Tribe.net. Local Connections Nobunoni + http://tribes.tribe.net/thread/2771bdfc-816d-4009-9b21-f7a31113f72a#1ff62c58-f50f-4dd7-b32f-4d0bb2a4d197 2010-02-15T17:47:39Z 2010-02-15T17:47:39Z

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Synonyms / Common Names/ Related Terms Achicoria, achicoria amarga, almeirao, asparagus, Asteraceae, barbe de capucin, Belgian endive, beta-D-fructofuranosidase, blaue Wegwarte, blue dandelion, blue sailors, Brunswick, Chichorii Herba, chicon, cichorei, cicoria radicchio, Cichorium, Cichorium bottae, Cichorium calvum, Cichorium endiva, Cichorium intybus, Cichorium pumilum, Cichorium spinosum, Chicorii Radix, chicory acids, chicory extracts, chicory fructooligosaccharides, chicory inulin, chicory inulin hydrolysate, chicory roots, cikoria, cikorie, coffeeweed, common chicory, common chicory root, common endive, Compositae, ctchorium, curly endive, dahlia extract, endive, escarole, FOS, French endive, fructo-oligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, garden chicory, Hendibeh, Hindiba, Hinduba, Italian dandelion, inulin hydrolysate, Kasani, Kasni, Kiku-Niga-Na, Magdeburg, oligofructose, oligosaccharides, prebiotic, radichetta, radicchio, sativum, SC-FOS, short chain fructo-oligosaccharides, succory, watcher of the road, wild chicory, wilde cichorei, wild succory, witloof chicory, zikorifa. Bioactive products found in Cichorium intybus Mechanism of Action Pharmacology: •Constituents: The active compounds in chicory are inulin, sesquiterpene lactones, vitamins, minerals, fat, mannitol and latex. Fructans have been extracted from chicory roots. •The postulated biosynthesis of sesquiterpene lactones through the mevalonate-farnesyl diphosphate-germacradiene pathway has been confirmed by the isolation of a (+)-germacrene A synthase from chicory roots. •Chemical constituents of Cichorium intybus L. were identified as alpha-amyrin, taraxerone, baurenyl acetate and beta-sitosterol. Inulooligosaccharides (IOS) production from chicory extract was carried out using endoinulinase obtained from a new isolate, Xanthomonas oryzae' Twelve compounds were isolated from the root of Cichorium intybus including 2, 3, 4, 9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido-(3,4-b)indole-3-carboxylic acid. •Antiallergic effects: Cichorium intybus inhibits mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions in vivo and in vitro. •Antihyperlipidemic effects: Inulin decreases serum triglycerides by decreasing fatty acid synthesis and reducing production of low density lipoproteins (VLDL).7 •Anti-inflammatory effects: Chicory has been found to inhibit prostaglandin E(2) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2).1 •Antineoplastic effects: Chicory derived beta (2-1) fructans have been shown to exert cancer protective effects in animal models. •Chicory fructan supplements inhibit aberrant crypt foci formation, an early preneoplastic marker of malignant potential in the process of colon Carcinogenesis. •Calcium homeostasis activity: The leaves of chicory maintain calcium levels by heterologous expression of total RNA.2,5, •Cytochrome P450 activity: Chicory is known to contain guaianolides, eudesmanolides, and germacranolides. The biosynthesis of these sesquiterpene lactones are involved with the cytochrome P450 enzyme. •Fecal bulking properties: Inulin and oligofructose are considered dietary fibers. They share the basic common characteristics of dietary fibers including saccharides of plant origin, resistance to digestion and absorption in the small intestine, and fermentation in the colon to produce short-chain fatty acids that are absorbed and metabolized in various parts of the body. Moreover, this fermentation induced by difidobacteria has a bulking effect. Fermentation of inulin decreases fecal pH and increases fecal volume. •Hypoglycemic effect: One animal study concluded dietary inulin-type fructans extracted from chicory root may modulate the production of peptides, such as incretins, by endocrine cells present in the intestinal mucosa. This effect may play a role in the management of obesity and diabetes through their capacity to promote secretion of endogenous gastrointestinal peptides involved in appetite regulation. •Immunostimulatory activity: Oligofructose and inulin, selective fermentable chicory fructans, have been shown to stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria, which are regarded as beneficial strains in the colon' •Chicory and mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) alter fecal microbial populations and certain indices of the immune system. •Mutagenic properties: Chicory powder has shown very weak mutagenic activity of commonly consumed food dishes in South India. •Prebiotic effect: One clinical trial assessed the prebiotic effect of an Fn-type chicory inulin hydrolysate product. The F is for fructose and the n is the number of b(2->1) bound fructose moieties. Eight subjects (5 females and 3 males) consumed 8g daily of an Fn-rich chicory inulin product for up to 5 weeks. Fecal samples were collected and analyzed for total anaerobes, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, bacteroides, coliforms and Clostridium perfringens. Both 2 and 5-week of oligofructose feeding resulted in a selective increase in bifidobacteria (p< 0.01). A daily intake of 8g of Fn-type oligofructose preparation reduced fecal pH and caused little intestinal discomfort. Bliss! Nobu +

Nobunoni + 2010-02-15T17:47:39Z