Dietary Fiber, Gut Microbiota and Health covers the most recent advances in the functionalities of dietary fiber with a focus on the underlying mechanisms that influence gut microbiota. In four sections, this work begins with foundational information on the human gut microbiome and moves to more advanced knowledge on various types of dietary fiber and the impact of each on the gut microbiome before finally covering health outcomes and the potential for personalized applications of fiber fo...

Bioactive Polysaccharides offers a comprehensive review of the structures and bioactivities of bioactive polysaccharides isolated from traditional herbs, fungi, and seaweeds. It describes and discusses specific topics based on the authors' rich experience, including extraction technologies, practical techniques required for purification and fractionation, strategies and skills for elucidating the fine structures, in-vitro and in-vivo protocols, and methodologies for evaluating the specific...

Cordyceps Fungus: Scientific Discoveries and Health Products provides a systematic and comprehensive description of the process technology, product quality and beneficial functions, and underlying scientific background of cordyceps. The book covers the development of knowledge and technology in related areas, such as polysaccharides as major bioactive ingredients, biological characteristics, chemical composition and bioactivities, traditional uses and mycelial fermentation of cordyceps sin...

Aging: Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants bridges the trans-disciplinary divide and covers in a single volume the science of oxidative stress in aging and the potentially therapeutic use of natural antioxidants in the diet or food matrix. The processes within the science of oxidative stress are described in concert with other processes, such as apoptosis, cell signaling, and receptor mediated responses. This approach recognizes that diseases are often multifactorial, and oxidative s...

Nutrient Metabolism defines the molecular fate of nutrients and other dietary compounds in humans, as well as outlining the molecular basis of processes supporting nutrition, such as chemical sensing and appetite control. It focuses on the presentation of nutritional biochemistry; and the reader is given a clear and specific perspective on the events that control utilization of dietary compounds. Slightly over 100 self-contained chapters cover all essential and important nutrients as well ...

Polyphenols in Human Health and Disease documents antioxidant actions of polyphenols in protection of cells and cell organelles, critical for understanding their health-promoting actions to help the dietary supplement industry. The book begins by describing the fundamentals of absorption, metabolism and bioavailability of polyphenols, as well as the effect of microbes on polyphenol structure and function and toxicity. It then examines the role of polyphenols in the treatment of chronic dis...

Natural products present in the plant and animal kingdom offer a huge diversity of chemical structures which are the result of biosynthetic processes that have been modulated over the millennia through genetic effects. With the rapid developments in spectroscopic techniques and accompanying advances in high-throughput screening techniques, it has become possible to isolate, and then determine the structures and biological activity of natural products rapidly, thus opening up exciting new o...

Food proteins and bioactive peptides play a vital role in the growth and development of the body’s structural integrity and regulation, as well as having a variety of other functional properties. Land animal-derived food proteins such as collagen and gelatine carry risks of contamination (such as BSE). Marine-derived proteins, which can provide equivalents to collagen and gelatin without the associated risks, are becoming more popular among consumers because of their numerous health benefi...

This book describes the structure, function and nutritional values of iron-, zinc-, selenium- and calcium-containing proteins, exploring key mineral-containing proteins like phytoferritin and lactoferrin, as well as a host of zinc- and selenium-containing proteins. Due to their role in numerous metabolic processes, minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc and selenium are vital, and have to be obtained from a balanced diet because they cannot be synthesized. The structure and function of miner...

Natural products in the plant and animal kingdom offer a huge diversity of chemical structures that are the result of biosynthetic processes that have been modulated over the millennia through genetic effects. With the rapid developments in spectroscopic techniques and accompanying advances in high-throughput screening techniques, it has become possible to isolate and then determine the structures and biological activity of natural products rapidly, thus opening up exciting opportunities i...

Studies in Natural Products Chemistry: Bioactive Natural Products (Part XIII) is the latest in a series that covers the synthesis or testing and recording of the medicinal properties of natural products, providing cutting-edge accounts of the fascinating developments in the isolation, structure elucidation, synthesis, biosynthesis, and pharmacology of a diverse array of bioactive natural products. Natural products in the plant and animal kingdom offer a huge diversity of chemical structure...

Natural products in the plant and animal kingdom offer a huge diversity of chemical structures that are the result of biosynthetic processes that have been modulated over the millennia through genetic effects. With the rapid developments in spectroscopic techniques and accompanying advances in high-throughput screening techniques, it has become possible to isolate and then determine the structures and biological activity of natural products rapidly, thus opening up exciting new opportuniti...