Functional Food Factors

This book presents a comprehensive overview of functional food science and its growing importance in health research. The field addresses how specific food derived compounds influence biological processes that relate to major lifestyle related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and metabolic syndrome.

The content covers a wide range of themes that include molecular mechanisms, analytical methods, clinical insights, and newly emerging scientific concepts. Topics such as metabolomics, imaging mass spectrometry, non coding RNA pathways, brain–gut interactions, chrononutrition, and the hormesis effect help readers understand how functional food factors work within the body. The book also examines practical applications, disease focused research, and potential side effects of food derived bioactive substances.

Structured into eight parts, the volume offers reflections from senior scientists, detailed thematic chapters, and broad discussions that connect basic research with applied outcomes. It is suitable for academic researchers, industry specialists who develop functional food products, and graduate students who study food functionality.

Dr. Akira Murakami is a Professor at the School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo, Japan. He is a researcher specializing in food functionality and the biological activities of phytochemicals. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-obesity effects of dietary components, with particular emphasis on cellular stress responses and hormesis. He has published approximately 200 peer-reviewed publications in the fields of molecular nutrition, food functions, inflammation, and carcinogenesis, contributing to a deeper understanding of how food-derived compounds modulate disease-related signaling pathways. Dr. Murakami has been actively involved in academic publishing and peer review, serving as an Associate Editor of Molecular Carcinogenesis since 2019 and as a Senior Editor of Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry since 2021. Through his research and editorial activities, he is committed to advancing evidence-based functional food science and translational nutritional research.

Dr. Hiroyuki Sakakibara is a Professor at the Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Japan. After getting his Ph.D. in 2002 at Kobe University (Japan), he worked as a Post-doctoral fellow at INRA Centre Clermont-Ferrand (France), and then Post-doctoral fellow at Tokushima University (Japan). Thereafter, he obtained an academic position as an Assistant Professor at the University of Shizuoka (Japan) in 2006. Following this, he moved to the University of Miyazaki as Associate Professor in 2012 and was promoted to Professor in 2016. In 2024, he moved back to Kobe University (Japan). His research is focused on functional food science based on rodent animal models, and cultured cell methods in addition to in vitro techniques, especially, anti-obese, anti-diabetes, and brain function. Recently, he is also interested in the research field of Toxicology and Food Processing.

Dr. Kyuichi Kawabata is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics at Konan Women’s University, Japan. With over 20 years of expertise in functional food science, his research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of phytochemicals and their impact on human health. Recently, his work has centered on the functional interactions between polyphenols and gut microbiota. He is particularly interested in the physiological regulation of intestinal bacteria by polyphenols and has demonstrated that certain polyphenols can enhance the anti-inflammatory activities of Bifidobacterium. Through these studies, he is committed to establishing the foundation of precision nutrition based on phytochemical functions. Dr. Kawabata has authored a variety of peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals, such as Food & Function. Beyond his research, he serves as an editorial board member for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry and a board director for the Japanese Society for Food Factors.

Dr. Noriyuki Miyoshi is a Professor at the University of Shizuoka, Japan, specializing in food functionality, molecular nutrition, and analytical biochemistry. He received his Ph.D. from Nagoya University in 2004 and has conducted postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, as well as at the University of Tokyo. His research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which food-derived compounds modulate metabolic disorders, chronic kidney disease, and other lifestyle-related diseases, with particular emphasis on gut microbiota–derived metabolites and enzyme-targeted interventions. He employs interdisciplinary approaches integrating enzymology, mass spectrometry–based metabolomics, and molecular biology. Dr. Miyoshi has published extensively in the fields of functional food science and molecular nutrition and has been actively involved in academic societies, including serving as a board member of the Japan Society for Food Factors. Through his research, he aims to advance mechanism-based functional food development and translational nutritional science.