NUTRAFUR FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS (II)

They are many and diverse the products manufactured by Nutrafur-Furfural Español that can be considered as functional ingredients: extracts from citrus, olive tree, rosemary, sage, thyme, camomile, etc... Inside this wide range of plant extracts and polyphenolic compounds of high concentration they highlight the following ones: rich olive tree extracts in oleuropein and/or hydroxytyrosol, the denominated "citrus bioflavonoid complex", grapefruit extracts and bitter orange with high flavonoid concentrations and both water-soluble compounds and flavone apigenin, obtained starting from citrus species and, finally, diverse specific extracts from rosemary leaves with high concentration of rosmarinic acid, mainly, carnosic acid, with concentrations of until 70-80% of this diterpene.

The aplications of most of our products in this field are related with their capacity to "protect" the cardiovascular system, as "vasoprotective and venotonic agents". This fact is based in two of its main properties: their capacity like specific antioxidant and as anti-inflammatory. Simultaneously, we have developed products, very defined chemically, for more specific applications: the inhibition of the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, the regulation of the plasmatic levels of triglycerides, until the protective activity against the ageing effects of the solar radiation and other ionizing radiations (photoageing and cellular malignization, including melanomas).

These new developments, together with the necessary technology to obtain water-soluble products with high content in active principles, they have introduced us in the last years in the explicit market of the functional preparations and the new "cosmeceutica". Besides these that we have just mentioned, we are developing specific new compositions dedicated to the regulation of the denominated "metabolic syndrome" obviously related with diverse mal-functions of the metabolic and cardiovascular systems.

Will it affect us somehow the future regulation of Nutritional Declarations?. In general anything, is more, for Nutrafur any increment in the regulation demands for the incorporation of these ingredients and the demonstration of their effectiveness, it is interesting. The philosophy of our company is the one of developing compound very well defined chemically, to characterize its actives and properties, including a good chemically, to characterize its actives and properties, including a good number of studies and scientific publications, establishing this way a correct relationship between the product and its capacity to "be healthy".

OUR DECALOGUE OF THE "FUNCTIONAL FOOD"

After our previous entrances, in those that have tried to analyze the origin, evolution and problematic of the "functional foods", we want to propose a questionnaire model, by way of "Decalogue" that should be applied to any food that wants to be considered as functional, to check that indeed it can be it. That "Decalogue" contains questions of diverse nature, some can be checked by the own consumer, but most is dedicated to the experts and responsible authorities of "granting" to certain products the quality of "functional".

1. Does the functional (F) food, really have a composition different to the non functional same food?.

2. Is this difference, clearly defined in the information that it offers us the label of F?.

3. Is the correctly identified/s substance/s whose presence grants to the food the condition of F?

4. Is it correctly defined the "functionality" that contributes happiness substance/s to considered F?.

5. Is it about a "specific" or "very general" functionality?.

6. According to this "functionality", is it does present/s hapiness subtance/s in F in enough quantity to get it through a daily intake during a certain period of time?.

7. Is it defined, does it suggest or does it indicate in some way wich that period of minimum time is to be able to observe the beneficial effets of F?.

8. The quantity/ies it of functional substance/s is it added F, is it defined keeping in mind their metabolism and biovailabitily, considering that these parameters determine their true effectiveness?

9. If the substance/s added in enough quantity the toxicity absence is sufficiently contrasted after a lingering consumption?.

10. Does the "healthy" objective to get for F, require the participation of other elements, substances, activities or "behaviours", or can it only be achieved through its consumption?.

We would like this "Decalogue" to constitute a base to elaborate new positions to value the "personality" and real effectiveness of the functional foods. We would want our readers to suggest us new questions that to add here to those shown. We wait your comments and suggestions.

PLANT FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS: ANALYSIS OF SITUATION (I)

The sector of denominated "funcional foods" seeks, for some years, to transform into an "attractive substitute" of what supposed the denominated "nutraceutica", origin of the functional applications of a good number of botanical and natural products, presented in form of capsules, pills or envelopes in a principle. The use of these made up with certain beneficial effects for the health came closer this way toward a "pharmaceutical mentality", and this seemed, in a good number of the population`s sectors, not to be attractive.

The inclusion of these functional ingredients in diverse types of foods sems to constitute a more "attractive", "simple" "direct" form of introducing them in the alimentary chain.It is obvious that these characteristics generate, at the same time, a commercial attractiveness that has the appearance of a good number of new products as a result and of new consumers.

Incertain way, the irruption of the functional foods could be considered a new motor for the food and beverages industry. In the case of he polyphenolic compound from plant materials, it is managed, in general, a technician-scientific general terminology and some concepts, as the one of "antioxidants" that they are more complex of the apparent thing and their use should be very defined and correctly employee.

The main problem, and at same time challenge, for the functional foods is simple and very complicated at the same time: to really demonstrate their effectiveness.Many of the compounds, extracts, substances that now are included in the functional foods, they had already "demonstrated" as nutraceutical products a contrasted effectiveness, an appropriate quality with a correct and enough dosage was, and it is still, the support of this effectiveness. However, when those same assets want to be included i a functional food, iether solid or liquid, theidustry and the marketin "trip" with several obstacles:

Can the assets be added to the food?; what quantity should it be included in the food to be really effective?; what quantity should it be included in the food for not altering its organoleptic/sensorial properties?; does this quantity coincide wih the effective one?, is it very inferior?, but, should thecuantity coincide with the effective one?, is it very inferior?, bu should the quantity of ctive included also be adapted, in the food to the necessary or acceptable cost ofthe same one, or to the real effectiveness?, Does a correct equilibrium that preserves the concept of healthy food really exist?.

The work is arduous, so much in the search of appropiate ingredients, like in the necessary technology for its incorporation.

FOOD INGREDIENTS AND/OR FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS.

It is evident that we should distinguish among food ingredients, with a function defined in the food to which they incorporate and, functional ingredients that to seek to claim a certain potentiality regarding the consumer`s "healthy" status.

If we refer to the first group, we meet at the moment with the consumer`s more and more growing interest for the use of made up of natural origin, employees in general as "preserving", either as antioxidants or as antimicrobials. The introduction of natural products in a market dominated by the inorganic and synthetic compounds, it requires an enormous effort and an applied solid research, loaded, not only of good theories, but of an impeccable pragmatism, through which this products offer really effective solutions, so much from the technical point of view as economic.

ROSEMARY EXTRACT: E-food additive or only natural extract?

Recently, EFSA has declared in an expressed report, a positive opinion in connection with the "alimentary security" of the rosemary extracts used as aromaic-antioxidant agents, in a more and more growing one numbers of foods. This fact, supposes openly, the possibility of a quick iclusion of these extracts in the positive lists of ingredients and food preservatives, obviously with its corresponding E number.

Up to now, the rosemary extracts have come using you under the denoination "natural flavour", without expressing explicitly (labelling) that they were being used more for their antioxidant (of ancestral knowledge) properties than for their characteristic aroma.

It is still a certain road to travel (not too long), until the definitive qualification of the rosemary extract like food regulated preservative, being two the main aspects that are to profile and to define on one hand, what extract type it should be that finally approved one that active compounds should contain and, in general which should be their definitive specifications; for other, to settle down in a logical way where it will finish the concept of "natural flavour" and the one will begin of "regulated antioxidant", the deorization level, monoterpenes, ratio diterpenes /monoterpenes, etc...?

Given the progressive increment of the use of this natural antioxidant one in front of the habitual setback of the synthetic ones, in a next future some companies, probably, will begin to include in their labels the term "rosemary extract E-3XX", other on the other hand perhaps decide to maintain the denomination of "natural flavour". Before this, which will final consumer`s reaction be?, surprise, strangeness, stillness, security, doubts, ill will...?

We would like that, through this blog, research people, producers of plant extracts and food additives, makers of food products, food authorities and consumers, manifested their opinion about this dichotomy. We wait your comments. Thanks to all.

ROSEMARY EXTRACTS: antioxidant technology to the service of the food industry

The rosemary extracts constitute, inside our range of products, the main group of compound going to the food industry. NUTRAFUR manufactured in 2007 more than a thirty of different rosemary extracts, to satisfy, this way, our clients` specific necessities: aspect, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, flavour, aroma, colour, solubility, etc. The range NUTROX supposes a technological consolidation of this type of extracts, and it enlarges even more the possibilities of application of the same ones in this complex sector. Some other extracts of our product lines begin to open up step in the sector of the functional foods: camomile, lemon balm, linden and, mainly, olive tree, through the obtaining of rich extracts in hydroxytyrosol, the main compound responsible for the "healthy" properties of the olive tree in our mediterranean diet. Our most recent contributions are related also in the obtaining of totally soluble natural extracts of vegetable origin in water, going to the beverage industry, that we believe a sector in progressive development in next years.

FLAVONOIDS

The flavonoids constitutes, probably, the family of secondary metabolites of plants with a bigger capacity to be employees as active substances in the farmaceutical and nutraceutical fields. Species like the citrus fruits turn out to be, probably, the most important source for the flavonoids obtaining.

The current team of investigation of Nutrafur-Furfural Español S.A., comes developing for 26 years a production concept and serious, solid research and contrasted in the field of the obtaining of natural rich extracts in flavonoids and polyphenols, reasonable fundamentally of such species as: rosemary, olive, citrus, echinacea, valerian, passiflora, artichoke, sage, thyme, lemon balm, etc...

Nutrafur, not alone it has developed a great capacity in the production of rich extracts in flavonoids, but rather it obtains starting from the "pure" same flavonoids, with chromatographic assays (HPLC) around to 90-95%. Apigenin, diosmin, hesperetin, naringenin, hesperedin, naringin, etc...they are a good example of it. The obtaining of rich extracts in flavonoids and, at the same time, soluble in water, it also constitutes an area in which Nutrafur has obtained brilliant results.

But, also, Nutrafur, not alone it has dedicated and it dedicates big efforts in their productive capacity of flavonoids, but in that of the scientific applied investigation. Fruit of it, is the recent publication of two revisions in scientific journals of high impact index, and that they can constitute a reference point for any investigator specialized in this polyphenols type.

The mentioned articles are:

Benavente-García, O; Castillo, J; Alcaraz, M; Vicente, V; Del Río, JA; Ortuño, A.

Beneficiary action of citrus flavonoids multiple on cancer-related biological pathways.

Current Cancer Drugs Target. 7, 325-334. 2007.

Benavente-García, O; Castillo, J.

Update on Uses and Properties of Citrus Flavonoids. New Findings in Anticancer, Cardiovascular and Anti-inflamatory Activity.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 56, 6185-6205. 2008.