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Bioactive compounds from seafood byproducts (BioSeaFood)
Start date: Apr 1, 2009, End date: Mar 31, 2013 PROJECT  FINISHED 

This project aims to follow the fate of three groups of aquatic bioactive compound from raw material to active cellular site; long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFA), fish peptides and seaweed polyphenols. The focus is to study if there are bioactivity losses prior to ingestion (i.e. during storage in a food product) or during gastrointestinal (GI) digestion and investigate wether there may be potential positive/deleterious effects of the compounds after digestion. This work will be done in collaboration with Chalmers University and University of Florida, USA. Omega-3 PUFA are highly prone to oxidation. No research has been done to clarify their oxidation under GI passage, which may be highly pro-oxidative. Few studies have linked putative ex vivo PUFA oxidation in food products with changes in bioactive responses after digestion and cellular uptake. Also, interaction between the PUFA and peptides/polyphenols in this chain of events is a novel research focus. The impact of dosage and food matrix formulation for the interplay addressed will be of special importance in development of safe functional food products with aquati bioactives. The project is divided into four work packages: (1) Production/analysis of three bioactive compounds, (2) Stability of bioactives alone or in a food model, (3) GI-oxidation/antioxidation of omega-3 PUFA, peptides and polyphenols using static/dynamic models, and (4) Effect of bioactives digests on antioxidative/oxidative and anti-inflammatory responses in cells. The outcomes will aid toxicologists to develop biomarkers and validate safety of bioactives, nutritionists to design dietary guidelines, food industry to optimizing functional food product formulations and the public to better understanding how to eat to remain healthy.
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