Advance Magazine - Winter 2010/11

1AFMNet – ADVANCE 2010/11

O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E A D V A N C E D F O O D S A N D M A T E R I A L S N E T W O R KVolume VII Number 1 Winter 2010/11

INSIDE:

• Bakedgoodswithgoodfat ...page8• DietadvicefromyourDNA ...page12• Antioxidantappleskins ...page18

From left, University of Saskatchewan researchers Hongyang Zheng, Prof. Nick Low and Allison Ozog designed a system to trace the safety and authenticity of products, from lab to consumption.

Français

auverso

Searching for

The Real Thing

interactions through two food science approaches: nutrigenomicsand proteomics.

The nutrigenomic approach helps the team understand thepeptide’s interactions at a genetic level. So far, they’ve found it caninfluence a specific gene to synthesize GSH, ultimately helping tofight stress. Mine says he’s now trying to understand how and whythis occurs.

In the proteomic approach, the focus is on the specific charac-teristics of the peptide and why it has the ability to react with genes.

The team is studying pigs with CFS to learn more about thepeptide’s effects on cellular stress. Through tissue and blood samples,the researchers can assess the peptide’s influence.

Mine’s goal is to better understand why people have CFS, toimprove diagnosis and to offer preventive and treatment measures

using the peptide. He says the peptide could be used in developingspecific foods with antioxidative stress qualities or to make supple-ments that could help expel stress.

He notes that AFMNet enables him to bring many expertstogether for this research.

“This is an exciting interdisciplinary project. We’re developinga cross-linked partnership with other AFMNet research projects,industry partners and medical sectors to gather our ideas for cutting-edge research of chronic fatigue in Canada.”

Also involved in this research are University of Guelph profes-sors Ming Fan of the Department of Animal and Poultry Scienceand Gordon Kirby of the Department of Biomedical Sciences,University of Toronto nutritional scientist Ahmed El-Sohemy andRong Cao of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. �

Food science professor YoshinoriMine holds what may be thesecret to reducing the impactsof degenerative diseases such aschronic fatigue syndrome. He susing peptides from eggs andmilk to slow the disease effects.

13AFMNet – ADVANCE 2006 / 07

Paula Bialski

7 years of ADVANCE


Welcome

Welcome to our seventh annual edition of Advance, the official publication of the Advanced Foods and Materials Network (AFMNet).

AFMNet is Canada’s national food and bio-materials research network. Together, our researchers are helping to produce commercially viable, socially acceptable value-added products and processes that benefit all Canadians. Partnering with industry, government, not-for-profit organizations and national and international research institutions, AFMNet’s vision is for a healthier Canada.

This issue provides some very interesting updates on research highlighted in past issues.

You will read about the progress that Rotimi Aluko and his team have made in getting their natural food product – designed to reduce hypertension and slow down the effects of kidney disease – closer to store shelves; the exciting expansion of Louise Nelson’s work to limit apple industry loss – and how Dérick Rousseau and his group are helping the food industry provide the same salt sensation consumers demand without the dire health consequences – and without compromising quality or safety.

You will also gain insight into some of AFMNet’s new projects. You will read how Ahmed El-Sohemy is working to develop a test kit for nutrigenomics (the study of the interactions between our genes and the food we eat) and how Vasantha Rupasinghe’s apple-skin-based antioxidant product delivers all the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids but with an appealing taste, smell and texture.

2011 promises to be a very exciting year for AFMNet as we work hard to reposition ourselves, in a relevant and effective manner, without the help of NCE funding. We ask for your support as we redefine ourselves and welcome any of your ideas. We hope that you enjoy and share this issue of Advance.

Sincerely,

Dr. Larry MilliganChair of the Board of Directors, AFMNet

Dr. Rickey YadaScientific Director, AFMNet

Volume VII Number 1 Winter 2010/2011

The official publication of the Advanced Foods and Materials Network

A publication to promote dialogue and understanding about sophisticated foods and materials research across Canada

Executive Editor Louise Jessup

Editor Owen Roberts

Associate Editor Hayley Millard

Project Co-ordinator Natalie Osborne

Copy Editor Stacey Curry Gunn

Project Manager Lise Smedmor

Design JnD Marketing

Financial Manager Jan Smith

Address correspondence to: AFMNet

Louise Jessup, Communications Manager 150 Research Lane, Suite 215

Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 4T2 E-mail: [email protected]

Visit the AFMNet website: www.afmnet.ca

This publication was written by students in the SPARK program, Students Promoting Awareness of Research Knowledge, at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

www.spark.uoguelph.ca

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40064673

Please return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: AFMNet, 150 Research Lane, Suite 215

Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 4T2

Dr. R

ickey Y

ada

Scientific Director, AFMNet

Dr. L

arry Milligan

Chair of the Board of Directors,

AFMNet

4 AFMNet – ADVANCE 2010/11

All contributors to Advance are part of Students Promoting Awareness of Research Knowledge (SPARK) at the University of Guelph. SPARK’s mandate is to write and broadcast research in ways that are relevant to the public. In 2009-2010, SPARK celebrated 20 years of research writing, photography, videography and production.

C O N T R I B U T O R S

Carol Moore, a sixth-year animal science major, grew up in Sussex, New Brunswick, a stone’s throw away from the Atlantic Ocean. In this issue of Advance, she reports on how a peptide from Atlantic salmon and cod could help prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease. See page 19.

The co-ordinator of this issue of Advance, Natalie Osborne, “loves it when a magazine comes together.” Natalie, a third-year biomedical science student from just outside Guelph, insists her love for chocolate is not purely emotional. In fact, turn to page 12 for her article about researchers who are linking people’s taste preferences to their genetic make-up.

Like Mr. T himself, Joey Sabljic, a third-year English major from Guelph, pities the “fools” who don’t get their daily omega-3 fix wherever they can – from a glass of orange juice with breakfast, or from a chewy energy bar during class or at work. He reports on researchers developing a natural, apple-based antioxidant that promotes health and acts as an omega-3 fatty acid preservative. Read it for yourselves on page 18.

Fourth-year Theatre Studies student Johnny Roberts of Chatham, Ont. has always appreciated foods that are 100 per cent Canadian. But how can you tell what’s authentic, and what’s not? Johnny reports on research efforts to create a new traceability system for foods and other important products, on page 16.

The

ADVANCe-TeAM


(from left) Johnny Roberts, Carol Moore, Natalie Osborne and Joey Sabljic


C O N T E N T S

6 Opinions matter to consumer monitor

7 Scientific serendipity: newly discovered nanoparticles

8 Baked goods sans trans fats

9 The pressure’s off thanks to pea peptides

10 What keeps apples healthy?

12 It’s personal: Dietary advice from your DNA

14 Combating salt’s assault on health

15 Soy peptides suppress inflammation

16 Tracing foods from creation to consumption

18 Preserving omega-3 fatty acids naturally

19 Fish peptides a healthy dish

20 Breaking up bacterial biofilms

22 Inner space: Exploring the gut

24 Finding proof for prebiotics

Volume VII Number 1 Winter 2010/11

10 15 22 24


Food service providers and their products live and die by the opinions of the masses. But opinions can sway and shift dramatically in a week, or less, depending on a variety of factors – food-borne disease outbreaks and new government food safety legislation among them.

That’s where the AFMNet Consumer Monitor comes in. It’s a consumer food panel that uses detailed surveys to track attitudes towards food, diet and health, as well as acceptance of new food innovations and likeliness to make dietary changes over time. Researchers are working to expand the panel to include 20,000 respondents, representing every Canadian province.

Through the Consumer Monitor, University of Guelph Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics researchers Drs. Spencer

Henson and Julio Mendoza, along with researchers from universities across Canada, bring industry, government policy-makers and other researchers together. Their goal is to help the sector make more informed decisions, which will pave the way for effective marketing and commercialization of new developments.

“We welcome people to post their comments on any of the issues, discuss and debate amongst themselves and even provide new ideas for what they would like to see included in surveys,” says Mendoza.

Dr. Steven Dukeshire is a research team member from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. “We want to understand how people see the food system,” he says. “With the Consumer Monitor, we can let industry and researchers know what types of products

or innovations Canadians are looking for right now.”

Their latest effort sees the researchers planning to distribute new, more detailed surveys and questions on topics including how consumers view buying local or organic foods, how branding and labelling affects purchasing decisions as well as the overall trust and understanding of the agricultural food industry.

They intend to keep researchers, policy-makers and industry in the loop by releasing monthly summaries of their latest findings and results through a newly-designed website that will be fully accessible to comments and feedback from the wider public.

The Consumer Monitor receives funding from AFMNet. l

Consumer monitor casts its net across Canada By Joey Sabljic

Mar

tin S

chw

albeDr. Julio Mendoza, University of Guelph, provides interactive

online surveys to gather information about consumer attitudes towards food products.


Unique particles – discovered by chance – offer new opportunities in material scienceBy Natalie Osborne

An intriguing byproduct of a complicated chemical procedure in a laboratory experiment has become the discovery of a lifetime for AFMNet researchers.

The byproduct, which would ordinarily be discarded, has turned out to be a revolutionary new nanoparticle and a promising platform technology with many applications.

W h a t ’ s more, it’s all-natural and safe for people and the environment.

Prof. John Dutcher and his team in the Polymer Surface and Interface Group of the Department of

Physics at the University of Guelph have increased production of the material from laboratory levels to kilograms, and have plans to scale up to an industrial level of 1,000 tonnes per year.

As well, they’ve given the particles a name – PHYTOSPHERIC™ polysaccharide nanoparticles.

These particles are extremely tiny. Dutcher and his team measure them in nanometers (one billionth of a metre). They’re also unique in that they have uniform size and surface chemistry. The human body has enzymes to break them down, which makes the particles safe and particularly attractive for biomedical applications.

“You can think of these particles as making any product more environmentally friendly,” says Dutcher. “They can serve as non-toxic, biodegradable replacements for current synthetic nanoparticles or petroleum ingredients.”

Paint and cosmetic companies are interested in the particles’ light scattering properties, which enhance colour vibrancy and sheen. For example, adding the nanoparticles to clear, liquid soap gives it a pearl-like, opaque appearance, currently achieved using inorganic particles. In other words, the nanoparticles provide the same opalescence that consumers prefer in an eco-friendly manner.

And because the nanoparticles absorb and retain water, they have a natural

moisturizing effect, unlike the greasy sensation common in many moisturizers that result from fatty acid or petroleum and oil-based ingredients. This allows for another useful cosmetic application, with Dutcher and his team able to incorporate the particles into creams to create effective, non-greasy moisturizers.

The researchers’ current goal is to produce enough particles to perform product development and testing within their own laboratories and in co-operation with external companies interested in the product. The start-up company, Mirexus Biotechnologies Inc., was created to guide the marketing and production of PHYTOSPHERIC™ nanoparticles.

Pilot trials are under way at the Guelph Food Technology Centre. Its large-scale facilities allow researchers to conduct trial sessions with various pieces of equipment before they incorporate them into the manufacturing process.

Dutcher envisions many other future uses for the nanoparticles, including biomedical applications such as drug delivery.

“It’s about being imaginative with what kind of molecules you can attach to the particle’s outside surface to get the function you want,” says Dutcher. “We can work with companies to do this at an economic price and in an eco-friendly manner.”

This project is funded by AFMNet. l

A minuscule miracle

Making effective, non-greasy moisturizers is just one of the nanoparticles’

potential applications.

Nat

alie

Osb

orne


Pastries and baked goods are a guilty pleasure for many Canadians. But most of these tasty treats are also chock full of trans fats responsible for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. This may change, however, with a new technology that a team of researchers say will help the food industry replace harmful trans fats with other, healthier types of fat.

Food science Profs. Gianfranco Mazzanti, Dalhousie University, and Alejandro Marangoni, University of Guelph, are leading a research team that’s developing a newly patented fat-mixing technology that will allow trans fats in baked goods to be replaced with healthier, fully hydrogenated fats derived from soybean oil.

To create the perfect pastry, the fat used in shortening (called laminating fat) needs to have just the right structure and texture. Typically, trans fats have fit the bill.

Fat itself is made up of liquid oil and billions of tiny crystals called nano-platelets clustered into bunches. Together, these nano-platelet clusters form a sponge-like network that keeps the liquid oil trapped inside. This allows the fat to maintain its shape and be useable in baked goods. If the structure is too loose and the oil is allowed to flow within the nano-platelet clusters, the fat will quickly lose its shape as the oil oozes out.

“To find the ideal fat structure, we need to understand how fat is able to form these nano-platelet structures and trap oil,” says Mazzanti.

However, Mazzanti and Marangoni found that fully hydrogenated soybean fat is unable to keep the liquid oil trapped effectively. As a result, the fat doesn’t laminate or process well, giving baked goods an unappealing, lumpy texture.

To make soybean oil-derived fat a suitable alternative for the food industry, the researchers are examining the fat’s inner structure on a nano-scale. To do this, they use a synchrotron – a giant particle accelerator – that shoots an X-ray beam at fat particles to produce a diffraction pattern. From this pattern, they can study each individual nano-platelet’s dimensions in microscopic detail.

From the diffraction pattern, the research team can create mathematical models that allow them to determine the ideal proportion between fully hydrogenated fats and oil. They are also able to create a recipe of the ideal temperatures and conditions needed to create a useable fat.

Their main tool for the job is a newly-patented laminar shear crystallizer, a type of mixer that features two cylinders – one stationary and one spinning – that mix the fat together in a way that doesn’t destroy its oil-trapping nano-platelets.

With this, the researchers can produce a realistic substitute for trans fat that lends baked goods the same texture and structure, but without the health-related risks.

Mazzanti emphasizes that their research isn’t solely limited to addressing the challenge of removing trans fats. Rather, he views it as an ongoing information-creation process that can be further built upon.

Also involved in this research are Profs. David Pink from St. Francis Xavier University, Benedict Newling from the University of New Brunswick, and Motumo Tanaka from the University of Heidlberg in Germany.

Funding for this project is provided by AFMNet, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Canada Research Chairs program and General Mills. l

Transitioning away from unhealthy fats New shear-flow technology gives food industry replacement for trans fats By Joey Sabljic

Nic

ole

Yad

da



A natural food product designed to reduce hypertension and slow down the effects of kidney disease – all without the damaging side effects that come with anti-hypertensive drugs – is drawing closer to its debut on store shelves, following successful human and animal clinical trials.

Human Nutritional Sciences Prof. Rotimi Aluko, along with his research team at the University of Manitoba’s Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (RCFFN), have developed a pea peptide hydrolyzate – a protein, chemically sliced into smaller pieces – that has been found to significantly lower blood pressure by targeting renin activity, a key enzyme responsible for regulating and maintaining blood pressure.

During the human clinical trials, Aluko and RCFFN director Peter Jones specially

selected participants with a history of ongoing hypertension. Each participant took three grams of the hydrolyzate mixed with orange juice three times daily and experienced, on average, a 14 per cent decrease in their blood pressure.

Not only is this important in the short-term, but a dramatic reduction in blood pressure also significantly lowers the risk of developing future cardiovascular or kidney-related diseases.

During last year’s animal trials, Aluko found his hydrolyzate to be effective at reducing blood pressure in animals with kidney disease. However, he wanted to determine if the effect was similar for animals suffering from the kind of ongoing hypertension that humans experience. And indeed, they observed a significant reduction

in the animals’ blood pressure within hours of taking the hydrolyzate.

“We’ve confirmed, without a doubt, that this product can reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension,” says Aluko.

Commercial opportunities are knocking and Aluko and his colleagues are looking to mass-produce the hydrolyzate in a food additive or pill form. Unlike existing anti-hypertensive drugs, no prescription will be needed to purchase the hydrolyzate once it has been approved by Health Canada as a natural health product.

This project receives support from AFMNet, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Manitoba Centre of Excellence Fund. l

Naturally reducing blood pressure and kidney diseaseHuman and animal trials are encouraging for pea peptide productBy Joey Sabljic

University of Manitoba Prof. Rotimi Aluko hopes his pea peptide hydrolyzate product will soon be available as a natural remedy

for high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Ian

McC

ausla

nd


A promising program designed to limit apple industry loss is expanding to Ontario from its roots in Western Canada.

A research team from the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus is using two environmentally friendly methods to detect and control post-harvest decay. They’re also developing a new computer simulation that allows them to model how these pathogens grow on apples post-harvest.

Now the program, directed by Prof. Louise Nelson, Department of Biology and Physical Geography at UBC, is coming to Ontario, another major apple growing region in Canada. Nelson will be collaborating with Drs. Deena Errampalli at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre and Jennifer DeEll at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

“Expanding our project into Ontario is very exciting because we can see if what we’re

finding in British Columbia is applicable to the Ontario apple industry,” says Nelson.

Fungus that grows on apples while in storage can result in a five to 20 per cent loss in profits to the apple industry annually. This loss can be as high as 50 per cent in developing countries that may not have the same storage facilities as Canada.

Nelson and her research team are using DNA macroarray technology, which involves using short DNA strands attached to a nylon membrane to identify and quantify fruit-specific pathogens. The researchers have collected two years of environmental data from four orchards to determine if there is a connection between apple orchard environments and fungal growth.

“We’ve seen a correlation between the incidence of fungal pathogens and our ability to detect them close to harvest with diseases that developed later on following storage,” says

Nelson. “If the organisms are on the apple tissue when the apples are harvested, this will have an impact on whether or not the disease develops.”

The researchers are also studying a field-based method of controlling fungal pathogens. This method uses soil bacteria to control post-harvest decay and to replace the use of synthetic fungicides to which the pathogens are becoming resistant. Synthetic fungicides can be toxic to soil microorganisms and reduce soil biodiversity. Nelson is testing five strains of bacteria to see which one works best to control the fungal pathogens.

Apple disease control

research spreads east

By Carol Moore

Car

ol M

oore



Nelson and the Ontario researchers will sample

two Ontario orchards for fungal pathogens using the same DNA macroarray technology developed in B.C. acterial isolates that have been shown to control post-harvest fungi in B.C. will also be tested on Ontario apple varieties, such as Empire apples, to see how the results differ from their initial trials.

The researchers want to model how the three major fungal strains – Penicillium, Mucor and Botrytis – grow on apples during each month in storage. To do this, they’re creating computer programs that simulate

fungal growth based on several biological factors, such as an apple’s age and a fungus’s growth patterns.

They will also take into account apples entering storage that are already infected by the fungi. During the simulation, the researchers can check the incidence of disease after each month. Nelson says that apple packing houses will eventually be able to use these simulation models to make informed decisions on when to remove apples from storage based on the risk of fungal loss.

Other collaborators include researcher Dr. Peter Sholberg, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre; research scientist Dr. Danielle Hirkala, Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative; former master’s student Daylin

Mantyka, Department of Biology and Physical Geography at UBC Okanagan; and undergraduate and co-op students.

This project receives support from AFMNet, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative and the BC Fruit Growers’ Association. l


12 AFMNet – ADVANCE 2010/1112 AFMNet – ADVANCE 2010/11

Jam

es B

rylo

wsk

i

University of Toronto graduate student Andre Dias is looking at how supplements may be helpful for people with less efficient genes.

A diet to fit your genes Personalized nutrition advice can come with one DNA sample By Natalie Osborne

If you knew your sweet tooth came from a genetic insensitivity to glucose, would you opt for a sugar-free dessert? Would you have a second cup of coffee if you knew you had a gene variant that slowed your body’s ability to process caffeine? AFMNet researchers are answering these questions by providing people with information on their genetic makeup and observing the effect on their dietary habits.

Prof. Ahmed El-Sohemy, Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, is working to develop a test kit for nutrigenomics (the study of the interactions between our genes and the food we eat). Through the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study, El-Sohemy’s team has identified many genes that affect how the body recognizes, regulates and utilizes nutrients. The team plans to develop the test kit using these genetic markers.

Here’s how it will work: Participants will send in a DNA sample, such as skin cells from a cheek swab, for analysis. El-Sohemy’s team will genotype the sample, focusing on a selection of the genes they previously discovered. Team members will formulate dietary recommendations tailored specifically to the individual’s genetics, and send this information kit back to the participant.

“We want to see if empowering people with personalized nutritional information will lead to healthier diets,” says El-Sohemy. “If so, we could develop test kits for health-care practitioners and clinics.”

One of the genes they plan to test for affects Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) levels in the blood. One version of the gene is better at re-using and preserving Vitamin C than the other. People with the less efficient gene must be extra vigilant in meeting the required daily intake for Vitamin C because their ascorbic acid stores are depleted more rapidly.

The test panel also includes genes that affect sensitivity to caffeine and how the brain monitors glucose levels.

Researchers plan to follow up with participants six months after they’ve received their kits to measure any effects on their dietary attitude, motivations and behaviours.



Bitter to you, sweet to me Researchers discover why people prefer different tastesBy Natalie Osborne

When it comes to taste perception, no two tongues are alike. The ability to detect bitter, sour, salty and sweet tastes varies from person to person. AFMNet researchers are trying to discover the genetic basis behind these differences and how they might affect human health.

The Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study is a population-based project that investigates the interactions between genes, food and health. Prof. Ahmed El-Sohemy, Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, is examining a segment of the study’s population to determine which genes cause variations in sensitivity.

“We want to see if there’s a way to identify individuals who may have a genetic propensity to eat more sweet or salty foods, for example,” says El-Sohemy. “And if so, how can we use that information to help them adopt better dietary habits.”

Humans’ sensitivity to taste is affected by multiple genes. For example, more than two dozen genes are responsible for tasting various bitter compounds. Sweet taste receptor genes have also been identified, as well as potential candidate genes for sour and salt receptors.

However, it’s not known where and how these genes vary to produce the sensitivity differences seen among individuals. In some cases, the variation doesn’t even have to be in the receptor gene itself – it may be found in a gene controlling a signalling molecule, which are involved in communication between cells, or another important protein that affects sensitivity.

These variations could be at a single point in the genetic code, referred to as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or they could result from differences in the number of gene copies, known as copy number variants (CNVs). El-Sohemy and his team scanned the entire genetic code, or genome, of 530 participants. They performed this genome-wide association scan (GWAS) with the latest technology, allowing them to scan for more than 1.8 million SNPs and CNVs.

Each participant’s sensitivity to bitterness was tested by tasting filter paper blotted with different amounts of bitter compounds. One hundred individuals were recruited to complete more extensive sensory evaluation trials. Participants received sweet, sour, bitter and salty solutions in various concentrations to taste and evaluate. From these responses, researchers calculated their detection thresholds for each taste.

El-Sohemy and his team will apply the data from the GWAS and sensory trials to identify the top candidate genes that contribute to sensitivity differences. They can look at genetic variation in the Nutrigenomics and Health Study’s entire, ethno-culturally diverse population using their biobank, a library of biological resources including DNA and blood samples. They can also access their international collaborators’ biobanks for genetic information from different countries and populations.

The researchers’ next step is to see if there is a link between sensory sensitivity and certain health risks. For example, graduate student Andre Dias found that people who can detect only high concentrations of salt may consume more salt in their diet than those with a low detection threshold.

The sensory study could also contribute to developing and marketing food products. A product deemed too sweet or sour in one country may be well received in another.

“Information on taste sensitivities for specific populations could help companies tailor their products to fit different markets,” says El-Sohemy, “which is why many food companies are interested in our research.”

Collaborators include Prof. Dérick Rousseau, School of Nutrition at Ryerson University; Prof. Lisa Duizer, Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph; and Winnie Chiu, Managing Director of the Compliments Culinary Centre at George Brown College.

Funding for this project is provided by AFMNet. l



Excessive salt consumption has been directly linked to an increased risk of heart disease, hypertension and stroke. However, salt also plays an important role in processed foods, acting as a preservative and influencing appearance, taste, texture and processability.

And like it or not, saltiness remains a key driver in the food purchasing decisions of Canadian consumers, says a Ryerson University professor. Food scientist Dr. Dérick Rousseau says that for salt-reduced foods to prevail, they need to provide the same salt sensation without the dire health consequences – and without compromising quality or safety.

To that end, Rousseau wants to make the salt that’s already present in food do more. Specifically, he wants to increase the length of time that salt stays in contact with the salt receptors in the mouth. “In essence, we want to make the salt work harder,” says Rousseau. “And we feel that using salt itself rather than a substitute will give us the cleanest approach to reducing saltiness.”

That could mean consumers will be ingesting upwards of 30 per cent less salt, while at the same time getting the same satisfyingly salty taste on their taste buds.

Rousseau is leading a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from several Canadian universities to develop approaches that will allow them to control how much salt is released in solid and liquid foods such as cheeses and soups.

Ultimately, the team wishes to help the food industry produce healthy foods that provide consumers with a reduced, gradual and controlled salt intake, rather than sodium “overload.” His team’s approach is predicated on enrobing salt crystals with protein, lipid or carbohydrate shells. He believes this should allow food companies to cut their salt levels with no adverse effect on sensory appreciation.

Over the next year, Rouseau and his team will run tests with real processed foods and determine what effects the lowered salt content has on sensory qualities, processability and safety.

AFMNet is the primary funder of this research, with additional support from the Canadian Stroke Network and two industrial partners. l

No-fault saltControlled-release sodium could help address related health problems By Joey Sabljic

Some restaurant meals and processed foods contain high levels of salt.Carol Moore & Natalie Osborne


Soybeans, a major Canadian crop, may provide relief from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the collective term for gastrointestinal conditions such as Crohn’s disease and colitis. IBD affects one in every 200 Canadians, and with more than 10,000 new cases arising each year, many people could benefit from the natural, affordable treatment soy may provide.

Soy peptides can lower blood pressure and cholesterol and improve the body’s immune response. They also act as antioxidants, reducing the risk for cancer and heart disease. Now, University of Guelph food science Prof. Yoshinori Mine, research associate Dr. Jennifer Kovacs-Nolan and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Denise Young are investigating the potential for soy-derived peptides to treat IBD’s characteristic inflammation.

When cells lining the intestinal walls are damaged, the body uses inflammation to protect the tissue. An over-active immune system can cause an excessively strong inflammatory response, which further damages cells and delays the body’s repair process. This continuous inflammation-and-repair cycle is believed to cause IBD.

Mine believes soy di-peptides and tri-peptides, small molecules made from two

and three amino acids respectively, could act on genes responsible for immune and inflammatory responses.

“Ten years ago, no one believed our diet could influence gene expression, particularly in the digestive system,” says Mine. “Now we understand that ingesting a certain bioactive component, like our soy peptide, can influence our genes and ultimately control disease development.”

The researchers isolated inflamed human intestinal cells in the lab. Treating them with soy peptides reduced the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, cellular messengers that signal inflammation.

Mine, Kovacs-Nolan and Young also used pigs as animal models, because their gastrointestinal tracts are similar to humans. They fed soy peptides to piglets with colitis, and after five days the amount of cytokines and several cells involved in the inflammatory response decreased.

What’s more, genes involved in preventing and regulating inflammation were increasingly expressed.

The researchers believe the soy di-peptides and tri-peptides may act on multiple genes to break the chronic inflammation cycle and restore balance to the

gut’s immune system, making them a good candidate for treating IBD.

In collaboration with industry partners in Canada and Japan, Mine has scaled up the peptides’ production to 1,000 kilograms, or “factory” levels. The next step is to conduct clinical trials to ensure the peptides are safe to use.

In the future, Mine and his team hope to make the peptides commercially available as an affordable nutraceutical supplement for IBD sufferers. This could replace expensive and ineffective pharmaceutical treatments.

Mine also believes the peptides could be used as preventative therapy, because chronic inflammation in the intestines is linked to conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

“We’re learning that inflammation in the gut can be the starting point for developing many of these conditions,” says Mine. “So it’s important to understand how maintaining gut health can improve our overall health and limit the risks for chronic diseases.”


Soothing soyResearchers believe soy could be the solution to chronic gut inflammationBy Natalie Osborne

Research associate Dr. Jennifer Kovacs-Nolan (left), Prof. Yoshinori Mine and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Denise Young, University of Guelph, are using porcine

models to study the anti-inflammatory properties of soy-derived peptides.

Martin Schwalbe


A cross-Canada research team is developing an innova-tive traceability system to ensure the authenticity of foods and other consumer goods as they move along the supply chain.

Canadians have grown increasingly concerned about food quality and safety, and where their food comes from. The Grocery Manufacturers Association estimates 10 per cent of all foods are adulterated in some manner; that is, they contain unidentified or incorrectly indentified ingredients. For example, products claiming to be produced locally may contain raw materials from foreign sources that were introduced somewhere along the food chain.

With more frequent food-borne illness outbreaks and more cases of food and product adulteration, researchers believe consumers are more interested than ever in knowing where their food has been and who has handled it. In response, University of Saskatchewan Profs. Nick Low, Department of Food and Bioproduct Services, and Jill Hobbs, Department of Business, are working with University of Guelph Profs. Andreas Boecker, Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, and Robert Hanner, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario.

They are developing an internal traceability system for foods, pharmaceuticals and bioproducts by directly adding molecular tags to products during their initial processing stage so that they can be monitored throughout the entire supply chain.

The tags are carbohydrate- and genetic material-based, and can be produced as water- or oil-soluble. These tags can be added at any point during the processing stage of a product, and have been shown to be stable in common food and bioproduct processing conditions.

Some tags possess a specific type of coating, which makes them more versatile and more tolerant of their environment.

The versatility of this traceability system is important to producers in various fields. These internal tags are similar to the personal identification number (PIN) used in banking. Just like a PIN, they can be changed at any time. They can also be modified to monitor any product, from clothing to fuel and even pharmaceuticals.

Low says these tags will enable companies to have more control over product quality and will increase product quality assurance for consumers.

“This traceability system allows consumers to have more faith in the products that they buy. Companies can be more confident in the ingredients that they purchase and be sure that their finished products haven’t been tampered with either in part or in whole,” he says.

This new traceability system is being approached from both a natural science and a social science perspective, to investigate

Monitoring foods along the supply chain Researchers target a new era of enhanced quality control By Johnny Roberts



Monitoring foods along the supply chain Researchers target a new era of enhanced quality control By Johnny Roberts

how consumers and industry will accept this novel tagging system and whether the government will approve it. An important part of this research will measure consumers’ willingness to buy products possessing the internal tags.

Says research team member Boecker: “The approval process with Health Canada is clearly laid out, but we also need to determine whether consumers, manufacturers and retailers will accept the

technology. Communication and information play a crucial role in the adoption process. In our research, we aim to identify barriers to adoption.”

Funding for this research is supplied by AFMNet. l

Cover story

Graduate student Allison Ozog (left), Prof Nick Low and Post doctoral fellow Hongyang Zheng use specialized

molecular tags to prevent food products like fruit and fish from adulteration.

Dav

e St

obbe



Ever since scientists discovered that omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent major health issues such as obesity, cancer and cardiovascular disease, there’s been an explosion in omega-3-enhanced products. Now, a wide variety of foods contain omega-3s, from yogurts, milk and eggs to energy bars and orange juice.

However, there’s a problem. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are double-bonded, which creates a space for oxygen to move in and break down their molecules. This makes omega-3-enhanced products all the more likely to become rancid and toxic, creating a putrid fish odour and health risk.

The solution to this problem, according to Nova Scotia Agricultural College

Environmental Sciences Prof. Vasantha Rupasinghe, could be as easy as pie – apple pie, that is.

Wherever there’s apple pie, there are also apple skins, which are a highly concentrated antioxidant source. Rupasinghe and his research team have now patented a new, natural food product made with antioxidants extracted from apple skins. The product acts as a preservative for omega-3 polyunsaturated fats and as a nutritional supplement that promises to provide an appealing taste, smell and texture.

“We wanted a way to produce a natural and consumer-friendly product that doesn’t have a negative impact on flavour or sensory qualities,” says Rupasinghe. “And apples

provide us with the best way to do that.”Unlike regular saturated fats, where

the fat is thick and brick-like in structure, polyunsaturated fats are much more loosely bound together. They don’t coat artery walls. And they contain many beneficial biological properties.

But if polyunsaturated fats are exposed to oxygen, their nutritional value disappears as the bioactive molecules are broken down into smaller, toxic chunks.

That’s where this new apple-skin-based preservative comes in. It’s created by extracting a specific group of polyphenols, known as flavonoids, from peeled apple skins. Flavonoids reduce the oxidization in polyunsaturated fats and carry with them a multitude of added potential health benefits that could help prevent cardiovascular disease and age-related brain diseases.

And thanks to Nova Scotia’s large apple-pie processing industry, which produces up to three million kilograms of apple skins a year, a steady antioxidant supply is already at the researchers’ disposal.

Here’s how it works. To reap the full antioxidant content, Rupasinghe and his team must process the apple skins immediately, using food-grade ethanol to extract the antioxidants from the skins. They remove impurities using a process called flash chromatography, which distills the antioxidants. The purified antioxidant liquid is then combined with fish oils or other omega-3 plant lipids, such as flaxseed, to create the preservative.

Within the next year, the researchers plan to make their apple-skin-based antioxidant product available commercially, either as a separate soft-gel capsule or as an additive that could be combined with omega-3 products.

“With apple antioxidants and omega-3, we feel that we can offer the best combination in a functional food right now,” says Rupasinghe. “It’s the perfect marriage.”

Rupasinghe’s research receives funding from AFMNet, with support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association, the Atlantic Innovation Fund and the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture. l

Antioxidants, easy as pie New apple-skin antioxidant product helps preserve omega-3 fatty acids

By Joey Sabljic

Nova Scotia Agricultural College Prof. Vasantha Rupasinghe’s omega-3 fatty acid preservative, derived from apple skins, will soon be commercially available to food processors.

Bob

Prid

ham


Omega-3s and protein from fish have been shown to reduce pre-diabetic conditions such as insulin resistance and high blood pressure. The reason why is a mystery. Researchers from across Canada are trying to isolate fish protein bioactives – so called “power peptides” – that may explain why fish consumption is so healthy. These bioactives may also help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

Prof. André Marette, Department of Medicine at Laval Université and Scientific Director of Laval’s Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, and Tom Gill at the Canadian Institute of Fisheries Technology at Dalhousie University, have isolated 12 protein fractions from salmon and cod fillet waste. They screened these fractions in the lab (in vitro, on isolated cells) and found some are able to increase glucose uptake by skeletal muscle cells and improve liver glucose metabolism.

This is key for diabetic individuals, because their ability to respond to insulin for controlling blood glucose is reduced.

“Some of the peptides we have isolated are incredibly active at blocking the over-production of glucose from liver cells,” says

Marette. “And they also increase insulin’s ability to block this effect.”

Now that the researchers have identified the active fractions, the next step is to further break them down into smaller pieces that may only contain one or two peptides. They hope to eventually find which fractions are highly enriched with biological activity. Once they reach this point, the researchers will then be able to produce large quantities of these peptides.

If the researchers continue seeing activity, they’ll conduct clinical trials to ensure the peptides are put into the best food vectors – ideally, incorporating the peptides into daily-consumed foods such as yogurts and smoothies to create functional food products.

The goal is to have 20 to 30 per cent of the protein consumed by an individual consist of these bioactive fish peptides to help combat and prevent diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Results from previous clinical studies have shown that lean fish consumption can improve insulin sensitivity. More recent

trials revealed that peptide-rich fish gelatin improves an individual’s lipid profile and reduces blood lipids and blood pressure.

“If we can isolate the ‘power peptides’ in our fractions that are bioactive, what we saw with the lean fish and gelatin was just the tip of the iceberg in preventing insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease and obesity,” says Marette.

Also involved in this project are Profs. Spencer Henson and Bruce Holub, University of Guelph; Jiri Frohlich, University of British Columbia; Hélène Jacques, Marie-Claude Vohl and John Weisnagel, Université Laval; Allan Paulson and Roger McLeod, Dalhousie University; and Dérick Rousseau, Ryerson University.

Funding for this project is provided by AFMNet, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Diabète Quebec, Cook Agriculture, Nofima, the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ocean Nutrition Canada, and Kenney and Ross Limited. l

Power peptides:

A healthy catch AFMNet researchers seek fish protein bioactives in salmon and cod fillet wasteBy Carol Moore

Laval Université Prof. André Marette believes peptides isolated from fish such as Atlantic salmon could help

improve glucose metabolism.

iSto

ck


Dismantling dangerous bacterial coloniesResearchers watch biofilms closely to discover improved defence strategies

By Natalie Osborne



Bacterial biofilms can form adhesive layers on nearly any surface. The films are difficult to prevent and an even greater challenge to remove. Biofilms on food processing equipment are especially dangerous because they can contaminate food and cause deadly outbreaks of food poisoning. That’s why AFMNet researchers are coming together to combat biofilms in the food industry.

Understanding these complex, resilient and variable bacterial communities requires an equally strong, multidisciplinary team of researchers. Prof. John Dutcher, Department of Physics at the University of Guelph, is leading microbiologists, chemists, physicists and mathematicians in creating biofilm prevention and removal strategies. They’re also using high-tech equipment to determine how and why certain techniques are successful.

“It’s easy enough to measure if these antimicrobials work,” says Dutcher. “But knowing how they work is a real challenge and necessary to our understanding of biofilms.”

Team member Prof. Robert Hancock, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of British Columbia, discovered that some peptides designed to kill bacteria can also inhibit biofilm formation. One peptide works by overactivating the twitching mechanism some bacterial cells use to move around on a surface. This prevents them from settling down long enough to establish a biofilm.

Hancock sent these candidate proteins to other team members to test their efficiency against various micro-organisms. They were found to be effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, the two main classes of bacteria.

Now, Hancock and his team are creating smaller versions of the peptides that will be easier and more economic to manufacture on a large scale.

In a related project, Prof. Motomu Tanaka, Physical Chemistry of Biosystems at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, created a layer of lipopolysaccharides (a main component of bacterial cell walls) on a water bath to approximate the outer membranes of bacteria.

Tanaka uses sophisticated X-ray techniques to examine how the charged lipopolysaccharide layers form a barrier against antimicrobials. Understanding the barrier’s structure and formation process can give researchers clues on how to dismantle it.

Back in Guelph, Dutcher and his lab are also examining bacterial responses. Using a total internal reflection fluorescence microscope, they’re studying a cellular process called min-protein oscillations, where classes of proteins oscillate along a cell’s axis to determine its midpoint for the purposes of cell division.

Researchers use fluorescence to tag the proteins in a healthy cell and then measure their oscillation periods, or durations. They treat the bacteria with various antimicrobials and examine how it alters the oscillation period.

“This allows us to measure how cells respond to a treatment,” says Dutcher. “Now we can evaluate if the stress we’re applying is significant enough to compromise the cells’ viability.”

Collaborators at the University of Guelph include Profs. Hermann Eberl, Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Chris Gray, Department of Physics; and Cezar Khursigara, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. Other collaborators include Profs. Lori Burrows, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster University; David Pink, Department of Physics at St. Francis Xavier University; Bruno Tomberli, Department of Physics and Astronomy at Brandon University; Lisbeth Truelstrup Hansen, Department of Food Science and Technology at Dalhousie University; and Gideon Wolfaardt, Department of Chemistry and Biology at Ryerson University.

Funding for this research is provided by AFMNet. l


AFMNet researchers led by University of Guelph Prof.

John Dutcher are working to break down biofilms.


Checking in on GUTNetResearchers come together to improve human health from the inside outBy Carol Moore

A united effort is under way to understand the extremely complex human gut and how it’s linked to health and well-being.

Researchers from across Canada – who have dubbed themselves GUTNet – are looking at three different aspects of how gut bacteria can influence a person’s well-being. They call their main research areas the fibre node, the Alberta node and the McMaster node.

For the fibre node, Dr. Martin Kalmokoff, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and his research team are looking at how different types of dietary fibre alter colonic gut bacterial communities in animal models.

They’re focusing on wheat bran, and how it alters gut transit time and prolongs fermentation along the entire large bowel by virtue of its structure and composition. They believe this physiological property of wheat bran fibre may prove beneficial for the entire large bowel, providing a substrate for the continued production of short-chain fatty acids and for microbial growth all along its passage through the lower gut.

Short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate have a suppressive effect on cultured cancer cells. It’s hoped that these effects may prove beneficial in chronic disease prevention, in addition to lowering cholesterol and blood triglyceride levels.

The fibre node researchers are studying how the gastrointestinal tract bacterial communities change when animal models are fed wheat bran, compared to the response with animals fed cellulose, a very poorly fermented carbohydrate polymer.

“We found drastic differences in the types of bacteria that were associated with wheat bran and cellulose,” says Kalmokoff. “The wheat bran sustains

microbial growth and fermentative activity along the entire colon, delivering short-chain fatty acids to the distal colon, not commonly found with rapidly fermented substrates.”

The Alberta node is interested in basic research that results in practical outcomes. Dr. Doug Inglis, a research scientist at AAFC in Lethbridge, and Prof. Brent Selinger, Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Lethbridge, are studying how the microbiome (the gut microbial population) and pathogens interact within a host, and the integration of human medicine and agriculture.

The researchers’ goal is to understand colonization-resistance mechanisms, so they can tailor strategies to protect a host from enteric pathogens, the harmful organisms found in the gastrointestinal tract. Colonization resistance is what collectively protects organisms from zoonotic pathogens (infectious diseases transmitted between humans and animals) and antibiotic-resistant organisms. The research team is developing effective alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters that have been banned in Europe, one of Canada’s biggest trading partners, but are used extensively at low levels in the Canadian livestock industry to protect animals from antibiotic resistant organisms and other pathogens.

“It’s important when you develop alternatives that you know the mode of action,” says Inglis. “Otherwise it’s a shot in the dark on how it’s going to work.”

The McMaster node is focused on gut-brain communication and how it affects human health. Profs. Elena Verdù, Stephen Collins and Premysl Bercik of the Department of Medicine are researching the communication mechanisms and the role that intestinal microbiota play in gut-brain interactions, and in depression and anxiety.

Preliminary results show that specific gut bacteria can influence the host’s behaviour. Analysis showed an increase in inflammation and a change in the microbiota of the large intestine, which could be responsible for the change in gastrointestinal tract function.

Collaborators for the entire project include Stephen Brooks and Kylie Scoggan, Health Canada (fibre node); Prof. Julia Green-Johnson, Department of Biology, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (fibre node); Prof. Hermann Eberl, Department of Mathematics, University of Guelph (fibre node); Richard Uwiera, Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta (Alberta node); John Kastelic, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Alberta node); and several PhD and graduate students.

Funding for this research is provided by AFMNet, General Mills Inc., Alberta Innovates, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Health Canada and Growing Forward. l

22 AFMNet – ADVANCE 2011


McMaster University Prof. Elena Verdù, PhD student

Amber Park (front) and graduate student Vivek

Philip (left), in Prof. Premysl Bercik’s lab, are examining the

communication between gut bacteria and the brain.

Ron

Sch

effle

r


Functional foods hold promise to help consumers eat better and improve their health. One potential application is the incorporation of dietary components (ingredients such as carbohydrates and soluble fibre, for example) into daily food items.

But to be labeled prebiotics, these compounds must demonstrate a health benefit, and show that the benefit acts through changes in the gut microbiota.

Dr. Martin Kalmokoff, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, is working with Drs. David Jenkins and Cyril Kendall at the University of Toronto to answer questions about fructans, indigestible carbohydrates polymers of fructose.

These substances have shown promise as beneficial prebiotics in humans, but conclusive evidence is lacking. The researchers will conduct a clinical feeding trial this year to determine if the science supports health claims involving fructans in humans.

The trial, which will take place at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, will consist of 30 healthy individuals and two feeding phases. In the first phase, the subjects will randomly receive either a placebo or fructo-oligosaccharides (a fructan source). In the second phase, they will be fed the opposite. Feeding the placebo as well as the fructans in two phases will allow the subjects to act as their own control.

At the end of each phase, fecal and blood samples will be collected and analyzed. The researchers will conduct a large-scale cultivation analysis with the fecal material to examine the diversity of organisms that can use fructans in the human bacterial community.

Kalmokoff and his team are also going to look at how the bacterial community changes across the 30 individuals on a compositional level and a functional level.

The researchers anticipate that both government regulators and industry will benefit from the trial by gaining a model for establishing prebiotic health claims. Collaborators include Doug Inglis and Jay Yanke, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge Research Centre; Prof. Brent Selinger, University of Lethbridge Department of Biological Sciences; Dr. Stephen Brooks, Health Canada Bureau of Nutrition Research; Prof. Julia Green-Johnson, University of Ontario Institute of Technology Department of Biology; Prof. Premysl Bercik, McMaster University Department of Medicine; and Hermann Eberl, University of Guelph Department of Mathematics.

Funding for this research is provided by AFMNet, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Health Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. l

Functional fructansStudy aims to validate prebiotic health claims By Carol Moore

Researchers are analyzing fructans’ effects on the bacterial communities in the gut.

Mar

tin K

alm

okof

f


Documents

Advance Magazine - Winter 2010/11