Plant foods are rich in phenolic compounds (PCs) that display multifaceted bioactions in health promotion and disease prevention. To exert their bioactivity, they must be delivered to and absorbed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, transported in circulation, and reach the target tissues. During the journey from ingestion to target tissues and final excretion, PCs are subjected to modifications by many factors during their absorption, deposition, metabolism and excretion (ADME) and consequently their bioefficacy may be modified. Consistent with all nutrients in foods, PCs must first be released from the food matrix through mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic forces to facilitate absorption along the GI tract, particularly in the upper small intestine section. Further, glycosylation of PCs directs the route of their absorption with glycones being transported through active transportation and aglycones through passive diffusion. After enteral absorption, the majority of PCs are extensively transformed by the detoxification system in enterocytes and liver for excretion in bile, feces, and urine. The journey of PCs from consumption to excretion appears to be comparable to many synthetic medications, but with some dissimilarities in their fate and bioactivity after phase I and II metabolism. The overall bioavailability of PCs is determined mainly by chemical characteristics, bioaccessibility, and ADME. In this review, factors accounting for variation in PCs bioavailability are discussed because this information is crucial for validation of the health benefits of PCs and their mechanism of action.

BackgroundSarcopenia is strongly associated with an inadequate intake of dietary protein. Dietary protein supplementation boosts muscle-protein synthesis and increases muscle mass in the elderly. This study tested whether adding a protein-rich food, ricotta cheese, to the habitual diet increased total appendicular skeletal muscle mass and strength in elderly people.MethodsParticipants (n = 40), were sarcopenic elderly men and women over 60 years of age. Two comparison groups were formed at random and followed for 3 months: the intervention group received 210 g/day of ricotta cheese plus the habitual diet, while the control group followed the habitual diet with no additional intervention. Total appendicular skeletal muscle (TASM) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, while strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer at baseline and after the intervention period. The primary outcomes were the percentage of relative change in TASM and strength.ResultsThe percentage of relative change in TASM was not significant between the groups after the intervention period. Muscle strength improved in the intervention group, but showed only a tendency towards significance (P = 0.06). Secondary analysis showed that the men in the intervention group gained 270 g in TASM compared to those in the control group, and improved their fasting insulin levels (P = 0.05), muscle strength, lean body mass in the arms, and body weight variables.ConclusionThe results of this study indicate that a nutritional intervention using a high-quality protein food, specifically ricotta cheese, in order to increase the amount of protein intake might not be regarded as fully promising in elderly men and women with sarcopenia. However, the gender effects on muscle strength, lean tissue in the arms, homeostatic assessment of insulin resistance, and body weight detected in this study suggest that additional research is needed on elderly male subjects with sarcopenia.

BackgroundAt present, it is unknown whether the use of nutrient-rich dairy proteins improves the markers of sarcopenia syndrome. Therefore, our proposal was to investigate whether adding 210 g of ricotta cheese daily would improve skeletal muscle mass, handgrip strength, and physical performance in non-sarcopenic older subjects.Subjects and methodsThis was a single-blind randomized clinical trial that included two homogeneous, randomized groups of men and women over 60 years of age. Participants in the intervention group were asked to consume their habitual diet but add 210 g of ricotta cheese (IG/HD + RCH), while the control group was instructed to consume only their habitual diet (CG/HD). Basal and 12-week follow-up measurements included appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, handgrip strength by a handheld dynamometer, and physical performance using the short physical performance battery (SPPB) and the stair-climb power test (SCPT). The main outcomes were relative changes in ASMM, strength, SPPB, and SCPT.ResultsASMM increased in the IG/HD + RCH (0.6±3.5 kg), but decreased in the CG/HD (−1.0±2.6). The relative change between groups was statistically significant (P=0.009). The relative change in strength in both groups was negative, but the loss of muscle strength was more pronounced in CG/HD, though in this regard statistical analysis found only a tendency (P=0.07). The relative change in the balance-test scores was positive for the IG/HD + RCH, while in the CG/HD it was negative, as those individuals had poorer balance. In this case, the relative change between groups did reach statistical significance.ConclusionThe addition of 210 g of ricotta cheese improves ASMM and balance-test scores, while attenuating the loss of muscle strength. These results suggest that adding ricotta cheese to the habitual diet is a promising dietetic strategy that may improve the markers of sarcopenia in subjects without a pronounced loss of ASMM or sarcopenia.

In the last years, biomedical research has focused its efforts in the development of new oral delivery systems for the treatment of different diseases. Ferulated arabinoxylans are polysaccharides from cereals that have been gaining attention in the pharmaceutical field due to their prebiotic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The antioxidant and anticancer properties of these polysaccharides make them attractive compounds for the treatment of cancer, particularly colon cancer. In addition, ferulated arabinoxylans can form covalent gels through the cross-linking of their ferulic acids. Due to their particular characteristics, ferulated arabinoxylan gels represent an excellent alternative as colon-targeted drug delivery systems. The aim of the present work is to review the physicochemical and functional properties of ferulated arabinoxylans and their gels and to present the future perspectives for potential application as antioxidant and anticancer agents.

Worldwide, an estimated 250 million children <5 y old are vitamin A (VA) deficient. In Mexico, despite ongoing efforts to reduce VA deficiency, it remains an important public health problem; thus, food-based interventions that increase the availability and consumption of provitamin A-rich foods should be considered. The objectives were to assess the VA equivalence of H-labeled (MO) leaves and to estimate both total body stores (TBS) of VA and plasma retinol kinetics in young Mexican children. β-Carotene was intrinsically labeled by growing MO plants in a HO nutrient solution. Fifteen well-nourished children (17-35 mo old) consumed puréed MO leaves (1 mg β-carotene) and a reference dose of [C]retinyl acetate (1 mg) in oil. Blood (2 samples/child) was collected 10 times (2 or 3 children each time) over 35 d. The bioefficacy of MO leaves was calculated from areas under the composite "super-child" plasma isotope response curves, and MO VA equivalence was estimated through the use of these values; a compartmental model was developed to predict VA TBS and retinol kinetics through the use of composite plasma [C]retinol data. TBS were also estimated with isotope dilution. The relative bioefficacy of β-carotene retinol activity equivalents from MO was 28%; VA equivalence was 3.3:1 by weight (0.56 μmol retinol:1 μmol β-carotene). Kinetics of plasma retinol indicate more rapid plasma appearance and turnover and more extensive recycling in these children than are observed in adults. Model-predicted mean TBS (823 μmol) was similar to values predicted using a retinol isotope dilution equation applied to data from 3 to 6 d after dosing (mean ± SD: 832 ± 176 μmol; = 7). The super-child approach can be used to estimate population carotenoid bioefficacy and VA equivalence, VA status, and parameters of retinol metabolism from a composite data set. Our results provide initial estimates of retinol kinetics in well-nourished young children with adequate VA stores and demonstrate that MO leaves may be an important source of VA.