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Health Foods: Molecular Nutrition Mechanisms and Product Development
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Health Foods: Molecular Nutrition Mechanisms and Product Development

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2023) | Viewed by 12490

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Guizhao Liang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
Interests: development of functional foods; discovery of bioactive peptide; design of natural inhibitors; antioxidants; molecular interaction of functional factors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Functional factors in health foods involve natural small molecules, bioactive peptides, functional polysaccharides, bioactive proteins, functional oils, etc. These bioactive molecules play very important roles in promoting human health. They have multiple advantages, including high activity, non-/hypoallergenic, multi-sources, easy access, etc., especially multifunctional molecules with more than two functions, as these are expected to be a new approach to developing nutritional preparations and mining potential drug molecules in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, etc. However, how to identify and screen functional factors with specific activities is a great challenge. At present, experiments, calculations, and new theoretical methods are research strategies that need to be comprehensively considered， among which computational methods are gradually becoming a new efficient screening strategy due to the limitations of wet experimental methods (labour intensive, time consuming, and costly). At the same time, the action mechanism and functional relationship of these molecules also need to be studied, such as what is the activity of these functional factors? What is their mechanism of action? What is the synergy between these factors? There are still many outstanding issues. In future studies, researchers will consider combining wet experiments and machine prediction methods to facilitate mining functional molecules and explain their complex mechanisms of action. As more and more functional molecules are discovered, their application values will also be broadened to the fields of food, health-care products, medicines, and so on. Therefore, new product-processing technology is also important to support the application of functional molecules in the future. In conclusion, it is of great significance for health foods to establish appropriate strategies for finding functional factors, clarifying their mechanism, and developing new product-processing technology.

Prof. Dr. Guizhao Liang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • health foods
  • functional foods
  • multifunctional molecules
  • bioactive peptide
  • natural product
  • molecular simulation
  • molecular docking
  • QSAR

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3035 KiB  
Article
Reducing Antigenicity and Improving Antioxidant Capacity of β-Lactoglobulin through Covalent Interaction with Six Flavonoids
by Pei Pu, Zhifen Deng, Lang Chen, Han Yang and Guizhao Liang
Foods 2023, 12(15), 2913; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12152913 - 31 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 948
Abstract
β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) is a pivotal nutritional and functional protein. However, its application is limited by its antigenicity and susceptibility to oxidation. Here, we explore the impact of covalent modification by six natural compounds on the antigenicity and antioxidant characteristics of β-LG to explore [...] Read more.
β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) is a pivotal nutritional and functional protein. However, its application is limited by its antigenicity and susceptibility to oxidation. Here, we explore the impact of covalent modification by six natural compounds on the antigenicity and antioxidant characteristics of β-LG to explore the underlying interaction mechanism. Our findings reveal that the covalent interaction of β-LG and flavonoids reduces the antigenicity of β-LG, with the following inhibition rates: epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) (57.0%), kaempferol (42.4%), myricetin (33.7%), phloretin (28.6%), naringenin (26.7%), and quercetin (24.3%). Additionally, the β-LG–flavonoid conjugates exhibited superior antioxidant capacity compared to natural β-LG. Our results demonstrate that the significant structural modifications from α-helix to β-sheet induced by flavonoid conjugation elicited distinct variations in the antigenicity and antioxidant activity of β-LG. Therefore, the conjugation of β-LG with flavonoids presents a prospective method to reduce the antigenicity and enhance the antioxidant capacity of β-LG. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Foods: Molecular Nutrition Mechanisms and Product Development)
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16 pages, 2503 KiB  
Article
Molecular Docking of Natural Compounds for Potential Inhibition of AhR
by Deborah Giordano, Angelo Facchiano, Stefania Moccia, Anna Maria Iole Meola, Gian Luigi Russo and Carmela Spagnuolo
Foods 2023, 12(10), 1953; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12101953 - 11 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2550
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a highly conserved environmental sensor, historically known for mediating the toxicity of xenobiotics. It is involved in numerous cellular processes such as differentiation, proliferation, immunity, inflammation, homeostasis, and metabolism. It exerts a central role in several conditions [...] Read more.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a highly conserved environmental sensor, historically known for mediating the toxicity of xenobiotics. It is involved in numerous cellular processes such as differentiation, proliferation, immunity, inflammation, homeostasis, and metabolism. It exerts a central role in several conditions such as cancer, inflammation, and aging, acting as a transcription factor belonging to the basic helix–loop–helix/Per-ARNT-Sim (bHLH-PAS) protein family. A key step in the canonical AhR activation is AhR-ARNT heterodimerization followed by the binding to the xenobiotic-responsive elements (XREs). The present work aims to investigate the potential AhR inhibitory activity of selected natural compounds. Due to the absence of a complete structure of human AhRs, a model consisting of the bHLH, the PAS A, and the PAS B domains was constructed. Blind and focused docking simulations revealed the presence of further binding pockets, different from the canonical one presented in the PAS B domain, which could be important for AhR inhibition due to the possibility to impede AhR:ARNT heterodimerization, either preventing conformational changes or masking crucial sites necessary for protein–protein interaction. Two of the compounds retrieved from the docking simulations, i.e., β-carotene and ellagic acid, confirmed their capacity of inhibiting benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-induced AhR activation in in vitro tests on the human hepatoma cell line HepG2, validating the efficacy of the computational approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Foods: Molecular Nutrition Mechanisms and Product Development)
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16 pages, 3798 KiB  
Article
Preparation, Characterization, and Antioxidant Activity of L-Ascorbic Acid/HP-β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex-Incorporated Electrospun Nanofibers
by Nabab Khan, Amit Kumar Singh and Ankit Saneja
Foods 2023, 12(7), 1363; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071363 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1949
Abstract
L-Ascorbic acid (LAA) is a key vitamin, implicated in a variety of physiological processes in humans. Due to its free radical scavenging activity, it is extensively employed as an excipient in pharmaceutical products and food supplements. However, its application is greatly impeded by [...] Read more.
L-Ascorbic acid (LAA) is a key vitamin, implicated in a variety of physiological processes in humans. Due to its free radical scavenging activity, it is extensively employed as an excipient in pharmaceutical products and food supplements. However, its application is greatly impeded by poor thermal and aqueous stability. Herein, to improve the stability and inhibit oxidative degradation, we prepared LAA-cyclodextrin inclusion complex-incorporated nanofibers (NFs). The continuous variation method (Job plot) demonstrated that LAA forms inclusions with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) at a 2:1 molar stoichiometric ratio. The NFs were prepared via the single step electrospinning technique, without using any polymer matrix. The solid-state characterizations of LAA/HP-β-CD-NF via powder x-ray diffractometry (PXRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR and 2D-NOESY) spectroscopy, reveal the effective encapsulation of the LAA (guest molecule) inside the HP-β-CD (host) cavity. The SEM micrograph reveals an average fiber diameter of ~339 nm. The outcomes of the thermal investigations demonstrated that encapsulation of LAA within HP-β-CD cavities provides improved thermal stability of LAA (by increasing the thermal degradation temperature). The radical scavenging assay demonstrated the enhanced antioxidant potential of LAA/HP-β-CD-NF, as compared to native LAA. Overall, the study shows that cyclodextrin inclusion complex-incorporated NFs, are an effective approach for improving the limitations associated with LAA, and provide promising avenues in its therapeutic and food applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Foods: Molecular Nutrition Mechanisms and Product Development)
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21 pages, 4063 KiB  
Article
Treatment of Diabetes Nephropathy in Mice by Germinating Seeds of Euryale ferox through Improving Oxidative Stress
by Yani Wang, Huaibo Yuan and Yidi Wang
Foods 2023, 12(4), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040767 - 09 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1840
Abstract
Diabetes can cause severe kidney disease. Euryale ferox seeds (Gordon Euryale) have known antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and renal protection effects. Methanol extracts of Gordon Euryale were produced from ungerminated and germinated seeds. The effect of germination on polyphenol and flavonoid content was [...] Read more.
Diabetes can cause severe kidney disease. Euryale ferox seeds (Gordon Euryale) have known antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and renal protection effects. Methanol extracts of Gordon Euryale were produced from ungerminated and germinated seeds. The effect of germination on polyphenol and flavonoid content was investigated by Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Three doses of ungerminated seed extract (EKE) and germinated seed extract (GEKE) were administered to diabetic mice by gavage to explore the treatment-dependent improvement of oxidative stress, metabolic disorder, and kidney disease. Seed germination led to a 1.7 times increase in total phenol content in the extract, and the flavonoid content was increased by 1.9 times. Germination greatly increased the contents of 29 polyphenols and 1 terpenoid. At the same dose, GEKE more strongly improved hyperglycemia, abnormal lipid metabolism, and renal tissue lesions (as confirmed by histology) in the diabetic mice than EKE did. In diabetic mice receiving treatment, kidney microalbunminuria (ALB), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) were all decreased, while activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) were increased. Both EKE and GEKE can improve diabetes and kidney disease by improving hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and kidney physiological indicators and regulating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 and AMPK/mTOR pathways. However, in both pathways, GEKE is more effective. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of GEKE and EKE treatment on antioxidant defense and metabolic capacity of diabetic animals. Germination provides a suitable strategy to improve the medicinal value of these natural plant-based products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Foods: Molecular Nutrition Mechanisms and Product Development)
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17 pages, 3682 KiB  
Article
Construction of an MLR-QSAR Model Based on Dietary Flavonoids and Screening of Natural α-Glucosidase Inhibitors
by Ting Yang, Zichen Yang, Fei Pan, Yijia Jia, Shengbao Cai, Liang Zhao, Lei Zhao, Ou Wang and Chengtao Wang
Foods 2022, 11(24), 4046; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11244046 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1612
Abstract
Postprandial hyperglycemia can be reduced by inhibiting α-glucosidase activity. Common α-glucosidase inhibitors such as acarbose may have various side effects. Therefore, it is important to find natural products that are non-toxic and have high α-glucosidase-inhibitory activity. In the present study, a comprehensive computational [...] Read more.
Postprandial hyperglycemia can be reduced by inhibiting α-glucosidase activity. Common α-glucosidase inhibitors such as acarbose may have various side effects. Therefore, it is important to find natural products that are non-toxic and have high α-glucosidase-inhibitory activity. In the present study, a comprehensive computational analysis of 27 dietary flavonoid compounds with α-glucosidase-inhibitory activity was performed. These included flavonoids, flavanones, isoflavonoids, dihydrochalcone, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins. Firstly, molecular fingerprint similarity clustering analysis was performed on the target molecules. Secondly, multiple linear regression quantitative structure–activity relationship (MLR-QSAR) models of dietary flavonoids (2D descriptors and 3D descriptors optimized), with R2 of 0.927 and 0.934, respectively, were constructed using genetic algorithms. Finally, the MolNatSim tool based on the COCONUT database was used to match the similarity of each flavonoid in this study, and to sequentially perform molecular enrichment, similarity screening, and QSAR prediction. After screening, five kinds of natural product molecule (2-(3,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one, norartocarpetin, 2-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one, 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one, and morelosin) were finally obtained. Their IC50pre values were 8.977, 31.949, 78.566, 87.87, and 94.136 µM, respectively. Pharmacokinetic predictions evaluated the properties of the new natural products, such as bioavailability and toxicity. Molecular docking analysis revealed the interaction of candidate novel natural flavonoid compounds with the amino acid residues of α-glucosidase. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MMGBSA) further validated the stability of these novel natural compounds bound to α-glucosidase. The present findings may provide new directions in the search for novel natural α-glucosidase inhibitors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Foods: Molecular Nutrition Mechanisms and Product Development)
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Review

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20 pages, 2853 KiB  
Review
Effect of Gut Microbiota on Blood Cholesterol: A Review on Mechanisms
by Chuanling Deng, Jingjin Pan, Hanyue Zhu and Zhen-Yu Chen
Foods 2023, 12(23), 4308; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12234308 - 29 Nov 2023
Viewed by 2640
Abstract
The gut microbiota serves as a pivotal mediator between diet and human health. Emerging evidence has shown that the gut microbiota may play an important role in cholesterol metabolism. In this review, we delve into five possible mechanisms by which the gut microbiota [...] Read more.
The gut microbiota serves as a pivotal mediator between diet and human health. Emerging evidence has shown that the gut microbiota may play an important role in cholesterol metabolism. In this review, we delve into five possible mechanisms by which the gut microbiota may influence cholesterol metabolism: (1) the gut microbiota changes the ratio of free bile acids to conjugated bile acids, with the former being eliminated into feces and the latter being reabsorbed back into the liver; (2) the gut microbiota can ferment dietary fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which are absorbed and reach the liver where SCFAs inhibit cholesterol synthesis; (3) the gut microbiota can regulate the expression of some genes related to cholesterol metabolism through their metabolites; (4) the gut microbiota can convert cholesterol to coprostanol, with the latter having a very low absorption rate; and (5) the gut microbiota could reduce blood cholesterol by inhibiting the production of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which increases cholesterol synthesis and raises blood cholesterol. In addition, this review will explore the natural constituents in foods with potential roles in cholesterol regulation, mainly through their interactions with the gut microbiota. These include polysaccharides, polyphenolic entities, polyunsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols, and dicaffeoylquinic acid. These findings will provide a scientific foundation for targeting hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular diseases through the modulation of the gut microbiota. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Foods: Molecular Nutrition Mechanisms and Product Development)
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