Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

Sowbhagya, H. B.

doi: 10.1080/10408398.2010.500223pmid: 23035918

Cumin is a seed spice belonging to the family umbelliferae. Cumin and value added products from cumin are used in food flavoring and perfumery. Cumin contains volatile oil (3–4%), cuminaldehyde, the major active principle, which is present to an extent of 45–50%. Cumin and value added products from cumin, viz., cumin oil and oleoresin are exported. Cumin powder forms the main component of many spice mixes and curry powders. Cuminaldehyde is an important phytochemical and possesses many health benefits. Alcohol and water extract of cumin are reported to possess many nutraceutical properties like antiallergic, antioxidant, anti-platelet aggregation, and hypoglycemic. Cumin and value added products from cumin can be a good source of nutraceuticals with many biological activities. Incorporation of cumin into food products will have the benefits of a flavorant and nutraceutical at the same time. In the present review, the chemistry, processing, and biological activities of cumin and its components are discussed.

Capita, Rosa; Alonso-Calleja, Carlos

doi: 10.1080/10408398.2010.519837pmid: 23035919

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were first described in the 1940s, but whereas new antibiotics were being discovered at a steady rate, the consequences of this phenomenon were slow to be appreciated. At present, the paucity of new antimicrobials coming into the market has led to the problem of antibiotic resistance fast escalating into a global health crisis. Although the selective pressure exerted by the use of antibiotics (particularly overuse or misuse) has been deemed the major factor in the emergence of bacterial resistance to these antimicrobials, concerns about the role of the food industry have been growing in recent years and have been raised at both national and international levels. The selective pressure exerted by the use of antibiotics (primary production) and biocides (e.g., disinfectants, food and feed preservatives, or decontaminants) is the main driving force behind the selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance throughout the food chain. Genetically modified (GM) crops with antibiotic resistance marker genes, microorganisms added intentionally to the food chain (probiotic or technological) with potentially transferable antimicrobial resistance genes, and food processing technologies used at sub-lethal doses (e.g., alternative non-thermal treatments) are also issues for concern. This paper presents the main trends in antibiotic resistance and antibiotic development in recent decades, as well as their economic and health consequences, current knowledge concerning the generation, dissemination, and mechanisms of antibacterial resistance, progress to date on the possible routes for emergence of resistance throughout the food chain and the role of foods as a vehicle for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The main approaches to prevention and control of the development, selection, and spread of antibacterial resistance in the food industry are also addressed.

Vera-Ramirez, Laura; Ramirez-Tortosa, M. Carmen; Sanchez-Rovira, Pedro; Ramirez-Tortosa, Cesar L.; Granados-Principal, Sergio; Lorente, Jose A.; Quiles, Jose L.

doi: 10.1080/10408398.2010.521600pmid: 23035920

Breast cancer, which presents the highest global incidence of all female cancers, is caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Among the latter, diet has attracted considerable attention, as it is a modifiable risk factor and thus offers an opportunity to design preventive strategies. Nevertheless, only alcohol consumption has been unequivocally related to increased breast cancer risk. Despite the failure of observational studies in human populations to clearly define the nature of the relationship between specific nutrient exposures and breast cancer risk, in vivo and in vitro studies strongly suggest its existence. Moreover, studies at the molecular level have identified the putative action mechanism by which the nutritional constituents of specific foodstuffs may exert protective or enhancing effects with respect to breast cancer risk. The inadequate experimental design of some observational studies, or the occurrence of measurement errors and/or recall bias during data collection, or insufficient follow-up and subject characterization, may underlie these controversies. By improving the methods used to study the relationship between diet and breast cancer risk, and by applying new technologies linked to novel approaches such as “nutrigenomics,” it might be possible to derive effective recommendations for breast cancer prevention and thus improve anti-cancer treatment.

Marze, Sébastien

doi: 10.1080/10408398.2010.525331pmid: 23035921

Many food systems are dispersed systems, that is, they possess at least two immiscible phases. This is generally due to the coexistence of domains with different physicochemical properties separated by many interfaces which control the apparent thermodynamic equilibrium. This feature was and is still largely studied to design pharmaceutical delivery systems. In food science, the recent intensification of in vitro digestion tests to complement the in vivo ones holds promises in the identification of the key parameters controlling the bioaccessibility of nutrients and micronutrients. In this review, we present the developments of in vitro digestion tests for dispersed food systems (mainly emulsions, dispersions and gels). We especially highlight the evidences detailing the roles of the constituting multiscale structures. In a perspective section, we show the potential of structured interfaces to allow controlled bioaccessibility.