{"title":"Outstanding Reviewers for <i>Food & Function</i> in 2024.","authors":"","doi":"10.1039/d5fo90047f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5fo90047f","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of <i>Food & Function</i>'s reviewers for helping to preserve quality and integrity in chemical science literature. We would also like to highlight the Outstanding Reviewers for <i>Food & Function</i> in 2024.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144504237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Javier I Ottaviani, Hagen Schroeter, Dennis M Bier, John W Erdman, Howard D Sesso, JoAnn E Manson, Gunter G C Kuhnle
{"title":"The overlooked impact of background diet and adherence in nutrition trials.","authors":"Javier I Ottaviani, Hagen Schroeter, Dennis M Bier, John W Erdman, Howard D Sesso, JoAnn E Manson, Gunter G C Kuhnle","doi":"10.1039/d5fo01134e","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d5fo01134e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Randomised controlled trials in nutrition (RCTN) face unique challenges, including the considerable influence of the background diet and the challenge of assuring intervention adherence by participants. The impact of these factors on the outcome of RCTNs has been difficult to quantify, but nutritional biomarkers represent a valuable tool to address these challenges. Using flavanols as a model dietary intervention and a set of recently validated flavanol biomarkers, we here investigated the impact of background diet and adherence on the outcomes of a subcohort of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS, NCT02422745). We found that 20% of participants in the placebo and cocoa-extract intervention arms had a flavanol background intake as high as the intervention, and only 5% did not consume any flavanols. Approximately 33% of participants in the intervention group did not achieve expected biomarker levels from the assigned intervention - more than the 15% estimated with pill-taking questionnaires usually implemented in RCTN. Taking these factors into account resulted in a larger effect size for all observed endpoints (HR (95% CI)) estimated using intention-to-treat <i>vs.</i> per-protocol <i>vs.</i> biomarker-based analyses: total cardiovascular disease (CVD) events 0.83 (0.65; 1.07); 0.79 (0.59; 1.05); 0.65 (0.47; 0.89) - CVD mortality 0.53 (0.29; 0.96); 0.51 (0.23; 1.14); 0.44 (0.20; 0.97) - all-cause mortality 0.81 (0.61; 1.08); 0.69 (0.45; 1.05); 0.54 (0.37; 0.80) -- major CVD events 0.75 (0.55; 1.02); 0.62 (0.43; 0.91); 0.48 (0.31; 0.74). These results highlight the importance of taking background diet and adherence into consideration in RCTN to obtain more reliable estimates of outcomes through nutritional biomarker-based analyses.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12199553/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144493216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Melissa Zannini, Maddalena De Angeli, Angela Conte, Vincenzo Minischetti, Domenico D'Arca, Davide Tagliazucchi, Alice Cattivelli
{"title":"Gut microbial metabolites of phenolic compounds inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation by triggering apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.","authors":"Melissa Zannini, Maddalena De Angeli, Angela Conte, Vincenzo Minischetti, Domenico D'Arca, Davide Tagliazucchi, Alice Cattivelli","doi":"10.1039/d5fo02116b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5fo02116b","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Growing evidence shows how diet can influence the onset of colon cancer. In this regard, phenolic compounds, and particularly, their metabolites produced by the gut microbiota, may be responsible for this protective effect. Therefore, in this study, some of the main gut microbial metabolites of phenolic compounds were tested for their anti-proliferative activity against two colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (Caco-2 and SW480). Two compounds, 3',4'-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and 3-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid, showed IC<sub>50</sub> values towards Caco-2 below the physiological concentrations found in the colon. In addition, other compounds showing low IC<sub>50</sub> values towards Caco-2 were 2,3,4-trihyroxybenzoic acid (gallic acid), 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene (pyrogallol), and 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone. Whereas three flavanone aglycones (naringenin, eriodictyol, and hesperetin) and, again, 2,3,4-trihyroxybenzoic acid, and 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene were the most active towards SW480. Some compounds exert an anti-proliferative effect by disrupting the cell cycle, others by inducing apoptosis, and others by promoting reactive oxygen species formation. Thus, this study demonstrates that gut microbial metabolites of phenolic compounds can be held responsible for the protective effect against the onset of colon cancer of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144493215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ani Grigorian, Ali Tabatabaeyan, Mansour Salesi, Awat Feizi, Ali-Reza Ahmadi, Marzieh Kafeshani
{"title":"Astaxanthin supplement improves clinical outcomes, quality of life, and inflammatory factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized clinical trial.","authors":"Ani Grigorian, Ali Tabatabaeyan, Mansour Salesi, Awat Feizi, Ali-Reza Ahmadi, Marzieh Kafeshani","doi":"10.1039/d5fo00949a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5fo00949a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease that results in joint destruction and progressive disability. This study aimed to determine the effect of astaxanthin (ASX) on clinical outcomes, quality of life, and inflammatory factors in patients with RA. In this randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 60 patients with RA were randomly allocated into two groups and given either 20 mg day<sup>-1</sup> of ASX supplement in the intervention group (<i>n</i> = 30) or placebo in the control group (<i>n</i> = 30) for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were obtained from patients at the beginning and end of the intervention to measure the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Clinical symptoms were also measured, including the pain intensity based on the visual analogue scale (VAS), Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS-28), and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). In the intervention group compared to the control group after the intervention, DAS-28, HAQ, ESR, and CRP levels were significantly reduced (<i>P</i> < 0.05), and the pain intensity was marginally significantly reduced. The significant differences in DAS-28, HAQ, and ESR levels persisted even after adjusting for baseline values and other covariates. However, no significant differences in the pain intensity and CRP levels were found after controlling for confounding factors (<i>P</i> > 0.05). The IL-6 level did not change in either group by the end of the study, and the difference between the two groups also was not statistically significant (<i>P</i> > 0.05). This study demonstrated the beneficial effects of ASX on some important clinical outcomes, quality of life, and inflammatory factors in patients with RA. Including it as part of their treatment plan could significantly aid in managing their condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144493208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuxiang Wang, Zhaojun Zheng, Kun Liu, Yan Zhang, Chong Chen, Yuanfa Liu
{"title":"Structural and digestibility characterization of soybean protein, textured soybean-based protein and chicken breast: a comparative study.","authors":"Yuxiang Wang, Zhaojun Zheng, Kun Liu, Yan Zhang, Chong Chen, Yuanfa Liu","doi":"10.1039/d4fo03963g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4fo03963g","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant-based meat analogs, primarily composed of textured vegetable proteins (TVPs), are potential alternatives to traditional meat. However, there is a lack of research on the digestibility properties of TVPs. This study involved processing soybean protein concentrate (SPC) into soybean-based high-moisture extruded TVPs (SH) and soybean-based low-moisture extruded TVPs (SL) through high-moisture (HM) extrusion and low-moisture (LM) extrusion, respectively. A comparison was then made between the structural and digestibility characteristics of SPC, SH, SL, and chicken breast. HM and LM extrusion transformed the soybean protein molecular structure from spherical into fibrous like in chicken breast, decreased its α-helix/β-sheet value from 0.68 ± 0.01 to 0.63 ± 0.01 and 0.60 ± 0.00, respectively, increased its intrinsic fluorescence maximum absorption wavelength from 341.4 nm to 352.2 nm and 350.2 nm, respectively, reduced its surface hydrophobicity index from 8665 ± 519 to 6723 ± 285 and 5167 ± 321, respectively, and greatly decreased the peptide molecular weight of digestive products. The findings suggested that, compared with natural SPC, soybean-based meat analogs were more similar to chicken breast in terms of appearance, protein molecular structure and digestibility characteristics, but there were still significant differences between the two. These results offered a scientific foundation for further exploration of plant-based meat alternatives.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liu-Jing Zhang, Xiao-Jun Huang, Xiao-Dan Shi, Hai-Hong Chen, Steve W Cui, Shao-Ping Nie
{"title":"Correction: Protective effect of three glucomannans from different plants against DSS induced colitis in female BALB/c mice.","authors":"Liu-Jing Zhang, Xiao-Jun Huang, Xiao-Dan Shi, Hai-Hong Chen, Steve W Cui, Shao-Ping Nie","doi":"10.1039/d5fo90056e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5fo90056e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Correction for 'Protective effect of three glucomannans from different plants against DSS induced colitis in female BALB/c mice' by Liu-Jing Zhang <i>et al.</i>, <i>Food Funct.</i>, 2019, <b>10</b>, 1928-1939, https://doi.org/10.1039/C8FO02305K.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Flavonoids of <i>Rosa sterilis</i> S. D. Shi improve high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice by inhibiting lipid accumulation and regulating the gut microbiota.","authors":"Rui-Xue Yu, Xu-Lu Luo, Ji-Qiu Wang, Jiao-Jiao Li, Hejiang Zhou, Yong-He Li, Ling-Yan Su","doi":"10.1039/d5fo01469g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5fo01469g","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obesity is a complex disease associated with poor dietary habits and the gut microbiota. <i>Rosa sterilis</i> S. D. Shi contains abundant flavonoids, which have significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity effects. Flavonoids from <i>Rosa sterilis</i> S. D. Shi (FRS) are bioactive compounds with multiple activities. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether and how the FRS can alleviate high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice. Our results suggested that there are significant reductions in obesity-related phenotypes after 12 weeks of FRS intervention in HFD-induced mice. FRS significantly reduced weight gain, minimized liver damage, and restored liver and epididymal fat morphology in mice with HFD. Furthermore, FRS increased the population of beneficial bacteria <i>Akkermansia</i>, which helped counteract obesity, thereby improving glucose homeostasis and reducing lipid accumulation by modulating the gut microbiota composition. In conclusion, as a non-toxic and biologically active natural ingredient, FRS has the potential to prevent obesity and related metabolic disorders, and is expected to become a functional ingredient for researching anti-obesity and improving consumer health. This study provides a theoretical foundation and technical support for developing functional FRS products and underscores the importance of FRS in anti-obesity research and the advanced utilization of <i>Rosa sterilis</i> S. D. Shi resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Polysaccharides from echinoderms: unlocking health benefits and food applications - a review.","authors":"Abu Saeid, Deepika Dave, Fereidoon Shahidi","doi":"10.1039/d5fo02177d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5fo02177d","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata), including sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and starfish, are found in the marine environment. They have no freshwater or terrestrial representatives and inhabit the entire depth of the ocean. The phylum contains more than 7000 living species. Their bodies contain nutrients like proteins (peptides, collagen, and protein hydrolysates), lipids (polyunsaturated fatty acids), saponins (frondoside A), carotenoids (canthaxanthin and astaxanthin), phenolics (flavonoids and phenolic acids), vitamins, and minerals. Besides, these are the leading sources of unique polysaccharides, such as fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, sulfated fucans, and glycosaminoglycans, which possess a wide range of bioactivities. This review intends to explore the health-promoting properties of these polysaccharides, highlighting their anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antioxidant, antitumor, anticancer, and other effects along with their mechanisms of action. Their heterogeneous structural composition and remarkable biological activity make them promising candidates for many applications in the functional foods and nutraceuticals area. Furthermore, this review discusses the major challenges and future prospects of polysaccharides from marine echinoderms, focusing on their extraction, purification, characterization, and structural diversity. In addition, the potential of echinoderm polysaccharides as novel nutrients that can contribute to human health is described and it also highlights the growing desire for natural food products in health promotion and disease risk reduction.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144473441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peiling Hu, Han Tan, Weiping Xu, Shijian Liu, Jiajia Song, Xiaoyong Chen, Huayi Suo
{"title":"Probiotics enhance vitamin absorption in the intestine: influencing factors and potential mechanisms.","authors":"Peiling Hu, Han Tan, Weiping Xu, Shijian Liu, Jiajia Song, Xiaoyong Chen, Huayi Suo","doi":"10.1039/d4fo04252b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4fo04252b","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vitamins are essential for numerous bodily functions and metabolic regulation. The importance of probiotics in promoting intestinal absorption of vitamins has been confirmed, yet several factors influence the effectiveness of this promotion. Despite this, studies on the mechanisms by which probiotics facilitate this process remain limited. In this review, we discuss the potential mechanisms through which probiotics promote intestinal vitamin absorption. These include altering the composition of the intestinal microbiota, improving the intestinal environment, regulating intestinal pH, enhancing vitamin expression and activity, synthesizing transporter proteins, producing binding proteins, and generating postbiotics. Additionally, the promotion of intestinal vitamin absorption by probiotics may be influenced by digestive enzymes, vitamin transporter proteins, vitamin-binding proteins, and dietary lipids. Understanding the factors that influence how probiotics affect intestinal vitamin absorption and elucidating their underlying mechanisms of action are crucial for unlocking the full potential of probiotics and developing effective applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144473442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dorian Teissandier, Charlotte Gillet, Soline Chaumont, Sylvie Mercier, Marie Lefebvre, Wiame Lasri, Aïcha Djama Guedi, Marie Taillandier, Nathalie Hanet, Liliana Jimenez, Laetitia Demaretz, Christine Morand, Claudine Manach
{"title":"PhenolQuest: a new reference FFQ for a more precise and comparable assessment of (poly)phenol intake in Europe.","authors":"Dorian Teissandier, Charlotte Gillet, Soline Chaumont, Sylvie Mercier, Marie Lefebvre, Wiame Lasri, Aïcha Djama Guedi, Marie Taillandier, Nathalie Hanet, Liliana Jimenez, Laetitia Demaretz, Christine Morand, Claudine Manach","doi":"10.1039/d4fo06326k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4fo06326k","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>(Poly)phenols represent a large class of bioactive compounds present in our diet. An increasing number of epidemiological, clinical and pre-clinical studies are demonstrating the beneficial effects of (poly)phenols on various health parameters, parlicularly in relation to the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases. However, fully understanding their potential in preventive nutrition requires significant improvements in the assessment of individuals' exposure to a variety of (poly)phenols. One of the current limitations is the use of standard Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) that are not specifically designed for that purpose and as a consequence lack precision and accuracy for the assessment of (poly)phenol intake. We developed the FFQ PhenolQuest, specially designed to assess with a high level of details the dietary intake of 120 (poly)phenols belonging to all main families, in populations following a European-style diet. It includes 188 foods with a number of additional variations (<i>n</i> = 75). Special effort was made to optimize the questionnaire's design and usability. In particular, the consumption frequency options were expanded compared to the standard FFQ and tailored to the different food groups. An application test conducted on a French population panel of 110 subjects demonstrated PhenolQuest's ability to capture the diversity of (poly)phenol source consumption patterns. PhenolQuest is shared in integrality for free use and further validation by the community. This article presents the challenges and strategies used for its development, as well as its scope of use.</p>","PeriodicalId":77,"journal":{"name":"Food & Function","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144473440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}