This review aims to discuss the delicate balance between the physiological production of reactive oxygen species and the role of antioxidant nutraceutical molecules in managing radicals in the complex anatomical structure of the eye. Many molecules and enzymes with reducing and antioxidant potential are present in different parts of the eye. Some of these, such as glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, ?-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, and enzymatic antioxidants, are endogenously produced by the body. Others, such as plant-derived polyphenols and carotenoids, vitamins B2, C, and E, zinc and selenium, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, must be obtained through the diet and are considered essential nutrients. When the equilibrium between the production of reactive oxygen species and their scavenging is disrupted, radical generation overwhelms the endogenous antioxidant arsenal, leading to oxidative stress-related eye disorders and aging. Therefore, the roles of antioxidants contained in dietary supplements in preventing oxidative stress-based ocular dysfunctions are also discussed. However, the results of studies investigating the efficacy of antioxidant supplementation have been mixed or inconclusive, indicating a need for future research to highlight the potential of antioxidant molecules and to develop new preventive nutritional strategies.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the conversion of calcium-l-methylfolate and (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid glucosamine salt (collectively called 5-MTHF hereafter) into dietary folate equivalents (DFE). Following a systematic review, the conclusions of the opinion are based on one intervention study in adults for intakes < 400 ?g/day and three intervention studies in adults for intakes >= 400 ?g/day. At intakes below 400 ?g/day, folic acid (FA) is assumed to be linearly related to responses of biomarkers of intake and status and is an appropriate comparator for deriving a DFE conversion factor for 5-MTHF. It is proposed to use the same factor as for folic acid for conversion of 5-MTHF into DFE for intakes < 400 ?g/day. As such intake levels are unlikely to be exceeded through fortified food consumption, the conversion factor of 1.7 relative to natural food folate (NF) could be applied to 5-MTHF added to foods and to food supplements providing < 400 ?g/day. At 400 ?g/day, 5-MTHF was found to be more bioavailable than folic acid and a conversion factor of 2 is proposed for this intake level and for higher intakes. The derived DFE equations are DFE = NF + 1.7 × FA + 1.7 × 5-MTHF for fortified foods and food supplements providing intakes < 400 ?g/day; and DFE = NF + 1.7 × FA + 2.0 × 5-MTHF for food supplements providing intakes >= 400 ?g/day. Although this assessment applies to calcium-L-methylfolate and 5-MTHF glucosamine salt, it is considered that the influence of the cation on bioavailability is likely to be within the margin of error of the proposed DFE equations. Therefore, the proposed equations can also be applied to 5-MTHF associated with other cations.

Microalgae have been long recognized as potential food and feed solution, since they are able to meet the population growth on demand for a more sustainable food and feed, especially with respect to protein production. In addition, bioactive components, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), with well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, can be extracted and incorporated in food supplements. Microalgae cultivation and processing becomes even more sustainable if simultaneously coupled to green technologies for the environmental protection. One of the most promising techniques is the supercritical fluid extraction which allows to extract bioactive compounds without loss of their activity and free from extraction solvents. In this work, a pilot scale supercritical CO (ScCO2) extraction plant was exploited for performing the extraction of active components from microalgae biomass potentially usable in the food and the feed sectors. Nannochloropsis gaditana microalga was selected as natural producer of EPA. The extract obtained after ScCO tests was enriched of EPA and protein, therefore suitable for food applications. The exhausted biomass, having a high content of carbohydrates and total dietary fiber, might be proposed as feed supplement.

In 2014, the EFSA NDA Panel concluded that UV-treated baker's yeast containing up to 3.5 Mio IU of vitamin D/100 g, is safe under the proposed conditions of use for yeast-leavened breads, rolls and fine bakery wares, and food supplements. Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on an application for an extension of the use of UV-treated baker's yeast as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. In this extension of use, the applicant proposed a broad range of food categories to which the NF can be added. On the basis of the proposed uses and maximum use levels, the Panel estimated the potential exposure to vitamin D from the NF and the potential combined exposure to vitamin D including also exposure from the background diet and food supplements. The Panel notes that the upper level (UL) for one age group, i.e. children aged 4-10 years, is exceeded by 4%, when summing up the highest P95 estimate for the background diet (including food supplements) and the highest P95 estimate for vitamin D from the NF under the proposed uses and maximum use levels. The Panel notes, however, the highly conservative approach for estimating the potential intake of vitamin D from the NF, given that the applicant has proposed 34 FoodEx2 level 2 food categories. Thus, the Panel considers that the UL for children aged between 4 and 10 years is highly unlikely to be exceeded. The Panel concludes that the NF is safe under the proposed conditions of use.

Given the limited number of materials available to design delivery platforms for nutrients, the rational combination of raw materials already approved as food ingredients and their processing through nano-micro technology can offer a unique tool for innovation. Here,we propose a nano-in-micro strategy to produce powders based on the hydrophobic protein zein, useful for the oral delivery of a hydrophilic iron source (iron bisglycinate) in anaemic patients. Iron-loaded powders were prepared through a two-step strategy consisting in the formation of a zein pseudolatex followed by a spray-drying step. To extend the manipulation space for zein and entrap iron bisglycinate, -cyclodextrin (CD) was selected as helping excipient. Addition of CD allowed iron loading in the pseudolatex and greatly increased product yields after the drying process as compared to zein alone. Iron-loaded micro-sized powders were characterised by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to elucidate the role of CD as a compatibilizer for the zein-iron system. Remarkably, micropowders released only 20% of FeBIS in a simulated gastric fluid, whereas release in a simulated intestinal fluid was almost completed in 7 h. In summary, CD association to zein is a novel strategy to expand applications in the oral delivery of iron bisglycinate and, prospectively, to micronutrient chelates.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panelon Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to provide a supplementary dietary exposure and safety assessment of synthetic l-ergothioneine for those groups of the population which had been excluded by the applicant in the original application, i.e. infants and young children (i.e. toddlers), pregnant and breastfeeding women. Thus, intake estimates were calculated for these population groups and the following maximum anticipated daily intakes of l-ergothioneine from the NF, in addition to the background diet, were calculated: 2.82 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day for infants, 3.39 mg/kg bw per day for toddlers and 1.31 mg/kg bw per day for adults including pregnant and breastfeeding women. The Panelconsiders that based on the overall toxicological data the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of 800 mg/kg bw per day as established in the original assessment also pertains to pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as to young children (i.e. toddlers) and infants. The corresponding margins of exposure (i.e. the ratio between the NOAEL and the maximum anticipated daily intakes) are 284 for infants, 236 for young children and 610 for pregnant and breastfeeding women. These margins of exposure are considered sufficient. The Panelconcludes that the novel food, synthetic l-ergothioneine, is safe under the proposed uses and use levels for infants, young children (i.e. toddlers) and pregnant and breastfeeding women. (C) 2017 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.

The discovery of bioactive molecules from botanical sources is an expanding field, preferentially oriented to plants having a tradition of use in medicine and providing high yields and availability. Temperate forage legumes are Fabaceae species that include worldwide-important crops. These plants possess therapeutic virtues that have not only been used in veterinary and folk medicine, but have also attracted the interest of official medicine. We have examined here Medicago sativa (alfalfa), Trifolium pratense and T. repens (clovers), Melilotus albus and M. officinalis (sweet clovers), Lotus corniculatus (birdsfoot trefoil), Onobrychis viciifolia (sainfoin), Lespedeza capitata (roundhead lespedeza), and Galega officinalis (goat's rue). The phytochemical complexes of these species contain secondary metabolites whose pharmacological potentials deserve investigation. Major classes of compounds include alkaloids and amines, cyanogenic glycosides, flavonoids, coumarins, condensed tannins, and saponins. Some of these phytochemicals have been related to antihypercholesterolemia, antidiabetic, antimenopause, anti-inflammatory, antiedema, anthelmintic, and kidney protective effects. Two widely prescribed drugs have been developed starting from temperate forage legumes, namely, the antithrombotic warfarin, inspired from sweet clover's coumarin, and the antidiabetic metformin, a derivative of sainfoin's guanidine. Available evidence suggests that temperate forage legumes are a potentially important resource for the extraction of active principles to be used as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.