Designing novel industrial and functional foods using the bioactive compounds from Nigella sativa L. (black cumin): Biochemical and biological prospects toward health implications.

Nigella sativa is one of the nutraceuticals that has gained popularity and studied extensively in recent decades as it is considered a safe medicinal plant for use as a dietary supplement. N. sativa contains a wide variety of bioactive substances, which include polyphenols, volatile oils (thymoquinone and p-cymene), proteins, and peptides. The biological attributes of N. sativa include antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant activities, which have potential applications for the prevention of a variety of chronic diseases. In the food industry, N. sativa improves the sensory qualities, shelf life, strength, and freshness of foods, such as bread, pizza, biscuits, cookies, and cakes. This review discusses the industrial use of N. sativa, which includes processing technologies to enhance its health-promoting properties as well as the isolation of nutraceutical components.

Current perspectives on fenugreek bioactive compounds and their potential impact on human health: A review of recent insights into functional foods and other high value applications.

Despite long-standing uses in several food and medicine traditions, the full potential of the leguminous crop fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) remains to be realized in the modern diet. Not only its seeds, which are highly prized for their culinary and medicinal properties, but also its leaves and stems abound in phytochemicals with high nutritional and health promoting attributes. Fenugreek dual food-medicine applications and reported metabolic activities include hypoglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, antihypertensive, anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, and antinociceptive effects, with potential organ-protective effects at the cardiovascular, digestive, hepatic, endocrine, and central nervous system levels. Effectiveness in alleviating certain inflammatory skin conditions and dysfunctions of the reproductive system was also suggested. As a food ingredient, fenugreek can enhance the sensory, nutritional, and nutraceutical qualities of a wide variety of foods. Its high nutritive density can assist with the design of dietary items that meet the demand for novelty, variety, and healthier foods. Its seeds provide essential protective nutrients and other bioactive compounds, notably galactomannans, flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, alkaloids, and essential oils, whose health benefits, alone or in conjunction with other bioactives, are only beginning to be tapped into in the food industries. This review summarizes the current state of evidence on fenugreek potential for functional food development, focusing on the nutrients and non-nutrient bioactive components of interest from a dietary perspective, and their applications for enhancing the functional and nutraceutical value of foods and beverages. New developments, safety, clinical evidence, presumed mechanisms of action, and future perspectives are discussed. HIGHLIGHTS: Fenugreek seeds and leaves have long-standing uses in the food-medicine continuum. Fenugreek phytochemicals exert broad-spectrum biological and pharmacological activities. They show high preventive and nutraceutical potential against common chronic diseases. Current evidence supports multiple mechanisms of action mediated by distinct bioactives. Opportunities for fenugreek-based functional foods and nutraceuticals are expanding.

Preparation of mayonnaise from extracted plant protein isolates of chickpea, broad bean and lupin flour: chemical, physiochemical, nutritional and therapeutic properties.

This investigation was aimed to study the molecular, physico-chemical, and biofunctional health properties of mayonnaise prepared using proteins isolated from broad bean, lupin and chickpea flour. Proteins were isolated from chickpea (CPPI), broad bean (BBPI) and lupin (LPPI) flour and assessed for molecular, physico-chemical, biofunctional, and protein yield. The highest water holding capacity, foaming stability, emulsion stability as well as protein yield and protein content of 44.0, 70.8, 37.5, 81.2, and 36.4, respectively were observed for BBPI. Mayonnaise prepared from the isolated plant proteins was evaluated for chemical composition, molecular properties of the protein subunits, and potential nutraceutical properties. Preparation of mayonnaise using BBPI or a mixture of either BBPI and CPPI or BBPI and LPPI showed superior values for lightness and lowered values for redness. Mayonnaise prepared from either BBPI or the BBPI and CPPI mixture showed the best antioxidant, antihypertensive and antidiabetic properties. The present study results indicated that the use of the BBPI and CPPI mixture can be a novel technological approach for the development of a mayonnaise with improved health promoting properties.

A review of phenolic compounds in oil-bearing plants: Distribution, identification and occurrence of phenolic compounds.

Over the last two decades, separation, identification and measurement of the total and individual content of phenolic compounds has been widely investigated. Recently, the presence of a wide range of phenolic compounds in oil-bearing plants has been shown to contribute to their therapeutic properties, including anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, hypo-lipidemic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Phenolics in oil-bearing plants are now recognized as important minor food components due to several organoleptic and health properties, and they are used as food or sources of food ingredients. Variations in the content of phenolics in oil-bearing plants have largely been attributed to several factors, including the cultivation, time of harvest and soil types. A number of authors have suggested that the presence phenolics in extracted proteins, carbohydrates and oils may contribute to objectionable off flavors The objective of this study was to review the distribution, identification and occurrence of free and bound phenolic compounds in oil-bearing plants.

Investigation of natural lipid-phenolic interactions on biological properties of virgin olive oil.

There is limited knowledge regarding the impact of naturally occurring lipid-phenolic interactions on the biological properties of phenolics in virgin olive oil. Free and bound phenolics were isolated via sequential methanolic extraction at 30 and 60 °C, and were identified and quantified using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and gas chromatography. Decreased oleic acid concentrations and increased concentrations of palmitoleic acid, stearic, linoleic, and linolenic acids were observed in virgin olive oil after removal of free and bound lipid phenolic compounds. The presence of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and tyrosol bound to glycerides was determined via LC-MS/MS, which indicates natural lipid-phenolic interactions in virgin olive oil. Both free and lipid bound phenolic extracts exerted antiproliferative activities against the CRC1 and CRC5 colorectal cancer cell lines. The present work indicates that naturally occurring lipid-phenolic interactions can affect the biological properties of phenolics in virgin olive oil.