Traditional Functional Foods With Digestive-Enhancing Properties

7/30/2019 Traditional Functional Foods With Digestive-Enhancing Properties

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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



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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)



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Medicinal AND Food plants

Folk Functional Foods

Food Medicines/MedicinalFoods



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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.

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Traditional Functional Foods With Digestive-Enhancing Properties