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Key Words antioxidants, inflammation, diet design, experimental design
Abstract Identifying bioactive compounds and establishing their health effects are active areas of scientific inquiry. There are exciting prospects that select bioactive compounds will reduce the risk of many diseases, including chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Recent findings have established that cardiovascular disease is a disease of inflammation, and consequently is amenable to intervention via molecules that have anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, research demonstrating adverse effects of oxidants on atherogenesis raises the possibility that antioxidants can confer cardioprotective effects. This review provides an overview of research approaches that can be used to unravel the biology and health effects of bioactive compounds. Because of the number of bioactive compounds and the diversity of likely biological effects, numerous and diverse experimental approaches must be taken to increase our understanding of the biology of bioactive compounds. Recognizing the complexity of this biology, sophisticated experimental designs and analytical methodologies must be employed to advance the field. The discovery of novel health effects of bioactive compounds will provide the scientific basis for future efforts to use biotechnology to modify/fortify foods and food components as a means to improve public health.
INTRODUCTION
Nutrition is transiting an era that is defining the role of bioactive compounds in foods. These compounds are defined as components of foods that influence physiological or cellular activities resulting in a beneficial health effect (see Table 1 for chemical classes). This definition distinguishes these compounds from many others that are bioactive, but have detrimental effects and are considered carcinogens or toxins. It is important to appreciate that bioactive compounds are not nutrients. That is, they are not essential for life, a fundamental criterion for a nutrient classification. This distinction affects the types of experiments that should be designed to study bioactive compounds.
Bioactive compounds typically occur in small amounts in foods (41). Inherently, bioactive compounds have more subtle effects than nutrients. For example, bioactive compounds influence cellular activities that modify the risk of disease, rather than prevent deficiency diseases. One example of how bioactive compounds might modify disease risk is illustrated by the large difference in absolute coronary disease mortality rates at a given total cholesterol level observed in the 25-year follow-up of the Seven Countries Study...