“Infogest” (Improving Health Properties of Food by Sharing our Knowledge on the Digestive Process) is an EU COST action/network in the domain of Food and Agriculture that will last for 4 years from April 4, 2011. Infogest aims at building an open international network of institutes undertaking multidisciplinary basic research on food digestion gathering scientists from different origins (food scientists, gut physiologists, nutritionists...). The network gathers 70 partners from academia, corresponding to a total of 29 countries. The three main scientific goals are: Identify the beneficial food components released in the gut during digestion; Support the effect of beneficial food components on human health; Promote harmonization of currently used digestion models Infogest meetings highlighted the need for a publication that would provide researchers with an insight into the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of respective in vitro and ex vivo assays to evaluate the effects of foods and food bioactives on health. Such assays are particularly important in situations where a large number of foods/bioactives need to be screened rapidly and in a cost effective manner in order to ultimately identify lead foods/bioactives that can be the subject of in vivo assays. The book is an asset to researchers wishing to study the health benefits of their foods and food bioactives of interest and highlights which in vitro/ex vivo assays are of greatest relevance to their goals, what sort of outputs/data can be generated and, as noted above, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the various assays. It is also an important resource for undergraduate students in the ‘food and health’ arena.

This book focuses on various types of bioactive compounds, including secondary metabolites, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, flavonoids, peptides/proteins, carotenoid pigments, quinones, terpenes, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and presents an overview of their nutraceutical activities. It covers the current status and future potential of food compounds, as well as extraction technologies for bioactives derived from plant, fungi and marine-derived bioactive agents. Finally, health-promoting effects of plant, fungi and marine-derived bioactive agents are discussed. Chapters come from top researchers in this area from around the globe. The volume caters to the needs of undergraduate and post-graduate students in the area of food biotechnology, food bioprocessing, biotechnology, food engineering, etc., and also contains information pertinent to researchers.

This valuable volume addresses the growing consumer demand for novel functional food products and for high-value, nutritionally rich products by focusing on the sources and applications of bioactives from food. The chapters in the book describe functional properties and discuss applications of the selected food ingredients obtained from various sources, including culinary banana, phalsa, pseudocereals, roselle calyces, asparagus, and more. Several chapters address the resurgence of interest in pseudocereals due to their excellent nutritional and biological values, gluten-free composition, and the presence of some health-promoting compounds. The book also looks at utilizing industrial byproducts for making functional and nutraceutical ingredients. The chapters on prebiotics and probiotics highlight different functional properties, and a chapter on food allergens discusses advancements in detection and management in the food manufacturing industries.

Inherent toxicants and processing contaminants are bothnon-essential, bioactive substances whose levels in foods can bedifficult to control. This volume covers both types of compound forthe first time, examining their beneficial as well as theirundesirable effects in the human diet. Chapters have been writtenas individually comprehensive reviews, and topics have beenselected to illustrate recent scientific advances in understandingof the occurrence and mechanism of formation, exposure/riskassessment and developments in the underpinning analyticalmethodology. A wide range of contaminants are examined in detail,including pyrrolizidine alkaloids, glucosinolates, phycotoxins, andmycotoxins. Several process contaminants (eg acrylamide and furan),which are relatively new but which have a rapidly growingliterature, are also covered. The book provides a practical reference for a wide range ofexperts: specialist toxicologists (chemists and food chemists),hygienists, government officials and anyone who needs to be awareof the main issues concerning toxicants and process contaminants infood. It will also be a valuable introduction to the subject forpost-graduate students.

Bioactive Food as Dietary Interventions for Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease provides valuable insights for those seeking nutritional treatment options for those suffering from liver and/or related gastrointestinal disease including Crohn's, allergies, and colitis among others. Information is presented on a variety of foods including herbs, fruits, soy and olive oil. This book serves as a valuable resource for researchers in nutrition, nephrology, and gastroenterology. - Addresses the most positive results from dietary interventions using bioactive foods to impact diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal system, including reduction of inflammation, improved function, and nutritional efficiency - Presents a wide range of liver and gastrointestinal diseases and provides important information for additional research - Associated information can be used to understand other diseases, which share common etiological pathways

This valuable volume addresses the growing consumer demand for novel functional food products and for high-value, nutritionally rich products by focusing on the sources and applications of bioactives from food. The chapters in the book describe functional properties and discuss applications of the selected food ingredients obtained from various sources, including culinary banana, phalsa, pseudocereals, roselle calyces, asparagus, and more. Several chapters address the resurgence of interest in pseudocereals due to their excellent nutritional and biological values, gluten-free composition, and the presence of some health-promoting compounds. The book also looks at utilizing industrial byproducts for making functional and nutraceutical ingredients. The chapters on prebiotics and probiotics highlight different functional properties, and a chapter on food allergens discusses advancements in detection and management in the food manufacturing industries.

For centuries we have known that fruit is important for health, but we are only just beginning to fully understand why. Bioactives in Fruit: Health Benefits and Functional Foods aims to summarise some of our current knowledge on the bioactive compounds that are associated with the health benefits of specific fruits with a strong emphasis on the validation of health benefits by human intervention trials. Reflecting the current interest in food and health, the book includes strategies to retain and enhance the bioactives in fruit through breeding, growing conditions, fruit storage, processing into ingredients and production of functional foods. To accomplish this task authors with expertise in biology, chemistry, pharmacology, food science, nutrition, medicine, and horticulture have contributed. They come from universities, government and industry funded research institutes and biotechnology and food companies in Europe, the United States, Asia and New Zealand to give the book a broad perspective. This book, describing fruit bioactives, their health benefits when consumed as a food and related topics regarding their development into fresh or processed functional foods, will be of use to postgraduate students, researchers, functional food product developers, food regulators and anyone who has curiosity about why fruit is good for you. The information contained within will provide plant breeders with new targets for the development of value-added horticultural products, and will also provide nutritionists and dieticians with a useful resource for developing strategies to assist in preventing or slowing disease onset or severity. Bioactives in Fruit: Health Benefits and Functional Foods is a major resource which will be required reading for anyone working in the fields of health and functional foods.

Active ingredients in foods must remain fully functional for as long as necessary and be transported and discharged appropriately to have the desired nutritional effect. Delivery and controlled release systems are an essential way to achieve these aims. This important book reviews how to optimise these systems to maximise the health-promoting properties of food products.Opening chapters review factors affecting nutrient bioavailability and methods to test delivery system efficacy. Part two addresses materials used and specific techniques for delivery and release. The benefits and drawbacks of structured lipids, micro- and nano-emulsions, food-protein-derived materials, complexes and conjugates of biopolymers, and starch as an encapsulation material for delivery of functional food ingredients, are all considered. Part three discusses the delivery and controlled release of particular nutraceuticals such as antioxidants and vitamins, folic acid, probiotics, fish oils and proteins. Part four covers regulatory issues and future trends in bioactives and nutraceuticals.Edited by a leading expert in the field, Delivery and controlled release of bioactives in foods and nutraceuticals is a valuable reference for those working in the food industry and particularly those developing nutraceuticals. - Reviews techniques to optimise the delivery and release of bioactives in food - Discusses the factors that affect nutrient bioavailability and methods to test delivery system efficacy - Addresses materials used and specific techniques for delivery and release

Bioactive natural compounds have gained attention in recent years due to their potential health benefits, including reducing the risk of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. These benefits derive from bioactive compounds' anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive and anti-hyperlipidemic activities, which serve in addition to their basic nutritional functions. Over the last decade, researchers have investigated the health impact of bioactive compounds in detail, and the development of food applications has attracted great interest. Consumer demand has surged for functional foods (nutraceuticals), superfoods, and tailor-made foods, generated by supplementing traditional food products with bioactive ingredients. Food Bioactives and Health offers comprehensive coverage of the properties and health effects of food bioactives in view of new trends in processing, food science and food technology. Starting with the metabolic characteristics of polyphenols, glucosinolates, and other food bioactives, the text then dives into their impact on human health and recent applications in the world of food technology. For food scientists, food technologists, and product developers looking to understand the role of food bioactives in health and develop applications in personalized nutrition, functional foods and nutraceuticals, Food Bioactives and Health serves as a one-stop reference.

Recent major shifts in global health care management policy have been instrumental in renewing interest in herbal medicine. However, literature on the development of products from herbs is often scattered and narrow in scope. Herbal Bioactives and Food Fortification: Extraction and Formulation provides information on all aspects of the extraction o