Antiobesity effect of healthy food crops and functional foods: A systematic review of their mechanisms.

Diet is a modifiable risk factor in the prevention and management of obesity, and various foods have the potential to aid in obesity management by modulating different pathways involved in the disease's pathology. We performed a systematic review of literature, using CINAHL, PubMed, and Google Scholar, focusing on the antiobesity potential of foods crops and functional food products, and their mechanisms of action and clinical evidence. Sixty-four articles were identified, of which 41 investigated food crops, while 23 investigated functional products. Food crops, such as cereals, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, seaweeds, legumes, herbs, spices, and cocoa seeds, have antiobesity effects through mechanisms such as altering the metabolism of glucolipids by inhibiting enzymes like α-amylase and α-glucosidase, stimulating the bioenergetics of thermogenic fat, modulating gut microbiota, and inhibiting lipogenesis and storage. In addition, developed functional teas, beverages, and yoghurt have antiobesity effects through similar or different mechanisms, such as enhancing energy expenditure and satiety, suppressing adipogenesis and lipolysis, improving glucose and lipid metabolism, and altering hormonal secretion. This review reemphasized the significance of food in the control of obesity, and highlights the distinct methods these explored foods exert their antiobesity effects. In conclusion, foods are safe and effective means of combating obesity without the side effects of conventional drugs, which can help inform dietary choices, assist professionals in providing more accurate advice, and also lead to better understanding of food and its effect on overall health of the public. This approach will eradicate global diseases, especially if more underutilized and indigenous food crops are extensively researched.

Physical Characteristics of Egg Yolk Granules and Effect on Their Functionality.

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods in the world, a versatile ingredient in many food applications due to their functional attributes such as foaming, emulsifying, and coloring agents. Many studies have been reported on egg yolk fractionation and characterization in the last decade because of its nutritional and health benefits, especially egg yolk granules. This has led to the development of new food products and packaging materials. However, the influence of their physical characteristics during processing significantly impacts the functionality of yolk granules. In this overview, the egg yolk, the granule fraction's separation, fractionation, components, and molecular protein structure are first presented. Secondly, recent studies on egg yolk granules published over the past decade are discussed. Furthermore, the application of the granules in different industries and current specific scientific challenges are discussed. Finally, it simplifies the changes in the physical characteristics of the granules during different treatment methods and the impact on the functionalities of the resulting products in the food (emulsifiers, edible films), pharmaceutical, and health (encapsulation systems and biosensors) sectors.

Dataset of metabolites extracted from African walnut (Tetracarpidium conophorum) using two different solvents.

A variety of walnut known as Tetracarpidium conophorum is widely cultivated in several parts of Africa for its edible nuts. These nuts have been reported for their huge antioxidant, anti-obesity, and anti-depressant potentials, but remain underutilized due to their poor storage and preservation. This is why the nuts are mostly cooked and consumed as snacks whenever in season. This data article reports the untargeted metabolite profile of boiled and dried African walnut extracted using two different mixtures of solvents. The raw nuts obtained from a local market in Osun State, Nigeria, were processed by cooking for 20 min, deshelled, diced, dried at 60 ± 2 °C for 6 h, and stored until further analysis. The dried walnut samples were extracted with acetonitrile/methanol/water (40:40:20 v/v/v) and methanol/water (80:20 v/v) as solvents, before being analysed by gas chromatography high-resolution time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-HRTOF-MS) system. Data obtained from the analysis were further classified into different compounds, including alcohols, esters, hydrocarbons, phytosterols, vitamins, and many more. Their retention time, observed ion mass-to-charge ratio, molecular formula, and average peak areas were also reported. These data thus serve as a source of metabolites comparison for other walnuts, may be useful for the identification of functional compounds available in this neglected food crop, and encourage its utilization in developing functional foods.