Development and Evaluation of Flaxseed-Enriched Buttermilk as a Functional Food and In Silico Investigation of Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) for Chemopreventive Potential.

Abstract

Functional foods are defined as foods that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition due to the presence of biologically active components. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in developing functional foods from natural sources to prevent chronic diseases, particularly cancer, which remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. The use of plant-based bioactive compounds combined with probiotic systems has emerged as a promising strategy for chemoprevention.
Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) is a widely studied medicinal plant in the field of pharmacognosy due to its rich composition of bioactive constituents, including lignans, omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid), and phenolic compounds. Among these, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) is the lignan found in flaxseed and has been extensively reported for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and potential anticancer properties. SDG acts as a precursor to mammalian lignans such as enterodiol and enterolactone, which are formed by the action of intestinal microflora and are responsible for exerting biological effects in the human body.

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