomini ◽  
Elisa Borsani ◽  
Gaia Favero ◽  
Luigi Rodella ◽  
Rita Rezzani
Keyword(s):  
Liver Diseases ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
And Oxidative Stress

In the therapeutic strategies, the role of diet is a well-established factor that can also have an important role in liver diseases. Melatonin, identified in animals, has many antioxidant properties and it was after discovered also in plants, named phytomelatonin. These substances have a positive effect during aging and in pathological conditions too. In particular, it is important to underline that the amount of melatonin produced by pineal gland in human decreases during lifetime and its reduction in blood could be related to pathological conditions in which mitochondria and oxidative stress play a pivotal role. Moreover, it has been indicated that melatonin/phytomelatonin containing foods may provide dietary melatonin, so their ingestion through balanced diets could be sufficient to confer health benefits. In this review, the classification of liver diseases and an overview of the most important aspects of melatonin/phytomelatonin, concerning the differences among their synthesis, their presence in foods and their role in health and diseases, are summarized. The findings suggest that melatonin/phytomelatonin supplementation with diet should be considered important in preventing different disease settings, in particular in liver. Currently, more studies are needed to strengthen the potential beneficial effects of melatonin/phytomelatonin in liver diseases and to better clarify the molecular mechanisms of action.

scholarly journals Intestinal gene expression in pigs: effects of reduced feed intake during weaning and potential impact of dietary components

2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Bauer ◽  
Barbara U. Metzler-Zebeli ◽  
Martin W. A. Verstegen ◽  
Rainer Mosenthin
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Therapeutic Tool ◽  
Dietary Components ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Enteral Nutrients ◽  
Upper Gastrointestinal

The weaning transition is characterised by morphological, histological and microbial changes, often leading to weaning-associated disorders. These intestinal changes can partly be ascribed to the lack of luminal nutrition arising from the reduced feed intake common in pigs after weaning. It is increasingly becoming clear that changes in the supply with enteral nutrients may have major impacts on intestinal gene expression. Furthermore, the major dietary constituents, i.e. carbohydrates, fatty acids and amino acids, participate in the regulation of intestinal gene expression. However, nutrients may also escape digestion by mammalian enzymes in the upper gastrointestinal tract. These nutrients can be used by the microflora, resulting in the production of bacterial metabolites, for example, SCFA, which may affect intestinal gene expression indirectly. The present review provides an insight on possible effects of reduced feed intake on intestinal gene expression, as it may occur post-weaning. Detailed knowledge on effects of reduced feed intake on intestinal gene expression may help to understand weaning-associated intestinal dysfunctions and diseases. Examples are given of intestinal genes which may be altered in their expression due to supply with specific nutrients. In that way, gene expression could be modulated by dietary means, thereby acting as a potential therapeutic tool. This could be achieved, for example, by influencing genes coding for digestive or absorptive proteins, thus optimising digestive function and metabolism, but also with regard to immune response, or by influencing proliferative processes, thereby enhancing mucosal repair. This would be of special interest when designing a diet to overcome weaning-associated problems.

scholarly journals Herbal Preparation (Bromelain, Papain, Curcuma, Black Pepper) Enhances Mineralization and Reduces Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis in Zebrafish

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1987
Author(s):  
Marta Carnovali ◽  
Gina Ramoni ◽  
Giuseppe Banfi ◽  
Massimo Mariotti
Keyword(s):  
Bone Loss ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Black Pepper ◽  
Tartrate Resistant Acid Phosphatase ◽  
Herbal Preparation ◽  
Adult Fish ◽  
Fish Model ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Advanced Phase ◽  
Natural Foods

Natural foods with antioxidant properties, such as curcuma, papain, bromelain and black pepper, have been indicated as a potential natural therapeutic approach against osteoporosis. Zebrafish are an excellent animal model to study the effects of herbal preparations on osteogenesis and bone metabolism, both in physiological and in pathological conditions. Our study was aimed at evaluating whether curcuma-bromelain-papain-pepper herbal preparation (CHP) administered in embryos and adult fish is capable of promoting bone wellness in physiological and osteoporotic conditions. The effect of CHP has been studied in embryonic osteogenesis and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) in an adult fish model in which drug treatment induces a bone-loss phenotype in adult scales very similar to that which characterizes the bones of human patients. CHP prevented the onset of the osteoporotic phenotype in the scales of GIOP in adult zebrafish, with the osteoblastic and osteoclastic metabolic activity maintaining unaltered. CHP is also able to attenuate an already established GIOP phenotype, even if the alteration is in an advanced phase, partially restoring the normal balance of the bone markers alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and stimulating anabolic reparative processes. The results obtained indicated CHP as a potential integrative antioxidant therapy in human bone-loss diseases.

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