Digestion, Absorption, Bioavailability and Clinical Efficacy of Collagen Supplements| Chapter 12 | Chemistry and Biochemistry: Research Progress Vol. 6

Historically, ageing was considered an inevitable process, with accumulating loss of function that occurred with increasing time span. Anti-ageing, in this context, primarily focuses on prevention and repair mechanisms designed to limit cell, tissue and skin damage and/or attempt to repair damaged components. In recent years, the concept being developed through both drug, dietary and lifestyle interventions is that of the “Healthspan”, which focuses on living for longer in a state of wellbeing, free of significant illness or disease. The dietary requirements contributing to improved Healthspan include optimised macronutrients (protein, sugar, fat) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, natural extracts). Collagen is the main protein in the human body (approximately 30% dry weight), and maintaining the structural and functional integrity of collagen in the body will be an important factor in the extended Healthspan of people. Collagen fibres in the extracellular matrix, in combination with elastin and glycosaminoglycans, are the key determinants of elasticity, wrinkles and skin hydration. Collagen levels in skin decline with age, and this is due to intrinsic factors (e.g., genetics, hormones, mitochondrial deficits) and extrinsic factors (e.g., UV-radiation, pollution). In ageing skin, the content of collagen typically decreases by about 1.0-1.5% per year. Hydrolysed collagen supplements are a popular bioactive, proven to protect and repair the skin, maintaining collagen in an optimal state of functionality. At Absolute Collagen, we commissioned an independent, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the efficacy of a supplement containing hydrolysed collagen and vitamin C on skin ageing. After consumption of the supplement for 12 weeks, skin hydration was increased 13.8% (p<0.01), R2 elasticity index was increased 22.7% (p<0.01), and Rz profilometry index showed a decrease in fine lines and wrinkles 19.6% (p<0.01).

 

This chapter will briefly outline the key processes which determine the value of hydrolysed collagen as an antiaging supplement, including mechanistic processes (digestion, absorption), bioavailability and clinical efficacy (as measured using biophysics, expert visual assessment and self-perception).

 

Author(s) Details

 

David M. Reilly
Absolute Collagen, 10 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5BN., UK.

Cong Sui
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England and West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator, Healthcare Technologies Institute, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.

 

Liane Kynaston
Absolute Collagen, 10 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5BN., UK.

 

Darcy Laceby
Absolute Collagen, 10 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5BN., UK.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cbrp/v6/5506

Discarded Knowledge: Unlocking the Secrets of Owl Pellets | Chapter 10 | Research Perspective on Biological Science Vol. 4

Bird pellets are an accumulation of undigested food items consumed by birds and cannot be excreted as faeces but are regurgitated by mouth as compact packages. These contain hard, and not easily digested, material which is of little nutritional value to the bird – the bones, claws, beaks or jaws and teeth of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes; the thorax or wing-cases of insects and seed husks and other coarse vegetable matter. Hard materials are then usually encased by the softer, and equally indigestible, material of mammal fur, bird feathers or vegetable fibres. Often characteristic, these pellets can provide valuable clues to diet. Of the many hundreds of bird species that produce pellets, owls make the pellets that, when dissected and analysed, can provide the most accurate record of the diet of any bird.

 

Here, we look at how the owl's pellet is produced and how the dissection and analysis of them are crucial to so many fields of study:  – entomology (distribution of arthropod species, their communities and their environments), mammalogy (diversity and structure of small mammal assemblages), ornithology (diet and distribution), palaeontology and taphonomy (taphonomic and taxonomic analyses of bones and teeth of microvertebrates contained in ancient owl pellets and markers of human actions), education and citizen science (an exciting and interactive introduction to environmental studies and how amateurs can contribute to data gathering), botany (owl-mediated seed dispersal), ecology (evidence of environmental contamination and pollution) and finally, we tell how owl pellets, the discarded remains of a meal, themselves become a food source, serving as a snack for vultures. Although discarded in nature, owl pellets hide a host of secrets just waiting to be unlocked.

 

Author (s) Details

Alan Sieradzki
Global Owl Project, USA.

 

Heimo Mikkola
University of Eastern Finland, Koskikatu 9B31, 80100 Joensuu, Finland.

 

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/rpbs/v4/5628

 

Reviewing the Impact of Impaired Masticatory Function on the Nutrition and General Health of Completely Edentulous Patients | Chapter 2 | Achievements and Challenges of Medicine and Medical Science Vol. 9

Loss of the tooth following its removal from the mouth leads to a frequent condition of deficient masticatory function (MF). Diminished MF can result in functional deficiencies of the tongue, the oral mucosa, the muscles of mastication, the salivary glands, and the nervous system. Individuals suffering from impaired masticatory function may adapt food consistency to their existing dental status or rely on the digestive system to compensate for the lack of oral preparation of food. These circumstances further lead to deficient nutrient intake or increase the likelihood of digestive diseases and decrease gut absorption. Dysfunction of masticatory efficiency thus may be detrimental to general health. This article reviews different methods of evaluating MF objectively and subjectively. It also enlightens the evidence of the effects of masticatory deficiency on nutrition and mentions the various issues related to study design, confounding variables, and the subjective nature of the measurements in the reviewed literature. The reviewed evidence supporting an association between MF and deficient dietary intake often is based on relatively weak correlations and cannot confer a causal relationship between the reviewed variables. A significant correlation between poor oral health and some gastrointestinal diseases has also been established. Public health services must be given stress on the need to preserve natural teeth to enable adequate nutritional consumption, and dental practitioners should be aware of various nutritional risks associated with denture wearing.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Suryakant C. Deogade
Department of Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge, Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.

 

Dinesh Naitam
Department of Dentistry, Government Medical College, Akola, Maharashtra, India.

 

Sushant M. Patil
Department of Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge, Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/acmms/v9/2664