Recent Patents on Food, Nutrition & Agriculture

BACKGROUND: Essential oils that are extracted from plants have shown beneficial effects on humans and animals, evidenced by traditional medicine. They possess many essential phytocomponents that act as antimicrobial agents, and most of them are safe for external usage. INTRODUCTION: Lemongrass essential oil is extracted from the grass, such as Cymbopogon flexuosus, and is used for the antimicrobial activity for a long time. The efficacy of this oil is limited due to the poor solubility and microbial penetration, easy vaporization, and lower stability...

BACKGROUND: The balanced composition of the gut microbiota is essential for human health. The dysbiotic condition may develop various complex diseases. A metabolic syndrome is a group of biochemical and physiological abnormalities that can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases. It has become a serious concern worldwide because there is no acceptable medication to overcome this problem. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to evaluate the relationship between gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome...

AIMS: Carissa carandas Linn. is a thorny shrub (Family: Apocynaceae), commonly called as Karonda. The shrub can be grown in tropical and subtropical climate region. METHODS AND MATERIAL: The objective of the experimental work was to analyse the efficacy of fruit extract of C. carandas Linn. with respect to hepatoprotective property using supportive evidence of in vitro and in vivo antiradical activity. The antioxidant activity of ethanolic fruit extract was determined by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide free radical scavenging assay, using Ascorbic acid as standard drug...

BACKGROUND: Glycation is a chemical reaction that synthesize advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). The AGEs irreversibly damage macromolecules present in tissues and organs, leading to the impairment of biological functions. For instance, the accumulation of AGEs induces oxidative stress and consequently inflammatory responses in human body, leading to the on set/worsening of diseases, including obesity, asthma, cognitive impairment, and cancer. There is a current demand on natural and low-cost sources of antiglycant agents...

BACKGROUND: Salad vegetables are good sources of dietary fiber and are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. Therefore, these plants have the potential to be developed as functional foods. OBJECTIVE: Using an in vitro model, this study investigated the physical properties and intestinal glucose and lipid absorption capacities of dry dietary fiber from vegetables typically consumed in salads (types of lettuce, including red oak, red coral, green oak, butterhead, and cos)...

BACKGROUND: Eggs are commonly regarded as one of the best sources of various macro and micronutrients, in particular, high biological value (BV) proteins and both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Apart from proteins, eggs are excellent sources of various high health value lipid components, carotenoids, minerals, and both water and lipid-soluble vitamins. However, the nutrient-rich nature of this 'superfood' also makes them susceptible to microbial contamination from various sources, such as fecal matter, drinking water for layer chicken, and the surrounding environment...

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition and accessible high-quality protein food sources are two of the world's alimentary challenges. Edible insects are nowadays recognized as a possible functional food solution with lower environmental impacts and beneficial health effects. OBJECTIVE: In this context, the aim of the present study is to evaluate Madagascar cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) flour supplementation effects on a malnourished mice model, considering its effects on metabolism, adiposity, and inflammatory liver profiles...

BACKGROUND: Several health problems, especially musculoskeletal disorders, are caused by differences in work cultures and human lifestyles around the world. While the conventional approach to treating such conditions emphasizes a balanced work-life and daily exercise, nutraceuticals have proven to be successful. Nutraceuticals are dietary compounds that help sustain cartilage metabolism homeostasis, reducing articular pain. Dietary intake of a variety of nutraceuticals is thought to be essential for controlling and, more specifically, preventing osteoarthritis and osteoporosis...

BACKGROUND: Fruits and vegetables are susceptible to colonisation by undesired microflora, which, in pre- and post-harvest conditions, negatively impact the quality of these products, leading to a reduction of yield, shelf-life, and marketability. In the few last years, the use of microbial Biological Control Agents (BCAs) has assumed international relevance in order to control harmful microorganisms, as a promising alternative to chemical interventions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review is to discuss the microbial-based solutions applicable for the biocontrol of the main microbial spoilers, phytopathogens, and human food-borne pathogens affecting fruits and vegetables during their production and storage...

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition induced by dietary restriction produces several metabolic changes that affect body weight, the digestive system, and annex organs, including the liver. Malnutrition generates an inflammatory state and increases oxidative stress. The liver is one of the body vital organs, becoming necessary to analyze the impact of food supplementation on the repair of possible changes that may occur in this organ due to malnutrition. AIMS: To evaluate the effects of a low-cost supplementation derived from Buriti and dairy byproducts on liver recovery in malnourished mice, focusing on the expression of oxidative stressrelated genes, as well as biochemical and histological parameters...

BACKGROUND: Luffa cylindrica is a plant that is widely distributed in Africa and Asia and can be grown in regions with tropical or subtropical climates. Few patents dealt with Loofah biological properties, including some functional foods formulated from its leaves. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to structurally and functionally characterize the bioactive compounds of L. cylindrica leaves grown in two different environments. METHODS: The extracts of L...

BACKGROUND: Cinnamomum cassia (C. cassia) is an evergreen tree in China and Southern and Eastern Asia. In traditional medicine, cinnamon is widely used due to its many bioactivity effects. OBJECTIVE: The present novel study aims to evaluate and make a comparison of antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of different extractions of C. cassia bark using seven solvents having different polarities. Solvents polarity gradients start with the solvent of lower polarity, n-hexane, and end with water as the highest polar solvent...

BACKGROUND: Aloe vera is a traditionally used plant for medicinal purposes, mostly as a cosmetic. The Aloe vera gel/extract/juice is being used in hair care, moisturizing, cleansing, and thickening agent in formulations. The Aloe vera gel is rarely used on burns, wounds, infections, and gastric diseases. OBJECTIVES: To study the patents filed recently to understand the trend in the application of Aloe vera for therapeutic purposes. METHODS: This patent review focuses on granted patents during the year 2013-till 2020...

BACKGROUND: The milling of food in agro-industrial products has become an operation of high importance at a business, academic and research level. OBJECTIVE: This article aims to present the results of a literature review on food milling, with the purpose to identify the most recent uses, types of mills, and new grinding trends. METHODS: For this, a research equation was made with the keywords'grinding','milling' and'food' in Scopus, which yielded as results 192 articles, 52 which are directly related to food, were analyzed...

BACKGROUND: Green, white, and black tea water extracts are rich in phenolic compounds. OBJECTIVE: The changes in phenolic compounds profiles of green, white, and black tea (GT, WT, & BT respectively) water extracts and their respective yogurt were investigated. METHOD: Three types of yogurt with tea water extracts were prepared and the phenolic compounds profiles were analyzed using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method...

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders are among the most common psychiatric and medical conditions. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at investigating the hypnotic activity of the hydro-alcoholic extract of Capparis spinosa (HAE) in mice. METHOD: Three doses of HAE (30, 60 and 120 mg/kg) and three fractions of it, namely n-hexane fraction (NHF), water fraction (WF), and ethyl acetate fraction (EAF), were given in comparison with diazepam (3mg/kg body weight i...

BACKGROUND: Selenium (Se) is a crucial component of selenoaminoacids and selenoproteins. Therefore, Se-enriched agricultural products can reduce health complications induced by Se deficiency. OBJECTIVE: This research was carried out to investigate the effects of Se bio-enrichment on Basil grown in calcareous and non-calcareous soil systems and also to evaluate the changes in Se concentration in the soil after harvesting. METHODS: The experiments executed in two calcareous and one non-calcareous soil systems, and different Se application methods (control, soil application, seed inoculation, foliar application, and soil + foliar application) were administered...

BACKGROUND: Apples often experience postharvest damage due to being attacked by mold organisms. Several groups of molds such as Aspergillus sp., Penicilium expansum, Botrytis cinerea, and Venturia sp. can cause a serious postharvest disease exhibited as watery regions where areas of blue-green tufts of spores develop. Current methods using fungicides to control pathogenic fungi can cause resistance if applied in long term. An alternative procedure using yeast as a biological agent has been found...

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea and malnutrition are major health problems in developing countries. Inflammation, high oxidative stress, poor nutritional status and fatty liver were encountered during such diseases. Patents for diarrhea and malnutrition management (WO2007/130882A2, WO00/37106A1, WO2014/152420 and CA2987364A1) were published. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to introduce anti-diarrhea functional foods with preventive effect on malnutrition. METHODS: Two processing techniques were applied for preparing functional foods (formula 1 ingredients were made into cookies followed by grinding; formula 2 ingredients were pre-cooked, dried and mixed in powder form) that evaluated in rat model of diarrhea with malnutrition (DM)...

BACKGROUND: For many years, ganoderma was highly considered as biofactory for the production of different types of bioactive metabolites. Of these bioactive compounds, polysaccharides gained many attentions based on their high biotherapeutic properties. Therefore, special attention have been paid during the last years for production of mushrooms bioactive compounds in closed cultivation system to shorten the cultivation time and increase the product yield. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Therefore, this work is focused on the development of simple cultivation system for exopolysaccharides (EPS) production using Ganoderman lucidum...