Biologically active substances 'of new interest' in food

Research conducted over the past few years has made biologically active substances in foods into a new area of interest, reports BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The periodical, which publishes studies into therapies that can go alongside or even replace conventional methods of healthcare, has printed a report from scientists at a number of Mexican institutions.

In their research, they used SDS-PAGE and FPLC size-exclusion chromatography to look at proteins extracted from cacao seeds.

Within the protein fractions, they claim anti-tumour peptides could be found, while the albumin fraction indicated an ability to scavenge free radicals and protect against tumour growth.

They explain how such knowledge is changing the way people think about the food that they eat.

"Proteins and peptides have become an added value to foodstuffs, due to new knowledge about their structural analyses as related to antioxidant and anticancer activity," the scientists assert in their research report.