Ziel
A. Introduction
Specific food items have different beneficial effects but this has so far been inadequately interpreted. Most of the research so far has been done on the effect of isolated nutrients. The relative importance of the non-nutrient components for preventing diseases is now being recognized, and awareness is increasing. Instead of isolating compounds and then incorporating them into food, another approach is to keep the food as natural as possible. To consider the whole food with these important bioactive components could be useful to both agriculture and industry for preparing wholesome foods and could be a way of counterbalancing the concept of functional or designer-foods.
A lot of epidemiological data ascribe differences in health patterns as being due to unrefined food. The early studies explained these as being caused by inadequate supply of dietary fibre. There is a broad consensus now in all nutrition circles in Europe to recommend a substantial increase in the daily dietary fibre intake. Little, however, is known about the various physiological effects of the great number of bioactive cell wall components which are present in unrefined food. These compounds, such as polyphenols, phytates and phytosterols form chemically heterogenous groups with different physiological effects. Some of them, such as phytic acid and polyphenols, show antioxidative properties. It is also assumed that some of these components are involved in the prevention of colon cancer and atherosclerosis.
One common functional characteristic of the target compounds is the ability to combine with metal ions, which may have direct or indirect nutritional and physiological effects. Another common property of phytates, polyphenols as well as phytosterols is their influence on the intestinal digestion. They interfere with digestion enzymes but also bind metals, essential trace elements and toxic trace elements. Another effect is related to the interference with cholesterol absorption, with relevance to coronary heart disease prevention. Due to simultaneous occurrence it is often not possible to distinguish the actions of the compounds from each other. Model studies and purified model compounds are needed in order to gain more clarity on various physiological and toxicological properties.
As the awareness of bioactive compounds in foods of plant origin is continuously increasing, various compounds suggested to be physiologically important will be included in the planned concerted action. Up to now three major groups of bioactive compounds have been recognized.
Polyphenolic compounds, which have been reported to have antioxidative properties and have been related to the health promoting effect of red wine. The high occurrence of such polyphenolic compounds in Mediterranean diets remains to be elucidated.
The degradation of these substances in the human gut is unknown. Their antioxidative properties need to be tested in different in vitro and in vivo systems.
Unrefined cereals and legumes contain high amounts of phytate and other inositol phosphates. These are known to influence the bioavailability of essential but also toxic minerals. The action of the different inositol phosphates formed during food processing are not properly known today. It also seems that inositol phosphates affect the absorption of other nutrients which may be of significance for lowering the risk for development of diabetes, colon cancer and atherosclerosis.
Plant sterols or phytosterols are known to diminish cholesterol absorption. Some phytosterols may reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.
Why a COST-action in this field?
The bioactive compounds may have beneficial or harmful effects in the diet. The present knowledge is, however, insufficient to lead to dietary recommendations or advice to agricultural and food industrial activities regarding their intake. Joint European efforts are needed to identify the most bioactive compounds, their occurrence in foods and mechanisms of physiological action.
As these bioactive non-nutrient substances have already been shown to have important health benefits, the aim of this action is to contribute in the prevention of our modern diseases such as cancer, heart diseases and diabetes. This will be done by stimulating the agriculture and food industry in Europe to select more health-beneficial plant raw materials, and by providing information to optimize the industrial food production processes for prevailing or enhancing the beneficial factors.
B. Objectives of the Action
The main objective of the proposed COST action is to combine the efforts of European countries in studying the occurrence, process-induced changes and physiological effects of bioactive cell wall components, such as polyphenols, phytates and phytosterols.
The primary objectives are:
- To identify and evaluate the significance of bioactive components for human health.
- To stimulate the agriculture and food industry to select more safe and health-promoting plant varieties.
- To optimize industrial processes to maintain the activity of bioactive components and to avoid formation of undesired components.
The secondary objectives are:
- To stimulate cooperation within Europe regarding research on bioactive components.
- To improve harmonization and standardization of methods.
- To exchange research findings within Europe.
C. The scientific content of the Action
In the very beginning of the action the national delegates will collect information about the ongoing research projects in the field of bioactive components in their respective countries. This will involve relevant scientists being invited and becoming members of the working groups.
Working group 1 will have the task of setting up or optimizing analytical methods to identify and quantitatively analyze bioactive components in plant cell walls/plants. This will give a background for studying the variation of these compounds in different raw materials and also for monitoring the changes due to food processing. This group should also provide model compounds and isolated fractions to be used as reference materials.
Working group 2 will consist of scientists from universities, research institutions and industry, with the task of studying the fate of bioactive components in industrial food processes and the subsequent effects of their physiological effects. This group ought to implement the research findings into consumer products. The adequate information flow between research institutes and food industry will be taken care of by joint seminars, but also by providing appropriate publications.
Working group 3 will concentrate on the evaluation of the physiological effects of both the model compounds and bioactive compounds in whole foods. This will be done both by in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as epidemiological studies or total diet studies.
At the first stage of the action all data concerning the analyses, the fate of industrial processing and on the physiological properties of various polyphenols, inositol phosphates and phytosterols will be collected. Results of in vitro as well as of in vivo studies will be evaluated. A consensus conference will document the state of the ongoing research in the fields of polyphenols, inositol phosphates and of phytosterols. On the second stage of this action the physiological role of these components as part of the whole food in the daily diet will be elucidated.
Conferences will be arranged once or twice ever year, during which links to the food industry will also be made. The topics of these conferences will follow the developments and new knowledge which will be produced during the Action. The multidisciplinary approach will be essential in order to achieve adequate interactions between the working groups. This will be important for reaching the goals of the Action.
Publications will be produced as proceedings of the seminars and conferences, but also as publications of scientific work from joint projects.
Short-term scientific missions and laboratory exchanges will be supported and encouraged already at the beginning of the activity in order to establish close links between the participating institutes.
E. Organization, management and responsibilities
A Management Committee will be set up. The Committee will work out its rules of operation at its first formal meeting in accordance with existing COST regulations. The Management Committee will meet twice a year to review progress, discuss future activities, coordinate all proposed activities in order to avoid duplication and ensure proper tuning of activities, and will also ensure that the Action will meet the overall objectives. The Chairperson and the working group leaders will have a specific responsibility for ensuring the high scientific standard of the Action.
The Chairperson and the Scientific Secretary will be responsible for preparing and distributing agenda and minutes of Management Committee meetings, publishing proceedings of workshops and seminars, organising meetings and workshops, disseminating results, establishing links with other related projects and Actions, and publishing reports of activities.
Annual reports will be produced for the COST Senior Officials and a detailed final report will be written. The final report will be based upon the technical reports prepared throughout the period of the Action.
F. Economic dimension of the Action
The value of research activity is estimated to be ECU 12,0 million per year on the basis of 1995 prices. This estimation does not cover all COST countries.
Time frame: 5 years
Links to other programmes and projects
The AIR concerted action Profibre 1995-1997 on resistant starch and non-starch polysaccharides has excluded from the Profibre Project oligosaccharides and substances related to dietary fibre. This means that bioactive substances, referred to in this COST Action, are not included in their activities.
The COST-98 Action on "The effects of antinutrients on the nutritional value of legume diet" deals with legume lectins which are not included in the concerted action on: "Bioactive plant cell wall components in nutrition and health".
Current status
In order to have a clear overview of current research in this field information was collected after the first Management Committee meeting by members on research activity/projects in their own countries. In all, questionnaires were received from 174 different activities from the various countries, most of them related to research on polyphenols.
At the second Management Committee meeting state-of-the-art lectures on polyphenols, phytic acid and plant sterols were given. Moreover, it was decided to set up working groups for each Workshop of meeting including the local organisers, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Action and appointed nominated members for each new meeting.
Wissenschaftliches Gebiet (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS klassifiziert Projekte mit EuroSciVoc, einer mehrsprachigen Taxonomie der Wissenschaftsbereiche, durch einen halbautomatischen Prozess, der auf Verfahren der Verarbeitung natürlicher Sprache beruht. Siehe: Das European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS klassifiziert Projekte mit EuroSciVoc, einer mehrsprachigen Taxonomie der Wissenschaftsbereiche, durch einen halbautomatischen Prozess, der auf Verfahren der Verarbeitung natürlicher Sprache beruht. Siehe: Das European Science Vocabulary.
Dieses Projekt wurde noch nicht bei EuroSciVoc klassifiziert.
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Mehrjährige Finanzierungsprogramme, in denen die Prioritäten der EU für Forschung und Innovation festgelegt sind.
Thema/Themen
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Aufforderungen zur Einreichung von Vorschlägen sind nach Themen gegliedert. Ein Thema definiert einen bestimmten Bereich oder ein Gebiet, zu dem Vorschläge eingereicht werden können. Die Beschreibung eines Themas umfasst seinen spezifischen Umfang und die erwarteten Auswirkungen des finanzierten Projekts.
Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung
Verfahren zur Aufforderung zur Einreichung von Projektvorschlägen mit dem Ziel, eine EU-Finanzierung zu erhalten.
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Verfahren zur Aufforderung zur Einreichung von Projektvorschlägen mit dem Ziel, eine EU-Finanzierung zu erhalten.
Finanzierungsplan
Finanzierungsregelung (oder „Art der Maßnahme“) innerhalb eines Programms mit gemeinsamen Merkmalen. Sieht folgendes vor: den Umfang der finanzierten Maßnahmen, den Erstattungssatz, spezifische Bewertungskriterien für die Finanzierung und die Verwendung vereinfachter Kostenformen wie Pauschalbeträge.
Finanzierungsregelung (oder „Art der Maßnahme“) innerhalb eines Programms mit gemeinsamen Merkmalen. Sieht folgendes vor: den Umfang der finanzierten Maßnahmen, den Erstattungssatz, spezifische Bewertungskriterien für die Finanzierung und die Verwendung vereinfachter Kostenformen wie Pauschalbeträge.
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Koordinator
1049 Brussels
Belgien
Die Gesamtkosten, die dieser Organisation durch die Beteiligung am Projekt entstanden sind, einschließlich der direkten und indirekten Kosten. Dieser Betrag ist Teil des Gesamtbudgets des Projekts.