Ellagic acid (EA) is a bioactive polyphenolic compound naturally occurring as secondary metabolite in many plant taxa. EA content is considerable in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) and in wood and bark of some tree species. Structurally, EA is a dilactone of hexahydroxydiphenic acid (HHDP), a dimeric gallic acid derivative, produced mainly by hydrolysis of ellagitannins, a widely distributed group of secondary metabolites. EA is attracting attention due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and antiproliferative properties. EA displayed pharmacological effects in various in vitro and in vivo model systems. Furthermore, EA has also been well documented for its antiallergic, antiatherosclerotic, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and neuroprotective properties. This review reports on the health-promoting effects of EA, along with possible mechanisms of its action in maintaining the health status, by summarizing the literature related to the therapeutic potential of this polyphenolic in the treatment of several human diseases.
Probiotics are increasingly being added to food in order to develop products with health-promoting properties. Particularly, Saccharomyces cereviceae var. boulardii yeast is recently being investigated like a starting-culture for development of functional and probiotic foods. Although the literature is abundant on the beneficial effects of S. boulardii on health, slight information is available on the effects of supplementing this probiotic to food systems. The aim of this paper is to examine the applications of S. boulardii to different food matrices and its implication in food processing (stability, sensorial properties and other technological implications) and the concomitant effects on nutrition and health.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.