Detector technology aids purdue researchers pursuing of food-health link

摘要

Evidence abounds of the effects of diet on health yet the specific linkages between biological compounds and disease mechanisms have proven difficult to establish. One of the major challenges is the difficulty of identifying and quantifying compoundsand metabolites that are present in foods that appear to have protective effects. Researchers at Purdue University have produced significant developments in this area such as measuring the content of anthocyanin, a polyphenol compound that has significant antioxidant capacity, in the skin and wine of several different grape varieties. Researchers have also measured the effect of various polyphenols on the expression of proteins that are associated with prostate cancer. This type of research has the potential to establish actions for the health effects of potentially beneficial foods that could be further pursued in animal and clinical studies. This has been facilitated by the use of advanced analytical methods. Anthocyanins are water soluble pigments in the flavonoid family that are widely found in the plant kingdom where they provide the colour found in fruits, vegetables and flowers. The amount of anthocyanins varies widely in various plants. One kilogram of blackberry can contain approximately 11.15 grams of anthocyanins while only very small amounts are found in other plants such as potatoes.