Current Nutrition & Food Science - Volume 19, Issue 1, 2023

Oxidative stress is known to be generated within the organism by endogenous cellular mechanisms and can also be generated by external factors. Oxidative stress is known to be involved in various disease pathologies such as cancer, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases, ageing, etc. The chronic/acute exposure to oxidative stress can easily damage cellular integrity through damaging the cellular DNA, mitochondrial DNA, proteins and other organelles that leads to malfunctioning of organs in the process of ageing. Mitochondrial respiration is one of the causes involved in the production of reactive oxygen species while generating bioenergetics (ATP) that provide energy to the cell for maintaining the cellular integrity through the electron transport chain mechanism, and on the other hand, it generates free-radicals that could cause damage to the cellular organelles and biomolecules. In relation to this context, longevity through the calorie restriction method could be due to the generation of lower reactive oxygen species and age-related diseases in vivo but accelerating loss of brain’s grey matter could be due to the depletion of energy. This is because intracellular ATP is the vital source of energy and extracellular ATP acts as signalling molecules. Using advanced technology such as nanotechnology for the internalization of extracellular ATP, and using it as an external source of energy could maintain cellular integrity and improve the healthy longevity status when combined with the calorie restriction method. In this perspective article, we have presented a brief overview and a hypothesis suggesting that the calorie restriction and extracellular ATP treatment could circumvent the mitochondrial pathway and alleviate oxidative stress, thereby improving health and enhancing longevity.

Everything we buy leaves a type of waste, particularly the packaging, which is thrown away when its contents are unpacked. One can hardly ignore the hazard plastic packaging poses to the environment. Plastic is a petroleum-based product that is a long128;term pollutant, it takes a very long time to degrade and is not fully biodegradable. The long-term development goals must incorporate protecting the environment and nonrenewable resources. Different review papers, research papers, books, book chapters, internet sources, and other relevant literature were used for writing this review paper. The finding of this review shows that in recent years, the interest of researchers has been evoked remarkably towards the development of packaging material in a more sustainable way. Biodegradable polymers such as starch, cellulose, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone, Polyhydroxyalkanoates, etc., have been modified to produce bio-based plastic films/materials which can replace petroleum-based plastic, thus reducing the environmental burdens associated with non-biodegradable and plastic products. Billions of tons of packaging waste are accumulating across the world and one should look for ways to incorporate materials that make less of an impact on the globe. The use of biodegradable packaging material is the solution to the problem of plastic waste accumulation as it is economically feasible and safe for our environment. Green or sustainable packaging will be possible only when eco-friendly packaging becomes a ‘must-have’ product feature.

Background: Albumin is the most abundant soluble protein in plasma, and it is a widely used and low-cost marker for the diagnosis of malnutrition. The serum albumin level below 35 g/L defines hypoalbuminemia. Objective: This review aims to discuss the role of albumin in the body, review hypoalbuminemia associated with postoperative complications in total joint arthroplasty surgeries, and examine the impact of nutritional interventions in malnutrition patients submitted to total joint arthroplasty. Methods: This article is a narrative review of the literature. Results: Preoperative hypoalbuminemia has been identified as the only significant predictor for surgical site infection and delayed wound healing after total joint arthroplasty. The postoperative complications related to hypoalbuminemia are infection of the surgical site, pneumonia, length of hospital stay, reintervention, and death. As a result, hypoalbuminemia is also associated with a higher cost of hospitalization for patients. Conclusion: Hypoalbuminemia and malnutrition are causes of postoperative complications of hip arthroplasty, and the control of these conditions can lead to better results in the postoperative period.

Background: Milk, the fluid secreted by the female of all mammalian species, fulfills the complete nutritional and energy requirements. Milk is a single balanced diet enriched in physiologically important proteins and peptides, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, immunoglobulins, growth factors, hormones, and antibacterial agents. Milk can be converted to different dairy items that occupy an important place in confectioneries and beverages and thus are subjected to various processing conditions. Objective: This review aims to discuss how the processing conditions affect the physicobiochemical and nutritional attributes of milk protein and influence its functionality with a major focus on heating or thermal treatment. Methods: Detailed literature surveys with keywords ‘thermal effect of milk proteins’, ‘dairy chemistry’, ‘Maillard reactions have been done in food science, food chemistry, dairy science, functional foods journals, PubMed, and Scopus for gathering information on thermal effects on milk proteins. Out of 25 shortlisted review and research articles, 20 most relevant ones were cited and enlisted as references. Results: Due to thermal treatment during dairy processing, the chemical characteristics of milk proteins are altered because of chemical changes like glycation, aggregation and denaturation. Chemical modifications influence the functionality, digestibility, and nutritional quality of milk proteins. Conclusion: Novel milk processing technologies viz. ohmic and microwave heating, pulsed electric field, high hydrostatic pressure, microfiltration and ultrasound find applications in dairy processing. Such non-thermal technologies do not involve heat to kill the microbes; thus reducing the detrimental effect of conventional heat treatments on milk quality.

Over the years, especially after the French Revolution and World War II, human rights have been internalized by several institutions and legislation worldwide, such as the United Nations (UN). However, in practice, much still needs to be done for the regulations to be applied. In Brazil, although the right to food is guaranteed in the Federal Constitution, there is still a wide disparity in per capita food acquisition in the different regions, with greater acquisitions in the South, Southeast, and Midwest regions and a significant decrease in the North and Northeast regions. In addition, the use of antibiotics as performance enhancers (or growth promoters) in animal production can put the population's health at risk, given the antimicrobial resistance to important drugs used in human medicine. Thus, the objective of this work is to interdisciplinary defend the good nutrition of Brazilians.

Background: In pregnancy, maternal vitamin D deficiency has been associated with adverse birth outcomes worldwide and has become a major public health concern. However, the linkage between maternal prenatal vitamin D status and post-natal linear growth, particularly in infancy, is inconclusive and ambiguous. Objective: This study aims to systematically identify, appraise, and synthesize available evidence regarding the effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on infants’ linear growth at one year. Methods: A systematic electronic search of Medline and Embase databases was undertaken from the OVID platform. The risk of bias in the selected studies was assessed using the risk of bias (RoB) tool introduced and recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration. Results: A quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) was conducted using RevMan. After screening, only two studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria, comprising a total of 593 infants: (296 from mothers receiving vitamin D and 297 from mothers receiving placebo). One RCT found a 0.8 cm gain in length whereas the second RCT found infants to be 0.23 cm shorter compared to their placebo counterparts. A meta-analysis also could not detect a significant difference in length. However, the pooled result favored infants (0.19 cm taller) born to mothers receiving prenatal vitamin D. Conclusion: The quality of overall evidence for the outcome ‘infant length at 1 year’-as assessed using the GRADE approach was low. Maternal high-dose vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy increases linear growth in infants at 12 months of age, but, this increase is very small and not statistically significant.

Background and Objectives: Intake of fruits as snacks for diabetic patients is usually encouraged, but there is the challenge of overconsumption and the inability to estimate the appropriate quantity to eat at a time. A photographic food atlas of three banana varieties (red Dacca, Gros Michel, and green mutant species) consumed in Enugu state, Nigeria, was developed using edible portions of foods that would supply a specific amount of carbohydrates (10g, 15g, 20g, 30g, and 45g) and their energy content was also calculated. Methods: The banana varieties were obtained from banana vendors in Nsukka local markets. The samples were analyzed for proximate (moisture, protein, carbohydrates, ash, fat, and crude fibre) composition using standard methods. The energy content was calculated using Atwater factors for carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Standardized photographs of each carbohydrate portion size (10g, 15g, 20g, 30g, and 45g) of the selected banana variety were captured, and their weights were recorded. The photographs were formatted on A4 size paper, with each page containing 5 photographs. Results: Red dacca had the highest (19.5g/100g) carbohydrate content which is the least (12.3g/100g) in the green mutant. The carbohydrate contents of red dacca and gros Michel species are comparable (p > 0.05) but significantly (p < 0.05) lower in green mutant species. Energy is highest (125 kcal/100g) in green mutant and least (95 kcal/100g) in gros Michel. The photographic food atlas developed contains 15 photographs of three banana varieties. Conclusion: This study developed a veritable visual aid for dietary counselling of diabetic patients. The tool is suitable for estimating portion sizes of banana, their carbohydrate and energy content.

Background: The red and cream bambara groundnuts (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) are generally grown in Thailand. Bambara groundnut seeds must be cooked before consumption. However, the differential effects of processing methods on the antioxidant activity of red and cream bambara groundnut seeds remain unknown. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant activity affected by the steaming, boiling, and dry heating processes of red and cream bambara groundnut seeds. Methods: Red and cream bambara groundnut seeds were treated with steaming, boiling, and dry heating processes, and the antioxidant compounds, superoxide anion radical scavenging activity (SOSA), and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity were evaluated. Results: Compared to the raw sample of red bambara groundnut seeds, all processing methods decreased total phenolic and tannin content. Only the steaming process caused a significant reduction in total flavonoid content. All processing methods increased SOSA in the sample of red bambara groundnut seeds. Out of all the processes, the boiling process produced the highest SOSA. However, only the steaming process caused an increase in the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of red bambara groundnut seed samples. For cream bambara groundnut seeds, only the dry heating process significantly reduced total phenolic, tannin, and flavonoid content compared to the raw sample. All processing methods decreased the SOSA in the sample of cream bambara groundnut seeds. Only the steaming process caused a significant increase in hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. Conclusion: All processes caused an increase in SOSA in red bambara groundnut seeds, however, caused the loss of SOSA in cream bambara groundnut seeds. In both red and cream bambara groundnut seeds, steaming was more efficient than raw, boiling, or dry heating for hydroxyl radical scavenging activities.

Background: There is generally a strong link between smoking, more particularly, passive smoking, and the occurrence of various illnesses and health-related disorders. Also, there is a globally recognized epidemiological link between smoking and Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the current data on passive smoking are contradictory. Thus, this paper extracted the inconsistent existing studies to systematically shed light on the slightly ambiguous protective properties of dietary nicotine and passive smoking as influential factors against PD. Methods: This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD042020160707). Two independent researchers searched through the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Ovid, Embase, Google Scholar, and ProQuest to find relevant dissertations and theses. This study involved the data of papers published until 30th September, 2020. The Newcastle- Ottawa scale (NOS) was used for case-control and cohort studies for quality assessment. The study extracted cases without a history of smoking and the number of patients with PD in the workspace, home, and lifetime and organized them based on each research. The study implemented Q-statistic to investigate the selected papers based on statistical heterogeneity. Result: In total, four cohorts and five case-control papers were included. Our findings indicated that lifetime exposure to smoking had a protective effect against PD risks (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.70-0.99; p =0.04). However, the settings, workspace, home exposure, and PD risk did not display to have any considerable relationship. It should be noted that the studies on the relationship between dietary nicotine and PD risks have revealed the protective effect of nicotine-rich foods, like potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers, on PD risks. Conclusion: In light of the observational studies covered in this paper, its findings should receive an organized interpretation while identifying the relevant mechanisms of this association.