Functional Foods and Beverages

In vitro Assessment of Nutritional, Sensory, and Safety Properties

Nicolas Bordenave, Mario G. Ferruzzi, Nicolas Bordenave, Mario G. Ferruzzi

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781118733295
• eBook ISBN: 9781118823200
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

A much-needed guide to in vitro food functionality evaluation principles, processes, and state-of-the-art modeling

There are more than a few books devoted to the assessment of food functionality but, until now, there were no comprehensive guides focusing on the increasingly important subject of in vitro food evaluation. With contributions from the world's foremost experts in the field, this book brings readers up to speed on the state-of-the-art in in vitro modeling, from its physiological bases to its conception, current uses, and future developments.

Food functionality is a broad concept encompassing nutritional and health functionality, food safety and toxicology, as well as a broad range of visual and organoleptic properties of food. In vitro techniques bridge the gap between standard analytical techniques, including chemical and biochemical approaches and in vivo human testing, which remains the ultimate translational goal for evaluation of the functionality of food. Although it is a well- established field, in vitro food testing continues to evolve toward ever more accurate predictions of in vivo properties and outcomes. Both ethical and highly economical, these approaches allow for detailed mechanistic insights into food functionalities and, therefore, a better understanding of the interactions of food and human physiology.

• Reviews the core concepts of food functionality and functionality evaluation methodologies
• Provides an overview of the physiology of the gastrointestinal tract, including host-microbial interactions within it
• Delves into the physiology of sensory perception of food, taste and texture as they relate to in vitro modeling
• Explores the challenges of linking in vitro analysis of taste, aroma and flavor to their actual perception
• Addresses in vitro models of the digestion and absorption of macronutrients, micronutrients, and phytonutrients
• Describes in vitro evaluations of toxicants, allergens and other specific food hazards

Functional Foods and Beverages is an indispensable working resource for food scientists as well as researchers working in government facilities dedicated to tracking food safety.

1
Overview of Functional Foods

Robin A. Ralston¹, Amy D. Mackey², Christopher T. Simons³ and Steven J. Schwartz^3,*

¹ Center for Advanced Functional Foods Research and Entrepreneurship, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

² Abbott Nutrition, Abbott Laboratories, USA

³ Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

*Corresponding author.

1.1 Overview of Functional Foods

1.1.1 Foods and Nutrients are Linked to Health and Disease

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that a healthy lifestyle, including healthy foods, is one strategy to prevent chronic disease (CDC, 2012). Epidemiological studies have shown a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of inflammatory and age‐related chronic diseases, including many cancers, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation (Barbaresko et al., 2013; Esposito and Giugliano, 2006; Heggie et al., 2003; Hu, 2003).

Foods, especially plant foods, contain non‐nutrient bioactive compounds that have potential to synergistically and positively impact health. The primary classes are phenolic compounds, carotenoids, alkaloids, nitrogen‐containing compounds, organosulfur compounds, and phytosterols (Liu, 2004, 2013a, 2013b). More than 5000 bioactive components have been identified in plant foods (Liu, 2004, 2013a), but it is thought that more than 25,000 bioactive components are actually present. Most of these components are metabolized to different compounds during and after digestion. Considering these 25,000 bioactives and all of their metabolites, it would be unrealistic to conclude there is a single compound which serves as a “silver bullet” for health promotion. Instead, it is the combination of many dietary compounds consumed from a variety of whole foods that likely confers the greatest health benefits (Liu, 2004). Undoubtedly, there is still much research required in order to fully understand the role of bioactive dietary compounds and their metabolites in human health.

1.1.2 Definition of Functional Foods

Defining functional foods can be difficult. There is no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) definition of functional foods, and all foods can be considered “functional” because all cause some physiological response. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) defines functional foods as “whole foods along with fortified, enriched, or enhanced foods that have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis at effective levels” (Crowe and Francis, 2013). Similarly, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) defines functional foods as “foods and food components that provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition (for the intended population)” (IFT, 2005). Thus, functional foods can encompass fresh foods, such as tomatoes and broccoli, along with processed or cooked foods, such as tomato juice and broccoli soup. Functional foods also include foods that naturally contain non‐nutrient bioactive components, such as flax seeds, as well as foods fortified with bioactive components, such as various nutrition bars.

1.1.3 Functional Foods Market

As reviewed by E. Sloan, the Nutrition Business Journal (2013) reports that worldwide sales of functional foods were $118 billion in 2012. With an increase of 7% from 2011 to 2012, the United States is the largest market for functional foods (sales of $43.9 billion), followed by Japan ($22 billion), the United Kingdom ($8.1 billion), and Germany ($6.4 billion) (Sloan, 2014). Also reviewed by E. Sloan, the Multi‐Sponsor Surveys’ 2012 Gallup Study of Nutrient Knowledge and Consumption reports that 60% of adults in the U.S. consume functional foods or beverages at least occasionally (Sloan, 2014). These statistics confirm that not only is the study of functional foods valuable for consumer health, but also that there is interest by the food and nutrition industries to develop new products for consumers that truly improve health (Pricewaterhouse Coopers, 2009).

1.1.4 How Functional Foods are Studied

Large epidemiological studies are usually used to discover a potential association between a food or group of foods and a health condition. Due to wide variability in various characteristics of epidemiological cohorts (e.g. diet and other environmental exposures, race and other genetic factors), randomized, controlled, human clinical intervention studies are used to identify cause and effect relationships between a specific food and a health condition. These randomized controlled trials are considered the “gold standard”, mandatory to develop health claims, and usually required to develop dietary recommendations. While it is recognized that cellular or other in vitro models will never perfectly replicate the complex system of the human body, in vitro methods are an essential piece of the puzzle. They can be used to understand the identity and quantity of bioactive components in foods and their metabolites once the food is consumed. In addition, in vitro models are used to study mechanisms of action as well as absorption and metabolism. Because even small human clinical intervention studies are very expensive and time intensive, in vitro preclinical models are often used to validate epidemiological data, predict the outcome of a human or animal study, justify execution of human clinical trials, and predict human sensory perception of functional foods.

In vitro methodologies are typically used throughout a “crops to the clinic” approach to functional foods research, from growing the plant, producing a food product, analyzing the bioactive components, and predicting the bioavailability and biological activity of the bioactives, all with the goal of justifying use of the food in a human clinical study (Ferruzzi et al., 2012). These aspects are discussed below.

When growing a plant to be used as a functional ingredient in a food product, in vitro methodologies are used to understand genetic and molecular pathways which influence the levels of bioactive components in a plant. For example, genetic mapping techniques can be developed to identify plant varieties that contain higher levels of a specific bioactive component or a form of the bioactive component which is more biologically active or more bioavailable (Battino et al., 2009; Kuzina et al., 2011). In addition, growing conditions such as temperature, light, and soil nutrients can be modulated to optimize levels of a particular bioactive component (Bumgarner et al., 2012). Processing conditions, inclusion of other ingredients, and storage conditions can also impact the...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• 1 Overview of Functional Foods
• 2 The In vivo Foundations for In vitro Testing of Functional Foods
• 3 In vivo Foundations of Sensory In vitro Testing Systems
• 4 In vitro Models of Host–Microbial Interactions Within the Gastrointestinal Tract
• 5 Macronutrient Nutritional Functionality of Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids
• 6 In vitro Approaches for Investigating the Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability of Dietary Nutrients and Bioactive Metabolites
• 7 In vitro Models for Testing Toxicity in the Gastrointestinal Tract
• 8 In vitro Methods for Assessing Food Protein Allergenicity
• 9 Challenges of Linking In vitro Analysis to Flavor Perception
• Index
• End User License Agreement