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FUNCTIONAL FOODS WITH DIGESTION-
ENHANCING PROPERTIES
Marco Valussi
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In this presentation I aim to show:
an ethnobotany-derived definition of Folk
FFs
the results of a preliminary analysis ofethnobotanical literature on digestive FFFs
the experimental and clinical data on aselection of FFFs
Digestive Functional Foods
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Introduction to the terms
Administrative, legislative, industry,regulatory terms
NutraceuticalFunctional food
Pharmafood
Phytoceutical
Phytonutrient
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Functional Foods: consumed as foods but actingbeyond their basic nutritional function as food byproviding protection or reducing the risk of chronic
disease.
FOSHU: foods with documented evidence of aidingspecific physiological functions beyond whatever
conventional nutrient exist in the food.
Nutraceutical: any substance that may be
considered a food or a part of a food and
demonstrates to have a physiological ... medical or
health benefits, including the prevention and
treatment of ... chronic disease ... sold in pills,
powders, (potions) and other medical forms not
Introduction to the terms
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We need terms derived from actual folkuse, descriptive more than normative.
The intersections between foods andmedicines has been mapped and explored
by recent ethnobotanical literature
I will therefore use a distinction based onthe work by Pieroni and Quave (2006)
Introduction to the terms
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Medicinal AND Food plants
Folk Functional Foods
Food Medicines/MedicinalFoods
Introduction to the terms
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Weedy species or foods eatenbecause they are healthy but with a
general rather than unique andspecific health action.
Besides their main nutritional orenjoyment purposes they have othereffects on body functions.
Folk Functional Foods
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Adapted from Pieroni & Quave (2006)
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Ingested in a food context butassigned specific medicinalproperties; or consumed in order
to obtain a specific medicinal
action.
Food Medicines/Medicinal Foods
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Adapted from Pieroni & Quave (2006)
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Medicines, foods and the GIT
Three main data emerge from a stillpreliminary analysis of the ethnobotanicalliterature:
1.High percentage of food plants used also as
medicinal plants
2.Prevalence of medicinal plants (and, to alesser extent, FF) used for GIT complaints
3.Significant segregation of GIT medicinal and
FF plants into few botanical taxa
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Food plants/medicinal plantsThis overlap reveals:
the partial artificiality of the
food/medicines divide
the role of coevolution and agricolturein shaping this divide
and questions the epistemic direction:food then medicine or medicine then
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Taxonomical segregation
High prevalence of species belonging tothree taxa: Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and
Apiaceae (to a lesser extent Brassicaceae,Solanaceae, Fabaceae)
These families are characterized by thepresence of chemicals belonging to threegroups: essential oils, bitter compounds,
and pungent compounds.
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Spices and bitters
Spices: great economic and culturalimportance. Contain volatile aromatic and
pungent compounds (terpenes, shikimic
acid derivatives, thioethers,
isothiocyanates) and non volatile pungentcompounds (acid amine group, like
capsaicin and piperine).
Bitters: recognized role all over the worldin promoting the state of health: aperitif,digestives fasting tools. Toxic and non
toxic compounds: terpenes, saponines,
alkaloids, flavonoids, etc.
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Coevolution and gut sensorium
GIT has a luminal sensory role via tastant-sensing cells that coevolved withtoxins/phytochemicals.
Neurohumoral control of gastrointestinal and
other organs functions
Alarm responses: vomiting, aversion,regulation of appetite and satiety, alteration of
stomach and intestinal motility and secretions.
Enteroendocrine cells: secretion ofcholecystokinin (CCK) and other peptides
(GLP-1, PYY, histamine, serotonin)
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Activation: release of peptides (CCK, PYY, GLP-1)
CCK = release of pancreatic digestive enzymesand bile salts. Regulates gastrointestinal motility,
gastric acid secretion, inhibition of gastric
emptying, satiety.
High doses nausea and emesis. Lower dosesdisgusting, fix the offensive food in memory
Hypotesis = reduced toxins absorption (satiety,delayed gastric emptying) + increased absorption
carbohydrates, EFA, fat-soluble vitamins (gall-
bladder contractions, bile acid excretion) +
modulation glucose homeostasis
Bitter receptors
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Pungent receptors Pungent taste universally recognized as aversive,mediated by Transient Receptor Potential (TRP)channels:
Vanilloid channel TRPV1 (capsaicine, piperine,allicin, camphor): affects gastric sensorimotor function,
increases pancreatic activity, gastrin secretion andreduces the intestinal transit time.
TRPA1 channel (mustard oil, methyl salicylate,eugenol, cinnamaldheyde): release of CCK and of 5-
HT, increase of intestinal motility, vomiting andperistaltic reflux.
Melastatin channel TRPM8 (menthol, 1,8-cineole)
TRP activation: in general stimulation of gastric-
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Essential oils Indirect effects
Perception of organoleptically salient compounds (EOs, pungent,astringents, etc.) alters the salivary volume and proteiccomposition of saliva
There is a relationship between salivation and gastrointestinalmotility during olfactory stimulation
Pepsinogen, gastrin and HCl secretions are influenced bycephalic olfactory stimulations
Direct effects Pepsinogen, gastrin and HCl secretions are influenced by
cephalic olfactory stimulations
Reduction of GIT spasms via Ca2+ channels blockade
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Preliminary conclusions
Irrespective of the specific species,bitter, pungent and aromatic plants hold
the potential to modify the physiology of
the GIT This activity seems sensorium-mediated,
limiting the possibility of toxic effects
A long term, low dose intake (food-like)seems more appropiate and rational
than a short term, high dose intake
(drug-like)
Iberogast Lomatol Gasex
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g
Caraway (Carum carvi); A Caraway (Carum carvi); A Crowfoot (Aconitum palmatum); O
Peppermint (Mentha xpiperita); A Peppermint (Mentha xpiperita); A Mint (Mentha arvensis); A
German chamomile (Matricaria
recutita); AFennel (Foeniculum vulgare); A Black pepper (Piper nigrum); P, A
Clown's mustard (Iberis amara); B
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium);
B, A
False black pepper (Embelia ribes);
P, A
Angelica (Angelica archangelica); A Legenda Ginger (Zingiber officinale); P , A
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum); B A = essential oils Amalaki (Emblica officinalis); O
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis); A B = bitter compounds Vibhitaka (Terminalia bellerica); O
Celandine (Chelidonium majus); B P = pungent compounds Haritaki (Terminalia chebula); O
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra); O O = other compounds Lemon (Citrus limon); B, A
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A repertoire of (mainly Western)
digestive FF
Bitter Artichoke
DandelionMilk ThistleLemon
FennelLemon balmPeppermintChamomile
Hayek - Asteraceae
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Bitter Artichoke
Experimental: choleretic and digestiveactivities, increase of gastrointestinal
peristalsis.
2 post-marketing studies: dyspepticsymptoms
1 RCT: dyspepsia and QoL.
1 mode of action study: inferred therapeuticbenefit for dyspepsia2 open studies: dyspeptic symptoms, IBSincidence
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Dandelion
Taraxacum officinaleG.H. Weber ex F. H.
Wigg -- Asteraceae
Experimental: increased bile secretionUncontrolled trial of Marigold, Dandelion,St. Johns Wort, Lemon Balm and Fennel
reduced intestinal pain in chronic colitis,and normalized defecation
Prospective cohort study on Artichoke,
Dandelion, Turmeric and Rosemary EO:
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FennelFoeniculum vulgareMill. -- Apiaceae
Experimental: antispasmodic, prokinetic, biliary,intestinal and gastric secretagogue1 RCT: Fennel OE emulsion eliminated colic in 65%
(vs. 23.7%) of infants
1 RCT: mixture of Fennel, Chamomile and LemonBalm effective for infantile colic in 85.4% of subjects
(but Chamomile and Lemon Balm seem more
important)
1 uncontrolled clinical study: mixture of Fennel,Dandelion, St. Johns Wort, Lemon Balm, Marigold
effective in reducing palpable pain in chronic colitis
Traditional and experimental: bloating, flatulence,
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PeppermintMentha xpiperitaL. -- Lamiaceae
Experimental: smooth muscle relaxant, choleretic andprokinetic (Ca-channel blocking), antiemetic (binding to the 5-
HT(3) receptor ion-channel complex,)
1 open study: EO with a colonoscope or with barium enemas.relieved colonic spasms
Human study: 180 mg EO reduced intraesophageal pressureHuman study: EO delayed gastric emptying time and slowed
small intestinal transit timeRCTs: Peppermint + Caraway EO combinatio produced smooth
muscle relaxation of stomach and duodenum; improved
symptoms of dyspepsia, reduced pain, sensations of pressure,
heaviness and fullness, relaxing effect on the gall bladder.
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Ginger
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Ginger
Zingiber officinaleRoscoe -- Zingiberaceae
Experimental Secretagogue (saliva, bile, pancreatic juices, gastric juices),
antiemetic, intestinal spasmolytic, gastric prokinetic.
Gastric spasmogenic: cholinergic agonist on post-synapticmuscarinic M3 receptors + inhibitory effect on pre-synapticmuscarinic autoreceptors.
Intestinal spasmolytic: Ca2 + antagonism. Binding to receptorsin the signal cascade behind the 5-HT(3) receptor ion-channel
complex, perhaps substance P receptors or muscarinic receptors.
Partial activation of the 5-HT(1A) receptor.
The serotonin receptor antagonist activity may partly explain theantiemetic effect of ginger, since these receptors do mediate
peristalsis and emesis
Ginger Clinical studies: gastric and duodenalki ti l ft l P i li i l
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Gingerprokinetic, less after a meal. Previous clinicalnegative data on gastric emptying rate (low
dose?) RCT: Ginger, Pinellia ternata, Citrus aurantium,
Pachyma hoelen, Liquorice show intestinalantispasmodic activity
RCT: Ginger and a mix of Ginger, Zanthoxylumand Ginseng induced phasic contractions in the
gastric antrum.
Systematic review of 6 RCT: Ginger moreeffective than placebo in some studies of
postoperative nausea and vomiting.
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Hot pepperCapsicum annuumL. -- SolanaceaeMain active chemical group: pungent alkaloids,
capsaicinoids
Experimental: capsaicin interacts with the vanilloidreceptorVR1 with impairment of nociceptive C-type fiberand, on chronic dosage, analgesic and anti-inflammatory
effects.
Clinical studies: encouraging results in patients withheartburn and functional dyspepsia (long term)
Less clear results on gastric secretions and motility:
some studies show increased gastric emptying and
secretions, others no difference, others a reduction in
activity.
Dietary intake causes a reduced energy intake, and
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Milk Thistle
Silybum marianum(L.) Gaertn. -- AsteraceaeExperimental: increase volume of bile.
2 RCTs on Iberogast (Iberis amara, Lemon balm,Chamomile, Caraway, Peppermint, Liquorice,
Angelica, Milk Thistle and Chelidonium majus):
dyspepsia, reduced gastric acid, increased mucin,gastric mucosa protection.
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Lemongrass
Cymbopogon citratus(DC.) Stapf. -- Poaceae
Contains EO, triterpenoids and flavonoids.Traditionally used as carminative, light sedative,analgesic, antiemetic, antispasmodic.
No clinical data available, only experimentaldata on antispasmodic and carminative. activityof EO.
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Lemon VerbenaAloysia citrodoraPalau -- Verbenaceae
Used as an aromatic ingredient foods andbeverages
Various reports of digestive, spasmolytic,stomachic, and carminative activity
No clinical data, only some experimental data:EO aperitive, antinociceptive, antispasmodic.1,8-cineole and borneol choleretics and
secretagogues.
Chlorogenic acids digestives, vitexinantispasmodic.
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Aniseeed and the likes
Aniseed (Pimpinella anisumL. -- Apiaceae) and StarAnise (Illicium verum, Hook. f. -- Illiciaceae)Deemed carminative and stomachic, used for abdominal
pain and digestive disturbances, indigestion, childrens
digestive upsets
Star Anise is characterized by its content in anethole,estragole, eugenol
Aniseed is characterized by its content in trans-anethole.No clinical evidence, limited experimental data:EO antispasmodics via Ca-channel blockage and the NO-
cGMP pathway.