IITRI Introduces Functional Foods Program

The Functional Foods Program, a new and exciting pilot program in the field of alternative medicine, is taking form at IITRI. The goal of the program is to explore opportunities for disease prevention through natural compounds in fruits, vegetables and various types of plants. Research in the area of "food as medicine" has grown exponentially over the past few years, as scientists continue to identify compounds derived from natural elements that provide health benefits.

Functional foods, also known as nutraceuticals, have been a source of alternative medicine dating back 4,000 years. Throughout the world, folklore has played a pivotal role in the use of foods and plants as medicine. Knowledge of medicinal benefits from natural foods often stems from anthropological and sociological research, as many of the agents identified as having beneficial activity are found in remote areas or within small communities. Based on findings thus far, regions rich in food- and plant-based medicines include India, China, Indonesia and many African countries. For example, turmeric, a popular spice used in many Indian dishes, is also widely used in India as an antiseptic for cuts and burns as well as for the reduction of swelling.

Rajendra Mehta, Ph.D., Assistant Vice-President and Manager of IITRI's Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Division, will oversee the functional foods endeavor at IITRI. For nearly two decades, Dr. Mehta and his team of researchers have conducted research in the area of cancer chemoprevention by food compounds. Most recently, Dr. Mehta teamed with Genoveva Murillo, Ph.D., R.D., Research Scientist in the Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Division, to study the cancer-preventive properties of sapote, a fruit native to Mexico and Central and South America. The compound zapotin, derived from sapote, was found to be an effective inhibitor of colon carcinogenesis, as reported in Nutrition and Cancer (1).

	Rajendra Mehta, Ph.D., Assistant Vice-President and Manager, Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Division

One of Dr. Mehta's goals is to foster collaborations between his Division, IITRI's new Drug Discovery Division (DDD), and IIT's National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST). Dr. Mehta's vision is that the DDD would synthesize new plant-based chemopreventive compounds and their more active analogs. After establishing efficacy of these compounds in biological model systems, scientists at NCFST would test the stability of the compounds to ensure that the medicinal properties are not reduced or lost during the production and packaging process.

Although in its early stages, the Functional Foods Program has arrived at an exciting phase in the study of alternative medicines. Interest in further research will continue to grow, as naturally derived medicines are discovered through culturally based remedies and exploration of remote areas worldwide. Based on his research thus far, Dr. Mehta and his team at IITRI expect to work on groundbreaking studies in the upcoming years in the field of foods-based medicine.

(1) Zapotin, a phytochemical present in a Mexican fruit, prevents colon carcinogenesis. Nutr Cancer, 57, 28-37, 2007. Murillo, G., Hirschelman, W.H., Ito, A., Moriarty, R.M., Kinghorn, A.D., Pezzuto, J.M., Mehta, R.G.