Natural products from foodstuffs

All eight isomers possess characteristic minty odours. The reason for the importance of /-menthol is its ability to interact, not only with odour receptors, but also with the receptors which sense cold. The presence of menthol will induce cold receptors to respond as if they had sensed a drop in temperature. This physiologically induced sensation of cold is used in many products from foodstuffs, such as confectionery, chewing gum, through oral care products such as toothpaste to cosmetic preparations such as shaving products. There is therefore a large market for menthol and, since not all of it can be met from natural mint oils, a demand for synthetic material. Consequently, there has been a lot of work on the synthesis of menthol and all of the synthetic routes considered must take stereochemistry into account as /-menthol is always the preferred target. 

Palytoxin isolated from zoanthids Palythoa spp. is known to be extremely lethal (0.5 fig/kgy mouse, i.p.) and to have the most complicated natural product structure (Figure 4) ever elucidated (13,14). The toxin was later revealed to be a potent tumor promoter (15). Yet, health risks due to the toxin have remained unclear, as the zoathids are the most unlikely organisms to be regarded as foodstuff. Recently, however, data are being compiled to indicate the wide distribution of this toxin among marine biota. 

Lobbying by other P-carotene producers — In addition to approvals of mixed carotenes from palm oil, P-carotene from Dunaliella microalgae, and other natural products, the EU Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General was asked for an opinion on the safety of P-carotene from a dried biomass source, obtained from a fermentation process with Blakeslea trispora for use as a coloring matter for foodstuffs. 

Carbon dioxide and water are the major waste products from most natural and industrial processes and hence are found in large quantities in the environment. If an efficient and cheap means could be found, the reduction of C02 could provide a potentially rich source of carbon for utilisation in the production of, for example, synthetic hydrocarbon fuels to replace petroleum, formic and oxalic acids for the chemical industries and foodstuffs such as glucose. 

On the other hand, EGCG and green tea extract are acknowledged cancer-preventive agents in Japan [75,76]. Natural products with antitumor promotion activity isolated from foodstuff and medicinal plants have been summarized by Konoshima and his co-worker and Akihisa and... 

Plants will have a specific DNA bar code, which will be a useful forensic tool. The DNA bar code is made up of a standard short region (or regions) of DNA selected from one or more of the genomes. It can be applied universally across land plants but is also variable enough to provide individual identification at species level. The bar code system can be applied to access a database for identification of known plants. It can be used to identify unknown samples from fragments of plant material by comparing them to the known standards and has applications for verification of material in natural products like herbal medicines and foodstuffs. 

Biochemical and pharmacological studies of natural products isolated from various medicinal plants and foodstuffs YOSHIYUKIKIMURA AND HIROMICHIOKUDA... 

BIOCHEMICAL AND PHARAMCOLOGICAL STUDIES OF NATURAL PRODUCTS ISOLATED FROM VARIOUS MEDICINAL PLANTS AND FOODSTUFFS... 

ABSTRACT The concept "Diet and Medicine from the Same Source" has been described in old Chinese medical books. Based on die above classic concept, we have been using biochemical and pharmacological approaches to study natural products (e.g. flavonoids, saponins, tannins etc.) isolated from various medicinal plants and foodstuffs for 20 years. In the present review, we will introduce the biological and pharmacological actions of various components isolated from some medicinal plants and foodstuffs. 

Effects of Natural Products isolated from Medicinal Plants and Foodstuffs on Lipolysis and Lipogenesis in Fat Cells... 

Alkylpyrazines occur frequently as flavour constituents in foodstuffs that undergo heating, e.g. coffee and meat. They are probably formed by a Maillard reaction between amino acids and carbohydrates. Alkylpyrazines also act as alarm pheromones in ants. Coelenterazine 35, a bioluminiscent natural product isolated from a jelly fish, is used in bioassays [159]. 

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