Biotechnology of Bioactive Compounds

Sources and Applications

Vijai Kumar Gupta, Maria G. Tuohy, Anthonia O'Donovan, Mohtashim Lohani, Vijai Kumar Gupta, Maria G. Tuohy, Anthonia O'Donovan, Mohtashim Lohani

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781118733493
• eBook ISBN: 9781118733448
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Biology
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Bioactive compounds play a central role in high-value product development in the chemical industry. Bioactive compounds have been identified from diverse sources and their therapeutic benefits, nutritional value and protective effects in human and animal healthcare have underpinned their application as pharmaceuticals and functional food ingredients. The orderly study of biologically active products and the exploration of potential biological activities of these secondary metabolites, including their clinical applications, standardization, quality control, mode of action and potential biomolecular interactions, has emerged as one of the most exciting developments in modern natural medicine.

Biotechnology of Bioactive Compounds describes the current stage of knowledge on the production of bioactive compounds from microbial, algal and vegetable sources. In addition, the molecular approach for screening bioactive compounds is also discussed, as well as examples of applications of these compounds on human health. The first half of the book comprises information on diverse sources of bioactive compounds, ranging from microorganisms and algae to plants and dietary foods. The second half of the book reviews synthetic approaches, as well as selected bioactivities and biotechnological and biomedical potential. The bioactive compounds profiled include compounds such as C-phycocyanins, glycosides, phytosterols and natural steroids. An overview of the usage of bioactive compounds as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, anti-allergic compounds and in stem cell research is also presented, along with an overview of the medicinal applications of plant-derived compounds.

Biotechnology of Bioactive Compounds will be an informative text for undergraduate and graduate students of bio-medicinal chemistry who are keen to explore the potential of bioactive natural products. It also provides useful information for scientists working in various research fields where natural products have a primary role.

Section I
Bioactive compounds from diverse plant, microbial, and marine sources

Chapter 1
Bioactive compounds from vegetable and fruit by-products

B. De Ancos, C. Colina-Coca, D. González-Peña, and C. Sánchez-Moreno

Department of Characterization, Quality and Safety, Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain

1.1 Introduction

Consumers’ contemporary eating habits are changing in consonance with 21st-century lifestyles and as a result of better understanding of the effects of food on health and quality of life. Nowadays, there is increasing demand on the part of consumers for fresh or processed fruits and vegetables, mainly as juices, canned, frozen, or minimally processed products (fresh-cut, easy-to-eat, or easy-to-prepare), among other products, that are microbiologically safe, and at the same time offering biological properties beyond nutritional factors. Numerous studies have demonstrated that phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are the major bioactive compounds with human health benefits. Another key feature that consumers are demanding is food without synthetic additives because the synthetic molecules are suspected to cause or promote negative health effects. In line with the present tendency to consume healthy, safe foods free of synthetic additives, consumers demand natural ingredients and additives capable of not only maintaining the initial quality of food, but at the same time providing healthy properties (reducing the risk of disease) that go further than nutritional requirements.

It has been evident that the consumption of food rich in phytochemicals, as well as food enriched in them, ensures the desirable antioxidant status and helps in prevention of development degenerative diseases. Moreover, the processing of fruits and vegetables produces high amounts of by-products such as peels, seeds, stones, residual pulp, discarded whole pieces, etc., rich in phytochemical compounds (phenolic compounds, carotenoids, dietary fiber, vitamin C, minerals, etc.) that can be used as a low-cost source to obtain functional ingredients.

1.2 Beneficial health effects obtained by consuming vegetable and fruit products rich in phytochemicals

In recent years, an increasing consumption of vegetables and fruits in the diet has been observed, due to the fact that the consumer has a greater knowledge of the beneficial properties obtained. Numerous epidemiological studies have shown a direct relationship between a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and lower incidence of degenerative diseases such as certain types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, macular degeneration, aging, and others (Liu et al. 2000; Michels et al. 2000; Kris-Etherton et al. 2002; Trichopoulou et al. 2003; Willcox et al. 2003; Dauchet et al. 2006; Ordovás et al. 2007; Liu 2013).

This effect has been attributed to the presence of certain compounds in the food owing to determined biological activities related to health benefits known as bioactive or phytochemical compounds (Liu 2013). The biological activity of these compounds (dietary fiber, carotenoids, phenols, vitamins A, C, and E, glucosinolates, organosulphur compounds, sesquiterpenic lactones, etc.) has been studied by means of in vitro, in vivo, and human intervention studies.

In general, phytochemicals could be defined as chemical substances that can be found in vegetable products, giving them physiological properties beyond the nutritional considerations.

The beneficial mechanisms resulting from the consumption of fruits and vegetables are as yet not well known. They seem to be related to synergistic or additive interactions between the phytochemicals that could affect different pathways such as modulation of steroid hormone concentration and detoxifying enzymes; reduction of plaque aggregation and blood pressure; changes in cholesterol and hormone metabolism, antioxidant, antiviral, and antibacterial activity; stimulation of the immune response; reduction of inflammatory processes; antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties; and prevention and delay of cardiovascular diseases (Liu 2013; Yu and Ahmedna 2013).

It is a fact that fruits and vegetables can be processed for economical and logistical reasons in order to improve their commercial shelf-life and digestibility, in accordance with the consumer habits of each country or to facilitate the consumption by special groups (children, pregnant women, older adults, patients with certain pathologies, etc.). In addition to traditional thermal processing—such as frozen, canned, or pasteurized vegetable products, etc.—there is growing interest in the development of new processing systems that minimally modify or improve the nutritional and health properties related to the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Among these new food processing technologies, researchers, industrialists, and distributors have been focused on the development of minimal processing technologies for producing vegetable products with minimally modified sensorial and nutritional characteristics such as “fresh-cut vegetables” and “ready-to-eat processed vegetables” (González-Aguilar et al. 2005; Oms-Oliu et al. 2010; Artes and Allende 2005). Figure 1.1 shows the distribution of vegetable products more frequently consumed in Europe. At present, Europeans preferably consumed fresh vegetable products (80%), and only 20% of vegetable production is consumed processed, mainly canned (8%), frozen (6%), or fresh-cut products (4%).

Figure 1.1 Distribution of vegetable products consumed in Europe.

1.3 By-products from vegetable and fruit processing to obtain phytochemicals

There are important food mass losses throughout the supply chain that lead to edible food for human consumption. Food losses take place at the production, postharvest, and processing stages in the food supply chain. Food losses occurring at the end of the food chain (retail and final consumption) are called “food waste,” which relates to retailers’ and consumers’ behavior (Parfitt et al. 2010). Fruit and vegetable processing generates large quantities of solid and liquid waste such us peels, seeds, stones, fruit pomace from the juice industry, and blanching liquid from the frozen vegetable industry, among others.

Figure 1.2 shows the percentage of the initial weight of fruits and vegetables that are discarded at each phase of plant food chain in different regions. It is noteworthy that in most countries, the percentage of the initial weight of vegetables and fruits that are lost o...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Copyright page
• List of contributors
• Foreword
• Preface
• Section I: Bioactive compounds from diverse plant, microbial, and marine sources
• Section II: Chemistry, biotechnology, and industrial relevance
• Section III: Biochemistry and nutraceutical or health-related applications
• Index
• End User License Agreement