scholarly journals Disease Modifying Potential of Functional Foods for Neurodegenerative Disorders: Status Update on Regulatory Compliance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christofer Thomas ◽  
Borehalli Mayegowda Shilpa ◽  
Rajeswara Babu Mythri

Progressive loss of functional neurons is typically characterized as neurodegeneration. This is particularly pronounced during aging and results in debilitating conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms appear typically after 70–80% neuronal loss, resulting in irreversible damage. Several drugs have been clinically approved but they only alleviate symptoms and additionally lead to undesirable side effects. Hence there is a dire need for drugs and/or supplements which address this lacuna. Functional foods are known to offer health benefits beyond their attributed nutritional values. Unlike dietary supplements which are made from foods or food-like substances with enriched nutritional value, functional foods are foods that are modified for greater nutritional value. Conceptually, as an expansion of dietary supplements, functional foods are known to be neuroprotective. Here we discuss functional foods which can potentially be used as adjunctive therapy, with a note on the regulatory compliance.

BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dallah Yoo ◽  
Sung-Hye Park ◽  
Sungwook Yu ◽  
Tae-Beom Ahn

Abstract Background Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by insidious progression with poorly-delineated long latent period. Antecedent clinical insult could rarely unmask latent neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we report an autopsy-proven case of corticobasal degeneration which was preceded by a lacunar infarction. Case presentation A 58-year-old man presented with acute ataxia associated with a lacunar infarction in the right paramedian pons. His ataxia persisted with additional progressive gait difficulty and left arm clumsiness. Six months later, a follow-up neurological examination showed asymmetrical bradykinesia, apraxia, dystonic posturing, postural instability, and mild ataxia of the left limbs. Cognitive examination revealed frontal executive dysfunction and visuospatial difficulties. Dopamine transporter imaging scan demonstrated bilateral reduced uptakes in mid-to-posterior putamen, more prominent on the right side. Levodopa-unresponsive parkinsonism, asymmetric limb dystonia, and ideomotor apraxia became more conspicuous, while limb ataxia gradually vanished. The patient became unable to walk without assistance after 1 year, and died 4 years after the symptom onset. Autopsy findings showed frontoparietal cortical atrophy, ballooned neurons, and phosphorylated tau-positive astrocytic plaques and neuropil threads with gliosis and neuronal loss, confirming the corticobasal degeneration. Conclusions The case illustrates that precedent clinical events such as stroke might tip a patient with subclinical CBS into overt clinical manifestations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1496
Author(s):  
Rubiyatno ◽  
Kazuhiro Mori ◽  
Daisuke Inoue ◽  
Sunah Kim ◽  
Jaecheul Yu ◽  
...  

Euglena gracilis produces paramylon, which is a feedstock for high-value functional foods and nutritional supplements. The enhancement of paramylon productivity is a critical challenge. Microalgae growth-promoting bacteria (MGPB) can improve microalgal productivity; however, the MGPB for E. gracilis remain unclear. This study isolated bacteria capable of enhancing E. gracilis growth and paramylon production under mixotrophic conditions. Enterobacter sp. CA3 and Emticicia sp. CN5 were isolated from E. gracilis grown with sewage-effluent bacteria under mixotrophic conditions at pH 4.5 or 7.5, respectively. In a 7-day E. gracilis mixotrophic culture with glucose, CA3 increased E. gracilis biomass and paramylon production 1.8-fold and 3.5-fold, respectively (at pH 4.5), or 1.9-fold and 3.5-fold, respectively (at pH 7.5). CN5 increased E. gracilis biomass and paramylon production 2.0-fold and 4.1-fold, respectively (at pH 7.5). However, the strains did not show such effects on E. gracilis under autotrophic conditions without glucose. The results suggest that CA3 and CN5 promoted both E. gracilis growth and paramylon production under mixotrophic conditions with glucose at pH 4.5 and 7.5 (CA3) or pH 7.5 (CN5). This study also provides an isolation method for E. gracilis MGPB that enables the construction of an effective E. gracilis–MGPB-association system for increasing the paramylon yield of E. gracilis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (46) ◽  
pp. eabc1428
Author(s):  
A. Nakano-Kobayashi ◽  
A. Fukumoto ◽  
A. Morizane ◽  
D. T. Nguyen ◽  
T. M. Le ◽  
...  

Neurodegenerative disorders are caused by progressive neuronal loss, and there is no complete treatment available yet. Neuroinflammation is a common feature across neurodegenerative disorders and implicated in the progression of neurodegeneration. Dysregulated activation of microglia causes neuroinflammation and has been highlighted as a treatment target in therapeutic strategies. Here, we identified novel therapeutic candidate ALGERNON2 (altered generation of neurons 2) and demonstrate that ALGERNON2 suppressed the production of proinflammatory cytokines and rescued neurodegeneration in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)–induced Parkinson’s disease model. ALGERNON2 stabilized cyclinD1/p21 complex, leading to up-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2), which contributes to antioxidative and anti-inflammatory responses. Notably, ALGERNON2 enhanced neuronal survival in other neuroinflammatory conditions such as the transplantation of induced pluripotent stem cell–derived dopaminergic neurons into murine brains. In conclusion, we present that the microglial potentiation of the p21-Nrf2 pathway can contribute to neuronal survival and provide novel therapeutic potential for neuroinflammation-triggered neurodegeneration.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1615
Author(s):  
Maurits F. J. M. Vissers ◽  
Jules A. A. C. Heuberger ◽  
Geert Jan Groeneveld

The clinical failure rate for disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) that slow or stop disease progression has been nearly 100% for the major neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs), with many compounds failing in expensive and time-consuming phase 2 and 3 trials for lack of efficacy. Here, we critically review the use of pharmacological and mechanistic biomarkers in early phase clinical trials of DMTs in NDDs, and propose a roadmap for providing early proof-of-concept to increase R&D productivity in this field of high unmet medical need. A literature search was performed on published early phase clinical trials aimed at the evaluation of NDD DMT compounds using MESH terms in PubMed. Publications were selected that reported an early phase clinical trial with NDD DMT compounds between 2010 and November 2020. Attention was given to the reported use of pharmacodynamic (mechanistic and physiological response) biomarkers. A total of 121 early phase clinical trials were identified, of which 89 trials (74%) incorporated one or multiple pharmacodynamic biomarkers. However, only 65 trials (54%) used mechanistic (target occupancy or activation) biomarkers to demonstrate target engagement in humans. The most important categories of early phase mechanistic and response biomarkers are discussed and a roadmap for incorporation of a robust biomarker strategy for early phase NDD DMT clinical trials is proposed. As our understanding of NDDs is improving, there is a rise in potentially disease-modifying treatments being brought to the clinic. Further increasing the rational use of mechanistic biomarkers in early phase trials for these (targeted) therapies can increase R&D productivity with a quick win/fast fail approach in an area that has seen a nearly 100% failure rate to date.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1306
Author(s):  
Diane Purcell-Meyerink ◽  
Michael A. Packer ◽  
Thomas T. Wheeler ◽  
Maria Hayes

Seaweeds have a long history of use as food, as flavouring agents, and find use in traditional folk medicine. Seaweed products range from food, feed, and dietary supplements to pharmaceuticals, and from bioenergy intermediates to materials. At present, 98% of the seaweed required by the seaweed industry is provided by five genera and only ten species. The two brown kelp seaweeds Laminaria digitata, a native Irish species, and Macrocystis pyrifera, a native New Zealand species, are not included in these eleven species, although they have been used as dietary supplements and as animal and fish feed. The properties associated with the polysaccharides and proteins from these two species have resulted in increased interest in them, enabling their use as functional foods. Improvements and optimisations in aquaculture methods and bioproduct extractions are essential to realise the commercial potential of these seaweeds. Recent advances in optimising these processes are outlined in this review, as well as potential future applications of L. digitata and, to a greater extent, M. pyrifera which, to date, has been predominately only wild-harvested. These include bio-refinery processing to produce ingredients for nutricosmetics, functional foods, cosmeceuticals, and bioplastics. Areas that currently limit the commercial potential of these two species are highlighted.


Author(s):  
Н.Н. АЛЕХИНА ◽  
Е.И. ПОНОМАРЕВА ◽  
И.М. ЖАРКОВА ◽  
К.К. ПОЛЯНСКИЙ ◽  
А.С. ЖЕЛТИКОВА

Проведена сравнительная оценка хлебопекарных смесей (ХПС) Ливенка и Амарантус, включающих биоактивированное зерно пшеницы и ржи и биоактивированные злаковые культуры и амарантовую муку соответственно, и хлеба на их основе. Исследованы химический состав, биологическая и энергетическая ценность ХПС и выпеченных на их основе образцов зернового хлеба Ливенский и Амарантус. Установлено, что ХПС Амарантус и хлеб Амарантус отличаются несколько большим содержанием белка, кальция, лизина по сравнению с ХПС Ливенка и хлебом Ливенский. Однако по количеству пищевых волокон и витаминов ХПС с амарантовой мукой и изделия на ее основе несколько уступают образцам, приготовленным без добавки амарантовой муки. Внесение амарантовой муки в дозировке 5,5% взамен части ржаной муки незначительно повышает энергетическую и биологическую ценность ХПС и хлеба на ее основе. Установлено, что ХПС Ливенка и Амарантус относятся к функциональным пищевым ингредиентам за счет содержания значимого количества биологически активных веществ, а изделия на их основе – к функциональным пищевым продуктам. Comparative evaluation of baking mixes (BM) of Livenka and Amarantus, including bioactivated grains of wheat and rye and bioactivated cereals and amaranth flour, respectively, and bread on their basis was carried out. Chemical composition, biological and energy value of BM and baked on their basis samples of grain bread Livenskiy and Amarantus were investigated. It is established that the BM Amarantus and bread Amarantus are slightly high content of protein, calcium, lysine, compared with BM Livenka and bread Livenskiy. However, the number of dietary fibers and vitamins BM with amaranth flour and products on it based are concede to samples a little prepared without the addition of amaranth flour. The introduction of amaranth flour in a dosage of 5,5% instead of a portion of rye flour slightly increases the energy and biological value of BM and bread on it based. It was found that the BM Livenka and Amarantus are functional food ingredients due to the content of a significant amount of biologically active substances, and products on their based – to functional foods.


Medicines ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miora Rakotoarisoa ◽  
Angelina Angelova

Neurodegenerative diseases have become a major challenge for public health because of their incurable status. Soft nanotechnology provides potential for slowing down the progression of neurodegenerative disorders by using innovative formulations of neuroprotective antioxidants like curcumin, resveratrol, vitamin E, rosmarinic acid, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone, coenzyme Q10, and fish oil. Curcumin is a natural, liposoluble compound, which is of considerable interest for nanomedicine development in combination therapies. The neuroprotective effects of combination treatments can involve restorative mechanisms against oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and protein aggregation. Despite the anti-amyloid and anti-tau potential of curcumin and its neurogenesis-stimulating properties, the utilization of this antioxidant as a drug in neuroregenerative therapies has huge limitations due to its poor water solubility, physico-chemical instability, and low oral bioavailability. We highlight the developments of soft lipid- and polymer-based delivery carriers of curcumin, which help improve the drug solubility and stability. We specifically focus on amphiphilic liquid crystalline nanocarriers (cubosome, hexosome, spongosome, and liposome particles) for the encapsulation of curcumin with the purpose of halting the progressive neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document