Nutraceutics

In past years, LAB applications have moved beyond the traditional food fermentation processes to use in delivery of molecules (Martin et al. 2014) and as microbial cell factories for producing value-added products (Boguta et al. 2014). In this chapter the capability of LAB to naturally produce nutraceutics and high value metabolites is discussed the use of recombinant LAB for production of commodity chemicals is presented briefly. 

the production of nutraceutics (polyols, short-chain fatty acids, conjugated-linoleic acids, bioactive peptides, gamma-amino butyric acid, and vitamins) and other interesting metabolites such as exopolysaccharides by LAB is presented (Hugenholtz and Smid 2002 Hugenholtz 2008 Ortiz 

Besides their application in the food industry, polyols are employed in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and in medicine as a potent osmotic diuretic (Monedero et al. 2010 Saha and Racine 2010 Ortiz et al. 2013). In this respect, mannitol is applied to patients with kidney failure, brain edema, and intraocular pressure (von Weymarn et al. 2002). 

The ability of other heterofermentative LAB strains to produce mannitol has been reported (von Weymarn et al. 2002 Fontes et al. 2009 Carvalheiro et al. 2011) the highly osmotolerant strain Lact. intermedius NRRL-3693 being the best mannitol producer so far with a yield higho- than 200 g/l when grown on a high fructose concentration (300 g/l) medium (Saha and Nakamura 2003). 

DeFelice (2002) coined the term Nutraceutical from Nutrition and Pharmaceutical, and defined it as a food or part of food (components) that provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and/or treatment of a disease. Although nutraceuticals are commonly used in marketing, the term has no regulatory definition in the majority of the countries worldwide. The production of nutraceutics (polyols, conjugated linoleic acids, GABA, vitamins, etc.) and other interesting metabolites such as EPS by LAB is presented here [209]. 

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The discovery that, in industrialised societies, diets deficient in fruits and vegetables can effectively double the risk of developing many different types of cancer has focused renewed attention on the beneficial properties of these foods (Block e/a/., 1992 Patterson ef a/., 1990 Southon and Faulks, 2002). As we have seen, plant foods are rich in micronutrients, but they also contain an immense variety of biologically active secondary metabolites providing colour, flavour and natural toxicity to pests and sometimes humans (Johnson et ah, 1994). The chemistry and classification of such substances is still a matter for much research and debate, but this has not prevented attempts to isolate and exploit substances that have variously been termed protective factors , phytoprotectants , phytochemicals and nutraceuticals . Phytochemical compounds include ... 

MESSINA M, GUGGER E T and ALEKEL D L (2001) Soy protein, soybean isoflavones, and bone health a review of the animal and human data. In Wildman REC, Handbook of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Boca Raton, CRC Press EEC, 77-98. 

Based upon such reports, there is an increasing view that functional foods (nutraceuticals), in which carotenoid levels are high or modified qualitatively, would be beneficial to human health, especially with respect to degenerative... 

JALILI T, wiLDMAN RFC, MEDEROs D M (2000) Nutiaceutical role of dietary fiber. J Nutraceutical, Functional and Medical Foods, 2(4) 19-34. 

Faulks, R.M. and Southon, S., Carotenoids, metabohsm and disease, in Handbook of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2001. 

Delgado-Vargas, F. and Paredes-Lopez, O., Natural pigments global perspective, in Natural Colorants for Pood and Nutraceutical Uses, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2003, chap. 6. 

Piga, A., Cactus pear a fruit of nutraceutical and functional importance, J. Profess. 

The aroma and red color of the spice saffron are partly due to the style-specific accumulation of carotenoid cleavage products produced by both enzymatic and thermal degradation. M. Giaccio reviewed the renewed interest in saffron as a colorant, spice, and nutraceutical. " Crocetin is a C20 apocarotenoid derived from zeaxanthin (Figure 5.3.4B). ... 

Genomic and molecular tools have made great impacts on plant biotechnology and offer potential for manipulation of carotenoids as natural colorants and also for applications in human and animal health. While microbial and other non-plant systems have been successfully used, plant modification eliminates need for expensive bioreactors and offers economically feasible opportunities for less developed nations for production of nutraceuticals and other chemical products. 

Considering the concerns of consumers for synthetic colorants and interest in natural formulas, many food manufacturers seek alternative healthy solutions to replace colorants, even the regulated ones from positive lists (like p-carotene), with colored fruit and vegetable extracts to be used as functional food ingredients or nutraceuticals (food supplements). ... 

Seabuckthom (Hippophae rhamnoides) fruits, very rich in phytochemicals and demonstrated to be excellent sources of natural food colorants (carotenoids and flavonoids) are increasingly used as food ingredients and nutraceuticals... 

The selenium species that are drawing most attention are Se(IV) and Se(VI) in water and sediments, and the biomethylated products (dimethylselenide and dimethyldi-selenide) that are spread into the environment (Camara et al. 1995). Se-species in food (including Se-cysteine and other species in yeast) are in the limelight (Crews 1998) because of their beneficial effect on human health and their increasing use as nutraceuticals. 

Applications Pressurised fluid extraction (ASE , ESE ) is still in its early stage of development, both for polymeric and other samples. At present, most applications are found in the environmental, food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical areas. Few reports describe the application of PEE to the extraction of monomers, oligomers and additives from polymers and most work is very recent. An application note [488] has provided some guiding principles for ASE applied to additives in polymers, namely as follows ... 

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