Pharmacognosy with Basics of Plant Biochemistry - Kovalyov V. M. 2004

Special Part
Biologically Active Dietary Supplements

Biologically active food supplements are products consumed to impart therapeutic or health-improving properties to the diet. Most of them are derived from Medicinal plant raw Materials.

Food additives (FAs) are substances introduced into food products to improve their manufacturing process, Structure, physicochemical and organoleptic properties, extend shelf life, and increase biological or nutritional value. These include preservatives, antioxidants, oxidizers, leavening agents, emulsifiers, stabilizers, pH regulators, colorants, flavoring substances and aromatics, taste and aroma enhancers, Vitamins, Trace Elements, Amino Acids, and natural spices.

Preservatives are used to prevent food spoilage caused by microorganisms. They include SО₃, sulfites, hydrosulfites, benzoic and sorbic acids and their salts, H2О₂, edible gelatin, and urotropine. Abroad, esters of hydroxybenzoic acid, other phenol derivatives, propionic acid, and certain Antibiotics are also utilized.

Antioxidants prevent the oxidation and rancidity of fats. Among natural antioxidants, ascorbic acid and its salts, gallic acid esters, and tocopherols are widely used.

Thickeners and gelling agents include plant Polysaccharides such as starch, pectin, Agar, sodium alginate, carrageenans, Gums, modified starch, Cellulose, and its ethers.

Emulsifiers and foaming agents include mono- and diglycerides—products of glycerin Esterification with citric, lactic, tartaric, ricinoleic, and palmitic acids—tweens (sorbitans), stearoyl lactic acid, and its salts. In the Soviet Union, tweens were banned due to their ability to increase Cell membrane permeability.

Natural colorants used in food products include ß-carotene; Histology/2.html">EXTRACT FROM THE rhizomes of the tropical turmeric plant, crocin from saffron (yellow color); anthocyanins from dark grape varieties, black elderberry, currant, black chokeberry, sorghum, as well as betalains from red beet (imparting a red color); and chlorophyll derivatives: abroad, copper chlorophyllin, and in Ukraine, nettle chlorophylls (green color). Alcoholic beverages, confectionery, and sauces are colored with "burnt sugar" (caramel).

Flavorings constitute a numerous group comprising individual substances and compositions (essences, smoke flavorings). Natural flavorings are obtained from vegetables, fruits, and plants in the form of alcoholic infusions, or alcoholic solutions of Essential Oils are used. Synthetic flavorings with natural analogues include citral (citrus), linalool and geraniol (apples, grapes, apricots, coriander, etc.), dimethyl sulfide (garlic, mustard), cinnamic aldehyde (cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, tea, tomatoes), and pyridine, which mimics the aroma of asparagus, onions, garlic, and tomatoes, among others.

Sugar substitutes are either synthetic or of plant origin. The latter include stevioside (Stevia rebaudiana) and thaumatin, or talin, derived from the African plant Thaumatococcus daniellii.

Substances permitted as food additives have undergone hygienic and toxicological testing. Their industrial use is regulated by technological instructions, sanitary rules, and permissible limits approved by state authorities (the Ministry of Health of Ukraine). At the international level, biomedical recommendations on food additives are developed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee, which establishes the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)—The amount of a substance that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.

In recent years, many foreign companies, followed by Ukrainian manufacturers, have been offering the public "food supplements" primarily derived from medicinal plant raw materials. Dietary supplements have secured a place in the global consumer market, and firms engaged in the production and distribution of this product category outperform others in capital turnover. "Food supplements," or food supplements as they are called in the West, have been used for a long time. It is known that half of the US population and 80% of Japanese add these substances to their diet. New terms have emerged: nutrients, nutraceuticals, parapharmaceuticals, etc. For instance, nutraceuticals are termed essential nutrients—vitamins or their precursors, such as beta-carotene, omega-3 polyunsaturated Fatty acids, minerals and trace elements like iron, calcium, selenium, zinc, iodine, fluorine, Certain amino acids, mono- and Disaccharides, and dietary fiber (cellulose, pectin, etc.).

In Ukraine, this category of food products is referred to as biologically active supplements (BAS) and special dietary products (SDP). The Emergence of BAS and SDP is logical, as residents of industrialized countries consume purified, refined, canned, and chemically processed foods that are depleted of beneficial bioactive substances and additionally contain not only the aforementioned substances but also synthetic food additives.