• However, these same compounds may indeed benefit human health, but for reasons that are quite different — the body sees them as foreign compounds, researchers say, and through different mechanisms, they could play a role in preventing cancer or heart disease.
• Based on this new view of how flavonoids work, a relatively modest intake of them — the amount you might find in a healthy diet with five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables — is sufficient. Large doses taken via dietary supplements might do no additional good; an apple a day may still be the best bet.
• A research survey and updated analysis of how flavonoids work and function in the human body were recently published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, a professional journal.
• “What we now know is that flavonoids are highly metabolized, which alters their chemical structure and diminishes their ability to function as an antioxidant,” said Balz Frei, professor and director of the Linus Pauling Institute. “The body sees them as foreign compounds and modifies them for rapid excretion in the urine and bile.”
• Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds with some common characteristics that are widely found in fruits and vegetables and often give them their color — they make lemons yellow and certain apples red. They are also found in some other foods, such as coffee, tea, wine, beer and chocolate, and studies in recent years had indicated that they had strong antioxidant activity — and because of that, they might be important to biological function and health.
• “If you measure the activity of flavonoids in a test tube, they are indeed strong antioxidants,” Frei said. “Based on laboratory tests of their ability to scavenge free radicals, it appears they have 3-5 times more antioxidant capacity than vitamins C or E. But with flavonoids in particular, what goes on in a test tube is not what’s happening in the human body.”
• Research has now proven that flavonoids are poorly absorbed by the body, usually less than five percent, and most of what does get absorbed into the blood stream is rapidly metabolized in the intestines and liver and excreted from the body. By contrast, vitamin C is absorbed 100 percent by the body up to a certain level. And vitamin C accumulates in cells where it is 1,000 to 3,000 times more active as an antioxidant than flavonoids.
• The large increase in total antioxidant capacity of blood observed after the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods is not caused by the flavonoids themselves, Frei said, but most likely is the result of increased uric acid levels.
• But just because flavonoids have been found to be ineffectual as antioxidants in the human body do not mean they are without value, Frei said. They appear to strongly influence cell signaling pathways and gene expression, with relevance to both cancer and heart disease.
• “We can now follow the activity of flavonoids in the body, and one thing that is clear is that the body sees them as foreign compounds and is trying to get rid of them,” Frei said. “But this process of gearing up to get rid of unwanted compounds is inducing so-called Phase II enzymes that also help eliminate mutagens and carcinogens, and therefore may be of value in cancer prevention.
• “Flavonoids could also induce mechanisms that help kill cancer cells and inhibit tumor invasion,” Frei added.
• It also appears that flavonoids increase the activation of existing nitric oxide synthase, which has the effect of keeping blood vessels healthy and relaxed, preventing inflammation, and lowering blood pressure — all key goals in prevention of heart disease.
• Both of these protective mechanisms could be long-lasting compared to antioxidants, which are more readily used up during their free radical scavenging activity and require constant replenishment through diet, scientists say.
• However, Frei said, it’s also true that such mechanisms require only relatively small amounts of flavonoids to trigger them — conceptually, it’s a little like a vaccine in which only a very small amount of an offending substance is required to trigger a much larger metabolic response. Because of this, there would be no benefit — and possibly some risk — to taking dietary supplements that might inject large amounts of substances the body essentially sees as undesirable foreign compounds.
• Numerous studies in the United States and Europe have documented a relationship between adequate dietary intake of flavonoid-rich foods, mostly fruits and vegetables, and protection against heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative disease, Frei said.
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070305140834.htm

]]> http://choosegoodhealth.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/studies-force-new-view-on-biology-of-flavonoids-science-daily-mar-5-2007-report/feed/ 0 amittambvekar http://choosegoodhealth.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/microbial-pigments-carotene-new-source-of-natural-antioxidants/ http://choosegoodhealth.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/microbial-pigments-carotene-new-source-of-natural-antioxidants/#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:19:13 +0000 amittambvekar http://choosegoodhealth.wordpress.com/?p=29 Continue reading →]]> There is an increased evidence for the participation of free radicals in the etiology of various diseases like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, aging¹ etc. A free radical is defined as any atom or molecule possessing unpaired electrons. The primary oxygen derived free radicals are superoxide anion (O₂·), hydroxyl (OH·), hydroperoxyl (OOH·), peroxyl (ROO·) and alkoxyl (RO·) radicals and non free radicals are hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), ozone (O₃) and singlet oxygen (₁/₂O₂). These reactive intermediates are collectively termed as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Similarly, reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are mainly nitric oxide (NO·), peroxynitrite (ONOO·) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Free radicals can cause a wide range of toxic oxidative reactions like initiation of the peroxidation of the membrane lipids leading to the accumulation of lipid peroxides, direct inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes, fragmentation or random cross linking of molecules like DNA, enzymes and proteins which ultimately leads to cell death¹². ROS can be formed in living organisms by both endogenous and exogenous sources. Endogenous sources of free radicals include normal aerobic respiration, peroxisomes and stimulation of polymorphonuclear leucocytes and macrophages. The exogenous sources include ionizing radiation, tobacco smoke, pollutants, pesticides and organic solvents¹⁸. Antioxidants are agents which scavenge the free radicals and prevent the damage caused by them. They can greatly reduce the damage due to oxidants by neutralizing the free radicals before they can attack the cells and prevent damage to lipids, proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates and DNA⁵. Antioxidants can be classified into two major classes i.e., enzymatic and non-enzymatic. The enzymatic antioxidants are produced endogenously and include superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. The non-enzymatic antioxidants include tocopherols, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, flavonoids and tannins which are obtained from natural plant. A wide range of antioxidants from both natural and synthetic origin has been proposed for use in the treatment of various human diseases³. There are some synthetic antioxidant compounds such as butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole and tertiary butylhydroquinone which are commonly used in processed foods. However, it has been suggested that these compounds have shown toxic effects like liver damage and mutagenesis⁸. Flavonoids and other phenolic compounds of plant origin have been reported as scavengers of free radicals⁷. Hence, nowadays search for natural antioxidant source is gaining much importance.

A considerable number of bacteria produce non photosynthetic coloured compounds known as Pigments. This is especially true of the strictly aerobic species. Many colour are produced covering the entire range of the chromatic spectrum^40. Subsequent studies of the S. aureus pigment have unraveled an elaborate biosynthetic pathway that produces a series of carotenoids⁴¹. Similar carotenoids produced in dietary fruits and vegetables are well recognized as potent antioxidants by virtue of their free-radical scavenging properties and exceptional ability to quench singlet oxygen⁴². We hypothesized. That S. aureus could utilize its golden carotenoid pigment to resist oxidant-based clearance mechanisms of the host innate immune system.

An increasing number of investigations have been carried out to find antioxidative drugs, which not only prolong the shelf life of food products but also participate as radical scavengers in living organism’s .As with other synthetic food additives, commercial antioxidants have been criticized, mainly due to possible toxic effects. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in the antioxidative activity of natural compounds. They can be an alternative to the use of synthetic compounds in food and pharmaceutical technology or serve as lead compounds for the development of new drugs with the prospect of improving the treatment of various disorders.

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The pharmaceutical industry’s contribution to therapeutics, healthcare, well-being, disease prevention and disease cure has been outstanding. The importance of this contribution cannot be highlighted more than by the fact that pharmaceuticals are a 1,043 billion dollar market worldwide. While pharmaceutical companies are spending almost a billion dollars per molecule on the drug discovery process and much more on merger and acquisition transactions to populate their drug pipelines, the number of new molecules being registered has not kept up with growth.

Many conditions that make humans sick are still being treated symptomatically. Often, such diseases and conditions those are chronic in nature like hypertension, arthritis and cardiovascular disease seek solutions in related forms of medicine like Ayurveda, Chinese or herbal medicine. In order to address these issues: the lack of known cause for the disease, absence of cure, maintenance of the disease by treatment and other issues like iatrogenesis or the side effects related to pharmaceutical use; natural extract processing has undergone a transformation with the use of pharmaceutical technology. The important end product of this process is the group of therapeutic substances that we recognize as nutraceuticals.

Nutraceuticals have become a significant part of a pharmaceutical company’s portfolio. A nutraceutical is any substance that as a food or a part of food that provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and/or treatment of disease.  The use of nutraceuticals, as an attempt to accomplish desirable therapeutic outcomes with reduced side effects as compared with other therapeutic agents has met with great monetary success. While the pharmaceutical industry continues to grow at a healthy 9%, the nutraceuticals industry in India has grown at a CAGR of 18% over the last few years.

Traditional nutraceuticals, whole foods with new information about their potential health qualities like lycopene in tomatoes and non-traditional nutraceutical foods, foods that result from adding ingredients to boost their nutritional value (like fortified foods) are finding traction amongst consumers.

Since nutraceuticals are most often natural whole foods, they do not fall under the regulations that govern pharmaceutical manufacturing. The FDA regulates nutraceuticals as it regulates all foods. In order to meet with consumer expectations of transparency, information and safety as are related to pharmaceutical consumption, the Indian government passed the Food Safety and Standard Act in 2006, to integrate and streamline the many regulations covering nutraceuticals, foods and dietary supplements.

Cosmetics, women’s health, therapeutics, functional foods, nutritional foods and dietary supplements are some of the industries that make regular use of nutraceuticals in their product offerings.

Carotino^® is an anti-oxidant rich premium red cooking oil that has natural carotenes. The oil is a combination of canola oil & red palm fruit extract. The premium cooking oil is cholesterol free and rich in natural beta-carotenes, vitamin E, omega-3, 6 essential fatty acids, co-enzyme Q10 and lycopene sans harmful trans-fatty acids. Carotenes and Vitamin E in the oil act as scavengers of damaging free radicals and play a protective role in ageing, atherosclerosis and cancer. Many research papers on the efficacy of red palm oil in increasing serum retinol and beta-carotene levels in children have been published to encourage the use of the oil. The Singapore Health Promotion Board (HPB) has even certified the food as a ‘Healthier Choice Symbol’,given as a label to foods that meet the nutritional standards set by the Singapore Heart Association.

Carotino^® is manufactured by the J C Chang Group in Malaysia and is marketed all over the world including India.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids (DHA), are potent controllers of inflammatory processes, maintain brain function and reduce cholesterol deposition. We can now freely avail of vegetarian sources of Omega-3 fatty acids from microalgae. Food fortified with DHA has now made an appearance on the shelves of daily consumables like breads, cereal and milk. Bread fortified with DHA is already available to Indian consumers and is popular with people following cosmopolitan lifestyles in the larger cities and metros.

Japan and China have been large consumers of green tea. It has become part of tradition and culture of the land, with ceremonies and celebrations built around its preparation. It comes as no surprise that these countries consume green tea in other forms of food as well, be it flavoring of soy bean drinks, health drinks, cold beverages and in medicinal preparations. Japan is the second largest market for nutraceuticals in the world with 47% of its population consuming nutraceuticals.

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world today, second only to water, and its medicinal properties have been widely explored. Green tea extract contains polyphenols (flavones or catechins) comprise, 30-40 percent of the extractable solids of dried green tea leaves. Green tea polyphenols have demonstrated significant antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, thermogenic, probiotic and anti-microbial properties in numerous human, animal and in-vitro studies.

The Indian beverage market has recently seen the launch of green tea and ginseng infused products, both ingredients being traditionally of Oriental origin and acceptance, by a large Indian tea and coffee producer. Other large FMCG companies in India have marketed their products with additives like L-theanine, a naturally occurring amino acid to promote alertness in tea consumers.

Just as much as green tea is a popular additive for skin care and hair care products, soybean extract is used as well. Products with soybean extracts are potent anti-oxidants and have anti-inflammatory effects. The presence of a component: genistein has increased the use of soy extract in anti-aging products. Other components present in soy stimulate the collagen production in skin, which in turn increases the elasticity of skin.

Soybean is used in supplements, functional foods and beverages and is a health food because of its low fat content and zero cholesterol. The best way to consume isoflavones is in the form of soy or soy foods. The many health benefits from the consumption of soy products include protection against breast cancer, prostate cancer, menopausal symptoms, heart disease and osteoporosis. The chemical structure of isoflavones is similar to that of human estrogen; a chemical property that allows competition with estrogen for the same receptor sites thereby decreasing the health risks of excess estrogen. If during menopause the body’s natural level of estrogen drops, isoflavones can compensate this by binding to the same receptor, thereby easing menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. Functional foods in India that use soy isoflavones are soy flour, energy bars, soy oil and soy drinks. It is estimated that 10% of all US consumers seek out soy products while purchasing foods.

While green tea extracts and soybean extracts may have potent antioxidant properties, grape seed extracts contain the most powerful anti-oxidant free radical scavengers known to man. Grape seed extract is the primary commercial source of a group of powerful antioxidants known as oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC’s), a class of flavonoids. OPC’s are most effective in neutralizing free oxygen radicals, which contribute to organ degeneration and aging in humans. The primary sources of OPC’s are pine bark extract and grape seed extract. However, the grape seed extract is more widely recommended for its lower cost and because it contains an anti-oxidant not found in pine bark.

Grape seed extract has a wide range of therapeutic uses, from preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease to alleviating symptoms of allergies, ulcers, and cataracts. Procyanidins are thought to increase the effectiveness of other antioxidants, especially Vitamin C and Vitamin E and this has led to nutraceutical products that have combinations of Vitamin C and E along with beta-carotene and are available in capsule form for strengthening skin and reducing environmental damage. Grape seed is available in India as a dietary supplement in capsules, tablets and liquid extracts.

BRANDS^® InnerShine^® range of health supplements carries Grape Seed extracts based products in its skin care portfolio. BRANDS^® is a 168 year old company based in Singapore with strong presence in South East Asia.

Lycopene, Lutein and Natural Beta-Carotene are all carotenoids with potent anti-oxidant properties and are important nutraceutical ingredients that have found many uses in the therapeutics, functional foods and food and beverage industries. Especially in India almost all large FMCG companies in the food and beverage sector have moved from synthetic beta-carotene as food coloring in their drinks to natural beta carotene which is also an anti-oxidant agent. Beta-carotene is also used extensively as a food-coloring agent in biscuits and wafers and in processed milk products like cheese and margarine.

Natural Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A (retinol) by the body. Vitamin A is needed for good vision and eye health, for a strong immune system, and for healthy skin and mucus membranes. While large amounts of Vitamin A in supplement form can be toxic, the body will convert only as much Vitamin A from natural beta-carotene as it needs. That means natural beta-carotene is considered a safe source of vitamin A.

Carotenoids like lutein are the only carotenoids found in both the macula and lens of the human eye, and have dual functions in both tissues – to act as powerful anti-oxidants and to filter high-energy blue light. Lutein as well as lycopene is found in human serum. In the diet lutein is found in highest concentrations in dark green, leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, collard greens, and others), corn, and egg yolks. Lycopene as is now well known is found in tomatoes. In addition to playing pivotal roles in ocular health, carotenoids are important nutrients in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, and stroke and lung cancer.

Free radicals cause damage to cells through a process known as oxidation. Over time, this damage can lead to a number of chronic illnesses. There is good evidence that eating more anti-oxidants in the diet helps boost the immune system, protect against free radicals, and may lower risk of two types of chronic illness – heart disease and cancer.

Perhaps the two most exciting developments that will make the nutraceutical industry flourish and become a force in itself are the rise of functional foods and innovative marketing of dietary supplements. Functional foods are gaining consumer approval and enjoying a level of awareness and acceptance than ever before. All consumer products available off the shelf in India, which are produced scientifically and have a health benefit, carry the food label or the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) in line with International Standards. It is a familiar sight with Nutrition Facts on the nutrition content of the food item based on the specific serving size. The impact of nutritional labels may be unclear but it shows that the Indian consumer is now sensitized to quality and health considerations more than ever before.

The large pharmaceutical companies in India are now listing antioxidants and nutraceuticals as combinations with dietary supplements. Recent launches in the market and dietary supplement products that were advertised in the just concluded cricket world cup only prove that nutraceuticals are already a part of the growing Indian domestic market and an important part of the pharmaceutical product offering.

As the McKinsey report predicts, healthcare consumption in Indian households is growing at a CAGR of 9% and we are well on our way to make it in the top three areas of our household expenditure, after food and education.

Additional References

1. Darti, Gandhi and Shah; International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research, December 2010