Glossary of Bioactive terms
Bioactive Compounds or 'Bioactives'
Definition
A type of chemical found in small amounts in plants and certain foods (such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils, and whole grains). Bioactive compounds have actions in the body that may promote good health. They are being studied in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and other diseases. Examples of bioactive compounds include lycopene, resveratrol, lignan, tannins, and indoles.
Bioavailability
Definition
Bioavailability refers to the extent a substance or drug becomes completely available to its intended biological destination(s). More accurately, bioavailability is a measure of the rate and fraction of the initial dose of a drug that successfully reaches either; the site of action or the bodily fluid domain from which the drug’s intended targets have unimpeded access.
Antioxidants
Definition
Antioxidants are man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. Antioxidants are found in many foods, including fruits and vegetables. They are also available as dietary supplements.
Functional Foods
Definition
Functional foods are foods that contain, in addition to nutrients, components that may be beneficial to health, that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition.
Phytochemicals
Definition
The term “phytochemicals” refers to naturally occurring bioactive compounds found in vegetables, fruits, spices, nuts, grains, and other plants that have health-promoting properties. The major categories of phytochemicals include phenolic acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, isoflavones, indoles, phytosterols, saponins, monoterpenes, bioactive peptides, etc.
Synergy
Definition
An interaction between two or more drugs that causes the total effect of the drugs to be greater than the sum of the individual effects of each drug. A synergistic effect can be beneficial or harmful.
Nutraceuticals
Definition
A nutraceutical is a “food or elements of food obtained from plant or animal origin with significant medical or health benefits” mostly employed to prevent or cure diseases.
Glycosylation
Definition
Glycosylation is a process which modifies proteins through the addition of sugar chains, termed glycans, to specific amino acids. The presence or absence of glycans can have implications in many biological processes that include cell interaction, immune responses, and signal transduction, and importantly in modulating pain pathways.
Cultivar
Definition
A cultivar is a “cultivated variety” that consists of plants that have been selected or bred by plant breeders for specific characteristics and are maintained through seed increase generations as true-breeding populations of plants.
In vitro
Definition
In the laboratory (outside the body). The opposite of in vivo (in the body).
In vivo
Definition
In the body. The opposite of in vitro (outside the body or in the laboratory).
In silico
Definition
The term “in silico” refers to scientific discoveries that are made using computer simulation instead of biological studies (in vitro & in vivo).
Bioconjugates
Definition
Bioconjugates are conceptualized as multifunctional fabricates consisting of isolated and/or synthesized macromolecular biological entities as proteins, vitamins, and nucleic acids.
Metabolites
Definition
Metabolites are small molecules (such as amino acids, lipids, peptides, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) that are intermediate products of biochemical processes that take place in living organisms.
Conjugation or 'Conjugated'
Definition
The word "conjugation" is derived from a Latin word that means "to link together". In organic chemistry terms, it is used to describe the situation that occurs when π systems (e.g. double bonds) are "linked together".
Bioaccessibility
Definition
Bioaccessibility is the proportion of dietary components released from the digestive matrix during digestion in the luminal contents and available for absorption in the small intestine. Bioaccessibility is a prerequisite for bioavailability; a substance or bioactive must be bioaccessible before it becomes bioavailable.
Biocompatability
Definition
In medical science, biocompatibility is known as the interaction of any medical part or component material with the tissue or living system. For example a pacemaker needs to be biocompatible to implanted in a patient with a heart condition.
Maillard reaction
Definition
Maillard reaction is a non-enzymatic reaction (or 'browning') that takes place between reducing sugar and free amine in food products. In 1912, L.C. Maillard was the first French chemist to report the reaction between glucose and glycine during heating which resulted in formation of dark pigment called melanoidin. This reaction plays a significant role during the processing and storage of various food products from fruits, vegetables, cereals, milk, meat, etc. which leads to change in end product quality.
Free radicals
Definition
Free radicals are unstable molecules created when the body breaks down food or is exposed to stress. These molecules can cause cell damage, contributing to disease and compromising healthy ageing.