“Infogest” (Improving Health Properties of Food by Sharing our Knowledge on the Digestive Process) is an EU COST action/network in the domain of Food and Agriculture that will last for 4 years from April 4, 2011. Infogest aims at building an open international network of institutes undertaking multidisciplinary basic research on food digestion gathering scientists from different origins (food scientists, gut physiologists, nutritionists...). The network gathers 70 partners from academia, corresponding to a total of 29 countries. The three main scientific goals are: Identify the beneficial food components released in the gut during digestion; Support the effect of beneficial food components on human health; Promote harmonization of currently used digestion models Infogest meetings highlighted the need for a publication that would provide researchers with an insight into the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of respective in vitro and ex vivo assays to evaluate the effects of foods and food bioactives on health. Such assays are particularly important in situations where a large number of foods/bioactives need to be screened rapidly and in a cost effective manner in order to ultimately identify lead foods/bioactives that can be the subject of in vivo assays. The book is an asset to researchers wishing to study the health benefits of their foods and food bioactives of interest and highlights which in vitro/ex vivo assays are of greatest relevance to their goals, what sort of outputs/data can be generated and, as noted above, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the various assays. It is also an important resource for undergraduate students in the ‘food and health’ arena.

This book focuses on various types of bioactive compounds, including secondary metabolites, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, flavonoids, peptides/proteins, carotenoid pigments, quinones, terpenes, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and presents an overview of their nutraceutical activities. It covers the current status and future potential of food compounds, as well as extraction technologies for bioactives derived from plant, fungi and marine-derived bioactive agents. Finally, health-promoting effects of plant, fungi and marine-derived bioactive agents are discussed. Chapters come from top researchers in this area from around the globe. The volume caters to the needs of undergraduate and post-graduate students in the area of food biotechnology, food bioprocessing, biotechnology, food engineering, etc., and also contains information pertinent to researchers.

Bioactive Food as Dietary Interventions for Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease provides valuable insights for those seeking nutritional treatment options for those suffering from liver and/or related gastrointestinal disease including Crohn's, allergies, and colitis among others. Information is presented on a variety of foods including herbs, fruits, soy and olive oil. This book serves as a valuable resource for researchers in nutrition, nephrology, and gastroenterology. - Addresses the most positive results from dietary interventions using bioactive foods to impact diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal system, including reduction of inflammation, improved function, and nutritional efficiency - Presents a wide range of liver and gastrointestinal diseases and provides important information for additional research - Associated information can be used to understand other diseases, which share common etiological pathways

Evidence-Based Nutrition and Clinical Evidence of Bioactive Foods in Human Health and Disease explores a wide range of studies from clinical investigations to mechanistic research, covering the actions of bioactives on specific tissues and cells in intestinal, neurological, immunological and cardiovascular health and disease, including cancers. The book also focuses on metabolism, mechanisms of actions, tissue-specific effects, and the structure–function relationships between clinical trial, ex vivo and in vitro data. Written for nutrition researchers, clinical researchers, dieticians, and others working in and studying health-related fields, this book highlights the concepts surrounding the preventive and therapeutic impacts of bioactive foods. - Presents information on the prevention of disease using bioactive compounds - Consolidates the research outcome from a variety of sources on specific bioactive foods - Contains coverage of bioactive lipids and lipid mediators, bioactive phytochemicals, probiotics, bioactive proteins, peptides, polysaccharides, fibers and sphingolipids

In recent years, the concern of society about how food influences the health status of people has increased. Consumers are increasingly aware that food can prevent the development of certain diseases, so in recent years, the food industry is developing new, healthier products taking into account aspects such as trans fats, lower caloric intake, less salt, etc. However, there are bioactive compounds that can improve the beneficial effect of these foods and go beyond the nutritional value. This book provides information on impact of bioactive ingredients (vitamins, antioxidants, compounds of the pulses, etc.) on nutrition through food, how functional foods can prevent disease, and tools to evaluate the effects of bioactive ingredients, functional foods, and diet.

Many advances have been made in the last decade in the understanding of the computational principles underlying olfactory system functioning. Neuromorphic Olfaction is a collaboration among European researchers who, through NEUROCHEM (Fp7-Grant Agreement Number 216916)-a challenging and innovative European-funded project-introduce novel computing p

Nuts and dried fruits are part of our daily diet. They are consumed whole or as ingredients of many food products such as muffins, cereals, chocolates, energy bars, breads, and cookies, among others. Health Benefits of Nuts and Dried Fruits provides a comprehensive overview of the literature on the health benefits of nuts and dried fruits. The book summarizes the current state of knowledge in key research areas and provides ideas for future scientific research and product development. Nuts, a term that comprises tree nuts and peanuts, are highly nutritious, containing health-promoting macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and bioactive phytochemicals; they are one of the edible foods with the highest content in antioxidants. The consumption of nuts is recognized for its health-promoting properties, which ranges from a consistent cholesterol-lowering effect in clinical trials to a robust association with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in prospective studies. In spite of the high energy content of nuts, there is no evidence that their frequent consumption promotes obesity, and they may even help control it. Dried fruits, which serve as important healthful snacks worldwide, are nutritionally equivalent to fresh fruits while providing all of their bioactive components in concentrated form. While the evidence level concerning the health effects of dried fruits lags behind that on nuts, it suggests that individuals who consume dried fruits regularly have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and other non-communicable diseases. Main features of the book concerning nuts and dried fruits: • Provides detailed information on health effects • Highlights current regulation and health claims • Provides updated dietary recommendations • Describes nutrient absorption and metabolism • Discusses mechanisms implicated in the health effects Although this book is intended primarily as a reference, by comprehensively reviewing the current state of knowledge it can guide future research on the topic. Among others, food scientists, biochemists, nutritionists, health professionals, decision makers, and regulatory agencies can draw much benefit from its contents. Hopefully, it will help in public health strategies to promote healthy aging and improve population wellbeing.