The Science of Food
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The functional ingredients of food, also known as functional factors, functional ingredients, and physiologically active ingredients, refer to substances that can regulate human functions by activating enzyme activity or other pathways. It is the ingredient that truly plays a physiological regulatory role in health or functional foods, and substances rich in these ingredients are called food functional ingredient base materials.
1、 Classification of functional components
1. Functional polysaccharides;
2. Functional sweeteners;
3. Functional oils and fats;
4. Amino acids, peptides, and proteins;
5. Vitamins and vitamin analogues;
6. Minerals and trace elements;
7. Microecological regulator;
8. Free radical scavenger.
2、 The function of functional components
0 1
Functional polysaccharides
Polysaccharides refer to a class of high molecular weight substances formed by the polymerization of more than 10 monosaccharides, belonging to carbohydrates. Functional polysaccharides are usually classified into two types: dietary fiber and active polysaccharides. Active polysaccharides can be further divided into animal polysaccharides (chitosan), plant polysaccharides (tea polysaccharides, ginseng polysaccharides, astragalus polysaccharides, wolfberry polysaccharides, etc.), and microbial polysaccharides (fungal polysaccharides and cellular polysaccharides, etc.).
Dietary fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis in the human body, prevent constipation and colon cancer; Can lower cholesterol, prevent arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease; Can delay and inhibit the digestion and absorption of sugars, and regulate blood sugar levels; It can improve immunity, increase satiety, remove heavy metal ions, etc., and prevent breast cancer, obesity, gallstones, etc. Active polysaccharides have the effects of enhancing immunity, improving glucose metabolism, regulating blood lipid levels, anti-tumor, anti mutation, antibiotic and viral effects.
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Functional sweeteners
Functional monosaccharides are mainly fructose and L-monosaccharides; Functional oligosaccharides mainly include: stachyose, raffinose, lactulose, oligofructose, oligoxylose, oligogalactose, oligoisomaltose, etc; Functional sugar alcohols mainly include: sorbitol/mannitol, maltitol, xylitol, etc.
Strong sweeteners also belong to functional sweeteners, and their sweetness is usually tens to tens of thousands of times that of sucrose. Common ones include sweeteners, steviol glycosides, saccharin, acesulfame, sodium saccharin, and alite.
Fructose metabolism is not controlled by insulin in the body and can be eaten by diabetic patients; Not prone to tooth decay. Functional oligosaccharides cannot be digested and absorbed by humans, and are low in calories; Can be utilized by probiotics in the intestine; Belonging to water-soluble dietary fiber, it can prevent constipation; Preventing dental caries; Promote mineral absorption. Functional polyols are metabolized in the human body independently of insulin, have no caries effect, and have a dietary fiber like effect.
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Functional lipids
Functional oils are a type of oil with special physiological functions, including polyunsaturated fatty acids and phospholipids. The main polyunsaturated fatty acids include linoleic acid, gamma linolenic acid, eicosapentaene (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); Phospholipids include phospholipids, phospholipids, inositol phospholipids, serine phospholipids, etc.
Essential fatty acids are an important component of phospholipids and are crucial for brain development; It can lower cholesterol levels, prevent arteriosclerosis, inhibit the formation of arterial thrombosis, reduce acute myocardial infarction, and prevent hypertension. Arachidonic acid is a precursor of prostaglandins (PG) and has physiological regulatory functions.
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Amino acids, peptides, and proteins
Functional amino acids are mainly essential amino acids and conditionally essential amino acids, such as taurine; Bioactive peptides include: antihypertensive peptides, antimicrobial peptides, etc; Active proteins include immunoglobulin, lactoferrin, lysozyme, peroxidase, etc.
Amino acids are necessary for human growth, development, and maintenance of normal metabolism, and must be consumed from the diet; Taurine is particularly important for the growth and intellectual development of infants, improving bodily functions such as vision and enhancing immunity; Gamma aminobutyric acid has anti anxiety, blood pressure lowering, and promotes liver and brain function.
Bioactive peptides have various physiological regulatory functions in the human body, including promoting immunity, regulating hormones, antibacterial and antiviral effects, and lowering blood pressure and blood lipids. Active proteins have certain special physiological functions, such as immunoglobulin which enhances the body's defense ability, and lactoferrin which has the ability to bind and transport iron.
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Vitamins and their analogues
Vitamins include fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and water-soluble vitamins (B group and C). Vitamin analogues refer to those that possess certain characteristics of vitamins but are not essential, including inositol, L-carnitine, pantothenic acid, bioflavonoids, etc.
The physiology of various vitamins is not completely the same. Overall, they have the function of maintaining normal bodily functions, promoting physical development, and enhancing immunity. Vitamin analogues generally have the function of regulating body function and enhancing physical vitality.
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Minerals and trace elements
Minerals mainly refer to the constant elements (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorine, sulfur, etc.) and trace elements (mainly essential trace elements, including zinc, iron, copper, manganese, chromium, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, vanadium, iodine, silicon, selenium, fluorine, strontium, tin, etc.) required by the human body.
Minerals are important components that make up human tissues such as bones and teeth, participating in material metabolism and regulating bodily functions. Trace elements also participate in substance metabolism and regulate bodily functions.
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Microecological modulator
Microecological regulators refer to probiotics that can adjust the balance of human microbiota, improve the health status of hosts, and substances that promote the growth of probiotics, including probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics. Probiotics refer to active microorganisms that colonize the human body, alter the composition of the host's microbiota, and are beneficial to the host. Probiotics refer to substances that can improve and promote the growth of probiotics in the human body. The combination of probiotics and prebiotics is called synbiotics.
Probiotics have the functions of promoting the digestion and absorption of nutrients, adjusting intestinal function, improving the body's immunity, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, relieving allergies, and inhibiting tumors.
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free radical scavenger
Under normal circumstances, free radicals in the human body are in a dynamic balance of continuous production and clearance. Free radical scavengers can eliminate excessive free radicals generated during the body's metabolic processes, making them an important active substance that can enhance human health. Free radical scavengers include antioxidants (VE, VC, β - carotene, reduced glutathione) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase SOD, catalase CAT, glutathione peroxidase GSH-PX).
Free radical scavengers can reduce the damage of free radicals to living macromolecules and tissue cells, and have the effect of defending against diseases and delaying aging.
Written by Deng Kaiye, Associate Professor of Light Industry and Food College, Zhongkai Agricultural Engineering College
Source: Information Times
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