Functional foods, herbs and nutraceuticals: towards biochemical mechanisms of healthy aging

Abstract

Aging is associated with mitochondrial dysfunctions, which trigger membrane leakage, release of reactive species from oxygen and nitrogen and subsequent induction of peroxidative reactions that result in biomolecules' damaging and releasing of metals with amplification of free radicals discharge. Free radicals induce neuronal cell death increasing tissue loss, which could be associated with memory detriment. These pathological events are involved in cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and carcinogenic processes. Dietary bioactive compounds from different functional foods, herbs and nutraceuticals (ginseng, ginkgo, nuts, grains, tomato, soy phytoestrogens, curcumin, melatonin, polyphenols, antioxidant vitamins, carnitine, carnosine, ubiquinone, etc.) can ameliorate or even prevent diseases. Protection from chronic diseases of aging involves antioxidant activities, mitochondrial stabilizing functions, metal chelating activities, inhibition of apoptosis of vital cells, and induction of cancer cell apoptosis. Functional foods and nutraceuticals constitute a great promise to improve health and prevent aging-related chronic diseases.

Protein and lipid oxidative damage and complex I content are lower in the brain of budgerigar and canaries than in mice. Relation to aging rate

“…Homocysteine levels increase with age in humans and they are a risk factor for aging and many chronic degenerative diseases (Drögue 2001;Durand et al 2001;Ninomiya et al 2004;Ferrari 2004). Homocysteine has a free thiol group that can be readily oxidized and generates protein mixed disulfides or thiol bridges between proteins.…”

Characteristics and consumer acceptance of healthier meat and meat product formulations—a review

“…In order to adapt to these consumer drivers, the food industry is reformulating food products to enhance the physiological functionality of inherent nutrients or by adding bioactives with largely clinically proven physiological function (Day et al 2009). The functionality of functional foods derived from bioactive ingredients (Ferrari 2004) depends on several technological factors like fermentation, daily dosage, targeted compound, stability, food matrix formulation, viability, encapsulation, drying/heating technology and aseptic packaging.…”

“…Although reports available on biological activity of phytochemicals from vegetables are abundant (Ferrari 2004), there have been very few reports on physiological functions of meat or meat ingredients (Arihara 2006;Blandino et al 2003). The incorporation of meat/fish into other products would positively influence the nutritional and biofunctional value of the product.…”

Exercise modulation of total antioxidant capacity (TAC): towards a molecular signature of healthy aging

“…In fact, oxidative/nitrosative stresses in aging depend on age, gender, smoking, alcohol drinking, body composition, genome, and other intrinsic and extrinsic factors (Lesgards et al 2002;Gutteridge and Halliwell 2010). However, since the 1950s a great number of studies have been reported increased oxidative/nitrosative stresses and decreased cell antioxidant defenses in aging animals and humans (Ferrari 2004;Barja 2005;Pamplona et al 2005; da Silva and Ferrari 2011).…”