Exploring Nutritional Compositions,Volatile Compounds,Health Benefits,Emerging Processing Technologies,and Potential Food Products of Glutinous Rice:A Review

Glutinous rice(Oryza sativa var.glutinosa)stands out as one of the most popular rice varieties globally,amidst thousands of rice cultivars.Its increasing popularity is attributed to its rich nutritional compositions and health benefits.This review aims to summarize the nutritional compositions,volatile compounds,and health benefits of glutinous rice.Further,in-depth studies are necessary to explore the utilization of glutinous rice in enhancing processing technologies and developing new food products.Glutinous rice has been shown to possess numerous health benefits,including antioxidant activity,bioactive compounds,anti-cancer properties,anti-inflammatory effects,anti-diabetic potential,and cholesterol-lowering effects.Besides its nutritional compositions,the major volatile compounds identified in glutinous rice could serve as a functional food for human consumption.Emerging processing technologies related to glutinous rice are elaborated to improve the latest developments for incorporating them into various food products.

Consumer Perceptions of Noni Juice Health Benefits during a 90-Day In-Home Use Test

Noni juice, made from the fruit of Morinda citrifolia, is a health-promoting food from the Pacific Islands with an extensive history of traditional use. Human clinical trials have revealed that noni juice has antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Previously, regular noni juice consumers in Europe and traditional healers in Fiji were surveyed to identify potential noni juice health benefits. But to better understand the perception of its health benefits among those with no previous experience with noni juice, an in-home study was conducted in the United States. Three hundred and nineteen adults with untreated chronic health conditions were provided with a 90-day supply of a blinded (unlabeled) commercial noni juice product (Tahitian Noni® Juice), instructed to consume 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup) each day, and responded to a questionnaire given on days 30, 60 and 90 to evaluate product appeal and perceived effectiveness. A total of 299 people (94%) felt that their health improved in some way after drinking TNJ for 90 days. More than 80% of the subjects reported feeling better or healthier in general. Most participants also concurred with more than two dozen additional positive health perception statements, especially on days 60 and 90. More than 70% of consumers also indicated that noni juice helped them feel better than other wellness supplements they had tried in the past, including other so-called “super fruit” products. These findings seem to corroborate the results of clinical trials and previous consumer surveys regarding the potential for noni juice to provide discernable health benefits when used consistently over time. Such findings may help guide additional placebo-controlled clinical trials in which specific effects may be evaluated more rigorously.

Mini-review on edible mushrooms as source of dietary fiber:Preparation and health benefits

Dietary fiber and high-fiber food products have attracted great attention because of their significant health benefits to consumers.Mushrooms are valuable resources for food,medicine and nutraceuticals.Edible mushroom is considered as a novel source of dietary fiber.The dietary fiber content and composition in edible mushroom vary greatly with its morphological stages including fruit body,mycelium and sclerotium.The focus of this mini-review is on the preparation of dietary fiber from edible mushroom with emphasis on the sclerotium which has the highest level of non-starch polysaccharides.The possible health benefits of mushroom dietary fiber in relationship with boosting the immune system,anticancer functions as well as the control of blood lipids and glucose levels are also discussed.©2013 Beijing Academy of Food Sciences.Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.All rights reserved.

Protective effects of physical activity against health risks associated with type 1 diabetes: “Health benefits outweigh the risks”

The magnitude of diabetes mellitus(DM)has increased in recent decades,where the number of cases and the proportion of the disease have been gradually increasing over the past few decades.The chronic complications of DM affect many organ systems and account for the majority of morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.The prevalence of type 1 DM(T1DM)is increasing globally,and it has a very significant burden on countries and at an individual level.T1DM is a chronic illness that requires ongoing medical care and patient self-management to prevent complications.This study aims to discuss the health benefits of physical activity(PA)in T1DM patients.The present review article was performed following a comprehensive literature search.The search was conducted using the following electronic databases:“Cochrane Library”,Web of Science,PubMed,HINARI,EMBASE,Google for grey literature,Scopus,African journals Online,and Google Scholar for articles published up to June 21,2021.The present review focused on the effects of PA on many outcomes such as blood glucose(BG)control,physical fitness,endothelial function,insulin sensitivity,well-being,the body defense system,blood lipid profile,insulin resistance,cardiovascular diseases(CVDs),insulin requirements,blood pressure(BP),and mortality.It was found that many studies recommended the use of PA for the effective management of T1DM.PA is a component of comprehensive lifestyle modifications,which is a significant approach for the management of T1DM.It provides several health benefits,such as improving BG control,physical fitness,endothelial function,insulin sensitivity,well-being,and the body defense system.Besides this,it reduces the blood lipid profile,insulin resistance,CVDs,insulin requirements,BP,and mortality.Overall,PA has significant and essential protective effects against the health risks associated with T1DM.Even though PA has several health benefits for patients with T1DM,these patients are not well engaged in PA due to barriers such as a fear of exercise-induced hypoglycemia in particular.However,several effective strategies have been identified to control exercise-induced hypoglycemia in these patients.Finally,the present review concludes that PA should be recommended for the management of patients with T1DM due to its significant health benefits and protective effects against associated health risks. Italso provides suggestions for the future direction of research in this field.

Research advances in bioactive components and health benefits of jujube(Ziziphus jujuba Mill.)fruit

Jujube(Ziziphus jujuba Mill.),a highly nutritious and functional fruit,is reported to have various health benefits and has been extensively planted worldwide,especially in China.Many studies have shown that bioactive components derived from jujube fruit have significant nutritional and potential biological effects.In this paper,the latest progress in research on major bioactive compounds obtained from jujube is reviewed,and the potential biological functions of jujube fruit resources are discussed.As a dietary supplement,jujube fruit is well recognized as a healthy food which contains a variety of bioactive substances,such as polysaccharides,polyphenols,amino acids,nucleotides,fatty acids,dietary fiber,alkaloids,and other nutrients.These nutrients and non-nutritive phytochemicals obtained from jujube fruit have physiological functions including anticancer,antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,anti-hyperlipidemic,anti-hyperglycemic,immunoregulatory,neuroprotective,sedative,and antiviral functions.Of note is that new constituents,including alkaloids,dietary fiber,and other bioactive substances,as well as the antiviral,hypoglycemic,lipid-lowering,and neuroprotective effects of jujube fruit,are systematically reviewed here for the first time.Meanwhile,problems affecting the exploitation of jujube fruit resources are discussed and further research directions proposed.Therefore,this review provides a useful bibliography for the future development of jujube-based products and the utilization of jujube nutritional components in functional foods.

Quantifying public health benefits of environmental strategy of PM2.5 air quality management in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region,China

In 2013,China issued ＂Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan（Action Plan）＂ to improve air quality.To assess the benefits of this program in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei（BTH）region,where the density of population and emissions vary greatly,we simulated the air quality benefit based on Ben MAP to satisfy the Action Plan.In this study,we estimate PM_（2.5） concentration using Voronoi spatial interpolation method on a grid with a spatial resolution of 1 × 1 km^2.Combined with the exposure-response function between PM_（2.5） concentration and health endpoints,health effects of PM_（2.5） exposure are analyzed.The economic loss is assessed by using the willingness to pay（WTP） method and human capital（HC） method.When the PM_（2.5） concentration falls by 25% in BTH and reached 60 μg/m^3 in Beijing,the avoiding deaths will be in the range of 3175 to 14051 based on different functions each year.Of the estimated mortality attributable to all causes,3117 annual deaths were due to lung cancer,1924 – 6318 annual deaths were due to cardiovascular,and343 – 1697 annual deaths were due to respiratory.Based on WTP,the estimated monetary values for the avoided cases of all cause mortality,cardiovascular mortality,respiratory mortality and lung cancer ranged from 1110 to 29632,673 to 13325,120 to 3579,1091 to 6574 million yuan,respectively.Based on HC,the corresponding values for the avoided cases of these four mortalities were 267 to 1178,161 to 529,29 to 143 and 261 million yuan,respectively.

Recent developments in dairy kefir-derived lactic acid bacteria and their health benefits

Kefir is one of the most consumed traditional fermented dairy products and it has a complex probiotic and nutritional composition.Kefir grain contains casein and other milk solids together with the yeasts and lactobacilli that cause the characteristic kefir fermentation and serve as a starter to induce this fermentation when introduced into fresh milk.Both kefir and kefir grains have a rich microbiota and their composition is affected by many parameters like kefir origin,production method(artisanal or industrial),kefir grain:milk ratio,type of milk,fermentation conditions,inoculum source,equipment used in production and storage conditions.Lactic acid bacteria(LAB)are a significant part of the kefir’s microbial composition and the health-promoting effects.Kefir-derived LAB have beneficial effects on colorectal cancer,cardiovascular diseases,type 2 diabetes mellitus,obesity,kidney diseases,modulation of the immune system as well as intestinal microbiota through different biological mechanisms.In addition,bioactive peptides and metabolic products of kefir have shown promising results as health beneficial components along with certain antiviral effects including COVID-19.Therefore,this article is up-to-date information about the production,processing as well as health benefits of dairy kefir-derived LAB with future prospect of work.

Nutritional quality and health benefits of microgreens,a crop of modern agriculture

Microgreens are young,tender greens that are used to enhance the color,texture,or flavor of salads and main dishes.They can be grown in small scales and indoors,making them widely adopted by controlled environment agriculture,an indoor farming practice is particularly important for feeding increasing urban populations.Besides,microgreens are attracting more consumers’attention due to their high nutritional value and unique sensory characteristics.This review focuses on the nutrition quality,sensory evaluation,pre-and post-harvest interventions,and health benefits of microgreens.Microgreens are rich in vitamins(e.g.,VC),minerals(e.g.,copper and zinc),and phytochemicals,including carotenoids and phenolic compounds,which act as antioxidants in human body.Pre-harvest interventions,such as illumination,salinity stress,nutrient fortification,and natural substrates,infl uence the photosynthetic and metabolic activities of microgreens and were shown to improve their nutritional quality,while the effects varied among species.After harvesting,packaging method and storage temperature can infl uence the nutrient retention in microgreens.Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that microgreens have anti-infl ammatory,anti-cancer,anti-bacterial,and anti-hyperglycemia properties,making it a new functional food beneficial to human health.The sensory attributes and overall acceptability and liking of microgreens are primarily infl uenced by their phytochemical content.Microgreens are only getting popular during the last decades and research on microgreens is still at its early stage.More studies are warranted to optimize the pre-and post-harvest practices for nutrient enhancement and retention and to explore the potential health benefits of different microgreens for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Bioactive compounds, nutritional profile and health benefits of colostrum: a review

Bovine colostrum is defined as first milk by milching animals responsible for providing the innate immunity to the neonatal and possess many immunoglobulins for preventing the calf from diseases. Colostrum consist of many bioactive compounds like proteins, enzymes, growth factors, immunoglobulins and nucleotides that provides several benefits to human health. Numerous clinical and pre-clinical studies have demonstrated the therapeutic benefits of the bovine colostrum. This review focusses on bioactive compounds, their health benefits, potential of colostrum for developing several health foods and prevention of respiratory and gastrointestinal tract disorders. Processing can also be done to extend shelf-life and extraction of bioactive constituents either as encapsulated or as extracts. The products derived from bovine colostrum are high-end supplements possessing high nutraceutical value.

Biscuits: a systematic review and meta-analysis of improving the nutritional quality and health benefits

Biscuits are ready-to-eat foods that are traditionally prepared mainly with wheat flour,fat,and sugar.Recently,biscuits’technologies have been rapidly developed to improve their nutritional properties.This study aimed to determine the strategies of improving the nutritional quality of biscuits and the potential health benefits associated with them.A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted,including articles on biscuits improved by technological processes and raw materials variation.Studies were searched from Google Scholar,PubMed,Scopus,and Web of Science published between 1997 and 2020,in English and French.The meta-analysis was performed using RStudio software,version 4.0.4 to classify the biscuits.One hundred and seven eligible articles were identified.Rice,pea,potato,sorghum,buckwheat,and flaxseed flours were respectively the most found substitutes to wheat flour.But the meta-analysis shown that the copra and foxtail millet biscuit fortified with amaranth,the wheat biscuits fortified with okra,and rice biscuits fortified with soybeans had a high protein content.These biscuits therefore have a potential to be used as complementary foods.The substitution of sugar and fat by several substitutes lead to a decrease in carbohydrates,fat,and energy value.It has also brought about an increase in other nutrients such as dietary fiber,proteins/amino acids,fatty acids,and phenolic compounds.Among the sugar and fat substitutes,stevia and inulin were respectively the most used.Regarding the use of biscuits in clinical trials,they were mainly used for addressing micronutrient deficiency and for weight loss.

Development of an integrated policy making tool for assessing air quality and human health benefits of air pollution control

Efficient air quality management is critical to protect public health from the adverse impacts of air pollution. To evaluate the effectiveness of air pollution control strategies, the US Environmental Protection Agency （US EPA） has developed the Software for Model Attainment Test-Community Edition （SMAT-CE） to assess the air quality attainment of emission reductions, and the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program- Community Edition （BenMAP-CE） to evaluate the health and economic benefits of air quality improvement respectively. Since scientific decision-making requires timely and coherent information, developing the linkage between SMAT-CE and BenMAP-CE into an integrated assessment platform is desirable. To address this need, a new module linking SMAT-CE to BenMAP-CE has been developed and tested. The new module streamlines the assessment of air quality and human health benefits for a proposed air pollution control strategy. It also implements an optimized data gridding algorithm which significantly enhances the computational efficiency without compro- mising accuracy. The performance of the integrated software package is demonstrated through a case study that evaluates the air quality and associated economic benefits of a national-level control strategy of PM2.5. The results of the case study show that the proposed emission reduction reduces the number of nonattainment sites from 379 to 25 based on the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards, leading to more than USS334billion ofeconomic benefits annually from improved public health. The integration of the science-based software tools in this study enhances the efficiency of developing effective and optimized emission control strategies for policy makers.

An assessment of the potential health benefits of realizing the goals for PMlo in the updated Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standard

As a response to the severe air quality problems in China, the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection in 2012 issued an updated Ambient Air Quality Standard （GB3095-2012）, which set a stricter grade II PMI0 standard. A successful implementation of this standard will have an impact on human health through reduction of exposure to air pollution in the population. Using the methods of adjusted human capital and value of statistical life, the authors in this article estimate the economic impact of a successful implementation of the updated Ambient Air Quality Standard on human health in China. The key results are： 1） The human health benefits from reaching the updated standard for PM10 would equal CNY 51.1 billion using adjusted human capital, account- ing for 18.5% of total human health costs in China, and CNY 83.5 billion using the value of a statistical life; 2） the benefit of reaching the updated standard for PM10 is highest in the east coastal areas and gradually declines for more Western provinces; and 3） the marginal benefit of public health increases as the environmental quality standard PMl0 improves. If the annual concentration of PMlo were to be reduced from the target number in the original grade II standard to that in the updated standard, the mortality rate of long-term exposure would be reduced by 6.5% due to reduced chronic exposure. In addition, if the annual concentration were to be reduced further from updated grade II to grade I standard, the mortality rate for long-term exposure would be lowered by 32.8%.

Role of bitter contributors and bitter taste receptors:a comprehensive review of their sources,functions and future development

Bitterness,one of the 5“basic tastes”,is usually undesired by humans.However,abundant literature reported that bitter fruits and vegetables have beneficial health effects due to their bitter contributors.This review provided an updated overview of the main bitter contributors of typical bitter fruits and vegetables and their health benefits.The main bitter contributors,including phenolics,terpenoids,alkaloids,amino acids,nucleosides and purines,were summarized.The bioactivities and wide range of beneficial effects of them on anti-cancers,anti-inflammations,anti-microbes,neuroprotection,inhibiting chronic and acute injury in organs,as well as regulating behavior performance and metabolism were reported.Furthermore,not only did the bitter taste receptors(taste receptor type 2 family,T2Rs)show taste effects,but extra-oral T2Rs could also be activated by binding with bitter components,regulating physiological activities via modulating hormone secretion,immunity,metabolism,and cell proliferation.This review provided a new perspective on exploring and explaining the nutrition of bitter foods,revealing the relationship between the functions of bitter contributors from food and T2Rs.Future trends may focus on revealing the possibility of T2Rs being targets for the treatment of diseases,exploring the mechanism of T2Rs mediating the bioactivities,and making bitter foods more acceptable without getting rid of bitter contributors.

Benefits of Budget Health Plan

A county in eastern Jiangsu Province leads the way in low-cost medical treatment THE extremely cold weather that has ravaged large parts of the northern hemisphere this winter also took its toll on the small village of Dazhuyin in Ganyu County,east China＇s Jiangsu Province. The dry,freezing days laid low scores

A perspective review on the biosynthesis of plant-based secondary metabolites and their application as potent drugs

Many phytochemicals and their derived metabolites produced by plants are extensively employed in commercial goods,pharmaceutical products as well as in the environmental and medicalfields.However,these secondary metabolites obtained from plants are in low amounts,and it is difficult to synthesize them at the industrial level.Despite these challenges,they may be utilized for a variety of medicinal products that are either available in the market or are being researched and tested.Secondary metabolites are complex compounds that exhibit chirality.Further,under controlled conditions with elicitors,desired secondary metabolites may be produced from plant cell cultures.This review emphasizes the various aspects of secondary metabolites including their types,synthesis,and applications as medicinal products.The article aims to promote the use of plant secondary metabolites in the management and treatment of various diseases.

Emerging and multifaceted potential contributions of polyphenols in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)is recognized as a serious public health concern with a considerable impact on human life,long-term health expenditures,and substantial health losses.In this context,the use of dietary polyphenols to prevent and manage T2DM is widely documented.These dietary compounds exert their beneficial effects through several actions,including the protection of pancreatic islet β-cell,the antioxidant capacities of these molecules,their effects on insulin secretion and actions,the regulation of intestinal microbiota,and their contribution to ameliorate diabetic complications,particularly those of vascular origin.In the present review,we intend to highlight these multifaceted actions and the molecular mechanisms by which these plant-derived secondary metabolites exert their beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes patients.

A critical review on the health promoting effects of mushrooms nutraceuticals

Extensive elucidations focusing on the efficient health promoting properties and high nutritional values of mushrooms have been expanded dynamically from the past few decades.Due to its high quality of proteins,polysaccharides,unsaturated fatty acids,mineral substances,triterpenes sterols and secondary metabolites,mushrooms have always been appreciated for their vital role in protecting and curing various health problems,such as immunodeficiency,cancer,inflammation,hypertension,hyperlipidemia,hypercholesterolemia and obesity.Moreover,investigations in recent years have revealed the correlations between the health-promoting benefits and gut microbiota regulating effects induced by the mushrooms intake.Researches on the immense role in the nutritional and health benefits displayed by mushrooms have become an emergent task to study.The present article overviewed and compiled the latest information correlated to the health benefits and underlying functional mechanisms of mushroom nutraceuticals,and concluded that the supplementation of mushrooms as a dietary composition could become a natural adjuvant for the prevention and treatment of several health diseases.

Deepening China-Africa Cooperation, Benefiting People’s Health

CHINA and Africa have been a commu- nity of shared interests and shared destiny Their collaboration benefits not only the development of China and Africa but also promotes the unity and cooperation of developing countries. Health cooperation is a powerful testimony to the friendship between Chinese and African people. Based on win-win cooperation and aiming at the well-being of the people, China and Africa have attained fruitful results through health cooperation over the last five decades.

Why Blueberries?

Small berry fruits, like blueberries, are popular due to their appearance, are easy to eat and have a unique taste. Blueberries belong to the Cyanococcus section of the Ericaceae family. They are known to be one of the richest sources of natural antioxidants. Blueberries are a flavorful and colorful fruit, known for their health benefits attributed to numerous bioactive compounds with various therapeutic effects. The research aims to understand the metabolic and genetic factors that influence the nutritional and sensory qualities of blueberries. They can be consumed as either fresh or processed such as snacks, desserts, fruit salads, and with ice cream, yogurt or processed products such as frozen berries into conserves, purees and juices, dried fruit. They are rich in organic acids phenolic compounds that protect human against a wide variety of diseases since blueberry has high antioxidant activity. In this review, blueberry worldwide production trend and the effect of blueberry nutrient content on human health will be discussed. And there are also some studies carried out in recent years to determine the chemical composition such as sugars, organic acids and phenolic compounds by advanced methodologies in blueberry fruits. This review could be beneficial for future studies will be conducted on blueberry production and its nutritional content. .