Opponents of genetic modification say there is a new, potentially more powerful technology to contend with: synthetic biology. Purveyors of natural products who are concerned about this technique have coined the term for the way in which scientists have...
Daily supplements of oligomeric procyanidins from grape seeds may change gene expression associated with cardiovascular disease pathways, according to a new study by an international group of genomics scientists.
Botanical adulteration, like doping in sports, is a problem that can be controlled but never totally resolved, but what is being done about it? Here the world’s biggest botanical players debate their attacks on the problem.
The increasing cost of pollution control in China is one of the reasons behind the decision by Shenzhou Biology and Technology to increase the price of its CoenzymeQ10 by 10%, starting next month.
Few short answers exist in the world of complex consumer food litigation. Arthur Miller, PhD, principal scientist and engineering and scientific consulting firm Exponent Inc., summed up three key industry trends that have contributed (and likely will...
DNA barcoding for botanicals has a bright future, despite comments that it may not yet be fit for purpose, and the next 2-3 years will see a ‘huge shift’ towards the ‘robust and reliable technology’, says the CEO of AuthenTechnologies.
Many North American herbal products may contain contaminants or substitute ingredients that are not listed on their labels, says a new DNA barcoding analysis, but a leading analytical lab has questioned the robustness of the methodology.
Antioxidant nutritional supplements may actually promote cancer progression in late-stage cancers patients, according to a new research paper published by Nobel laureate James Watson.
Metabolites from the break-down of resveratrol have been shown to come together and regenerate the compound inside living cells, leaving researchers questioning whether worries over bioavailability are relevant.
A new method based on specific markers in DNA can ‘consistently’ distinguish black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) from closely related species that may be accidental or deliberate adulterants in herbal dietary supplements.
Supplements of omega-3 fatty acids may improve the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids and slow a key biological process linked to aging, says ‘exciting’ new research.
Vitamin D has a significant effect on at least 229 genes some of which have been associated with Crohn’s disease and type 1 diabetes, according to UK and Canadian researchers.
The ability of vitamin E to help fight respiratory tract infections in the elderly may be impacted by a person’s sex and their genetics, suggests a new study.
Improved soybean plants able to produce tailor-designed proteins and oils will be available in three or four years, according to the US team which recently mapped the plant’s genetic sequence.
Low levels of dietary folate may increase the risk of DNA damage in colon cells, and ultimately the risk of cancer, suggests a new Anglo-American study.
Four cases of listeria contamination in the US are increasingly
thought to have come from a Massachusetts dairy although officials
say they still have not found a source of the bacteria at the
processing plant.
Scientists who identified the gene mutation behind orange, beta
carotene-rich cauliflower are investigating ways to apply their
knowledge to transgenic potatoes, with a view to developing more
nutritious stable foods.
Netherlands-based DSM has announced the publication of the full
genome for the fungus Aspergillus niger used to produce a
range of enzymes and other compounds for the food industry.
Daily folic acid supplements could improve DNA stability and reduce
the risk of certain cancers linked to faults in the genetic code,
suggests new research.
Tocotrienols, a form of vitamin E, could stop the spread of cancer
cells, adding to previous studies and drawing attention to this
least studied form of the vitamin.
Injecting an amino acid, also available as a food supplement, into
rats permanently changed their behaviour by altering expression of
certain genes, US scientists have reported.
Dutch biotech company Pharming said yesterday that results from
three studies demonstrate that its human lactoferrin can be
considered safe for use in functional foods.
Taking antioxidant vitamins or other supplements may do little to
slow ageing, say US researchers, calling into question one of the
leading theories that underpins many products in the nutraceutical
industry, writes Dominique Patton.
An insidious fuzzy grey mould that often coats refrigerated
strawberries and many other plants during growing and storage could
be prevented by a gene identified at Purdue university in the US.
The quickening of genetic mutation rates in bacteria may not only
happen when the microorganisms find themselves in strange and
stressful circumstances. A new study shows that E. coli,
ratchets up its 'adaptive mutation'...
A mother's diet can alter her offspring's development to such an
extent that it changes the baby's characteristics for life, and
potentially that of future generations, say researchers who have
found that nutrition...
As the debate hots up over genetically modified foodstuffs, a
report published in the latest issue of Nature suggests
that, thanks to the tinkering of genes, decaffeinated coffee could
be grown on bushes.
Low levels of vitamin B6 in smokers may raise their risk of cancer,
according to researchers at Washington State University, who found
that even moderate smokers had dangerously low levels of the
vitamin.
New methods for the detection of enterotoxins from Bacillus
cereus have been developed by European scientists. The
discovery paves the way for the identification of genes responsible
for the production of emetic toxins (vomiting toxins).
Individuals who are susceptible to genetic damage and who do not
eat enough dietary folate are almost three times as likely to
develop bladder cancer as those who eat plenty of fruit and
vegetables and who have efficient capacity...
'Impractical and unenforceable,' is how the European food
and drink association, the CIAA, last week condemned the new EU
legislation on the labelling of genetically modified organisms in
food. We spoke with Dr Geraldine...
Food and biotechnology industries in the US breathed a collective
sigh of relief this week as the voters of Oregon voiced a
resounding 'no' to Measure 27, an initiative that would have
required labels on food containing...
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
have identified the blueprint of genes and enzymes in the body that
enable sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli and other
vegetables, to prevent cancer and remove...
Scientists have determined that the body's overall response to salt
is genetically determined, and there is overwhelming evidence that
multiple genes are involved.
A nutrient which food manufacturers claim can help prevent cancer
may also increase the risk of cancer, according to research from
the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands.
British scientists who have cracked the genetic code of fission
yeast, say that the developments could lead to new treatments for
cancer and other diseases.
Chromium picolinate has been shown to mutate Chinese hamster ovary
cells, leading Diane Stearns, Ph.D., and her colleagues at Northern
Arizona University to conclude that the supplement may have
carcinogenic properties in humans
A bill that would have mandated labelling of all foods in Canada
containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) was defeated in
the Canadian House of Commons.
Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd wholeheartedly supports the use of
genetic modified organisms (GMOs) and stressed this week that it
must be allowed in New Zealand.
Orange juice fortified with calcium lactate/tricalcium phosphate
may affect the survival rate of salmonella whereas calcium citrate
malate and calcium citrate fortifications have little effect.
