How to Cook Alabama Red Shrimp

Royal red shrimp live in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Alabama and Florida. Red shrimp are large shrimp that are pink even before they are cooked. They have a sweet flavor that is a bit milder than other varieties of shrimp. Royal red shrimp make a low-fat protein source for a healthy meal. You can prepare red shrimp in a variety of ways or use them in any recipe to replace other types of shrimp.

Shrimp is a tasty treat. Photo Credit karandaev/iStock/Getty Images

Step 1

Dump whole deveined red Gulf shrimp in a large pot of boiling water combined with cayenne pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. After the water returns to a boil, drain the shrimp. Serve the Cajun-inspired boiled shrimp hot plain or with melted butter, lemon wedges and Worcestershire sauce for drizzling.

Step 2

Toss peeled and deveined red shrimp with flour, seasoned with pepper and any other spices you like, and lightly fry the shrimp in a pan of hot oil or butter for four or five minutes, until the shrimp are opaque. Serve the crunchy treat alone or with barbecue sauce. Spoon the shrimp onto French bread for a tasty po'boy sandwich.

Step 3

Steam peeled and deveined royal red shrimp in plain water for one or two minutes, until the flesh of the shrimp is opaque. Chill the shrimp and serve them as a salad tossed with chopped fresh fruit or vegetables and drizzled with a homemade vinaigrette.

Tips

• Royal red shrimp have a naturally salty flavor, so you don't want to add extra salt to any dishes made with red shrimp.

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Fiber Content of Peanut Butter

Slathered on a sandwich, as a dip for celery sticks or simply eaten with a spoon, peanut butter is a creamy spread loved by many. When it comes to fiber, peanut butter can contain as much fiber as the slice of bread it covers. Adding peanut butter to your diet can be a tasty and effective way to increase your fiber intake, any way you spread it.

Toast with peanut butter on a wooden table. Photo Credit AlexPro9500/iStock/Getty Images

Fiber Basics

Fiber is a key nutrient that plays an important role in regular digestion, and also in the prevention of certain diseases and health-related issues. Regular fiber intake can help prevent such conditions as heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and constipation. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, men should aim to get 38 grams of fiber per day and women 25 grams per day. If you are over 50, the recommendations drop to 30 grams per day for men and 21 grams per day for women.

Fiber in Peanut Butter

Each tablespoon of smooth peanut butter contains 1 gram of fiber. The chunky kind contains 1.3 grams of fiber per tablespoon, or 30 percent more than the smooth variety. Pair the spread with other good sources of fiber, and those numbers can add up quickly. A slice of whole wheat bread contains 1.5 grams of fiber. Make a peanut butter sandwich with 2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter for a total of 5.6 grams of fiber, or 15 percent to 22 percent of the daily recommendation.

Portion Control

Peanut butter is a good source of fiber, but it is higher in calories and fat than other sources. One serving, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, contains 180 calories and 16 grams of fat. Keep portions in mind and account for the amount of calories and fat you are eating, which can add up quickly. A good rule to remember is that a serving of peanut butter is about the size of a ping pong ball.

Tips to Increase Fiber Intake

Many foods are good sources of fiber, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains such as oatmeal and whole wheat bread. Pair these foods with peanut butter to increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Some examples are a sliced apple, carrot sticks or a slice of whole-wheat toast. Swap an afternoon snack for one of these foods and a tablespoon of peanut butter for a healthy source of fiber each day. When you increase the amount of fiber in your diet, you also need to increase your fluid intake. Similar to a sponge, fiber needs to soak up a lot of fluid to help with regular digestion and prevent issues such as constipation or nausea.

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How Many Calories in a Peanut Butter & Jam Sandwich?

The exact number of calories in your peanut butter and jam sandwich probably varies from day to day. Unless you're measuring the exact amount of peanut butter and jam before spreading them onto the bread, there is no way to know exactly how many calories you're eating. The calories also vary depending on the type of bread, peanut butter and jam you select for your sandwich. A sandwich made with 2 slices of whole-wheat bread, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of jam comes to about 385 calories.

Peanut butter and jam sandwich Photo Credit bhofack2/iStock/Getty Images

Bread Selection

The type of bread you use affects the calories in your sandwich. Most store-bought, whole-wheat bread has about 70 calories per slice, meaning that it contributes 140 calories to the sandwich. A slice of homemade whole-wheat bread has about 120 calories per slice, contributing 240 calories to your sandwich. White bread contributes about 70 calories per slice, as well. Some hearty breads with seeds and nuts may be higher in calories than just plain wheat or white bread. So, depending on your selection, bread contributes anywhere from 140 to 240 calories to your sandwich.

Peanut Butter Considerations

The type and amount of peanut butter you use also affect the calories in your sandwich. Two tablespoons of regular smooth or creamy peanut butter has roughly 190 calories. Some reduced-fat peanut butter spreads have slightly fewer calories per serving. If you don't measure the amount of peanut butter before smearing it on the bread then you won't know exactly how many calories it contributes to the sandwich. You can try to estimate the serving size using the comparison that a golf ball is roughly 2 tablespoons.

Jam Considerations

Your jam or jelly selection influences the calories in a peanut butter-and-jam sandwich, as well. A tablespoon of most jam and jelly provides about 55 calories. It can be any flavor, such as grape, strawberry or any other berry. Selecting sugar-free or low-sugar varieties usually decreases the calories per serving. As with peanut butter, you have to measure the serving to truly know how many calories you're ingesting.

Healthiest Options

In addition to calorie fluctuations, the nutritional value of your sandwich varies, depending upon your ingredient selection. Choosing whole-grain bread, such as whole wheat, instead of white bread that's made from highly processed flours, increases the nutrients in your sandwich. Whole-grain foods provide more B vitamins and fiber than refined grains. Choose all-natural peanut butter and jam instead of additive-laden alternatives. Many mainstream peanut butters and jam contain artificial ingredients, such as corn syrup, food coloring and hydrogenated oils. The Center for Science in the Public Interest notes that eating these ingredients in large amounts may be unsafe and may lead to poor nutrition.

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What Are the Benefits of Eating Carrots?

Carrots are a vitamin-rich root vegetable. You can find carrots in a variety of colors besides traditional orange, including yellow, red and purple. Carrots can be enjoyed raw or cooked or in juices and smoothies. This nutritious vegetable provides many health benefits.

Carrots can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Photo Credit Adam Gault/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Vitamin A

One medium carrot contains 204 percent of your daily recommended value of vitamin A, a vitamin found in animal and plant-based foods. In plant-based foods, this vitamin is produced by your body from the nutritional compound beta-carotene. This vitamin, also known as retinol, is responsible for maintaining the health of your eyes. Vitamin A helps your eyes retain their ability to adjust to changes in light and maintains necessary moisture and mucus levels of your eyes.

Vitamins K and C

Carrots are also a good source of vitamins K and C. Vitamin K maintains your blood's ability to clot. It also contributes to bone strength and kidney health. One medium carrot contains 8 mcg of vitamin K. One medium carrot also contains 6 percent of your daily value of vitamin C, which is associated with a healthy immune system and strong teeth and gums. Vitamin C can also help your body absorb iron from plant foods and can help combat free radicals.

Fiber

Fiber is one of three types of nutritional carbohydrates, your body's main nutritional energy source. Fiber may be best known for its ability to promote bowel regularity. It can also help control your blood sugar levels and contribute to healthy weight management, as a diet high in fiber can keep you full for longer. A medium carrot will provide you with 2 g of fiber, or 7 percent of the daily recommended value.

Potassium

If you are hoping to raise your potassium intake, consider eating more carrots. One carrot contains 400 mg of potassium. The Institute of Medicine recommends that all adults consume 4,700 milligrams of potassium a day. According to the health website Organic Facts, potassium is the third-most-abundant mineral in your body. It may help reduce your risk of stroke, high blood pressure and anxiety. It helps to control your metabolism and improves the health of your muscles, heart and nervous system. Potassium also regulates electrolyte absorption and is necessary for proper hydration.

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MEDICINAL FUNGI

Medicinal fungi are those fungi which produce medically significant metabolites or can be induced to produce such metabolites using biotechnology. The range of medically active compounds that have been identified include antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, cholesterol inhibitors, psychotropic drugs, immunosuppressants and even fungicides. Although initial discoveries centred on simple moulds of the type that cause spoilage of food, later work identified useful compounds across a wide range of fungi.

History

Although fungi products have been used in traditional and folk medicines, probably since pre-history, the ability to identify beneficial properties and then extract the active ingredient started with the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928. Since that time, many additional antibiotics have been discovered and the potential for fungi to synthesize biologically active molecules useful in a wide range of clinical therapies has been extensively exploited.

Pharmacological research has now isolated antifungal, antiviral, and antiprotozoan, isolates from fungi.

The fungus with probably the longest record of medicinal use, Ganoderma lucidum, is known in Chinese as líng zhī ("spirit plant"), and in Japanese as mannentake ("10,000-year mushroom"). In ancient Japan, Grifola frondosa was worth its weight in silver, although no significant therapeutic benefits have been demonstrated in humans.

Studies have shown another species of Ganoderma, genus, Ganoderma applanatum, contains compounds with anti-tumor and anti-fibrotic properties.

Inonotus obliquus was used in Russia as early as the 16th century, and it featured in Alexandr Solzhenitsyn's1967 novel Cancer Ward.

Lichens have also been used in many folk medicine traditions to treat a wide range of ailments. Research has demonstrated a range of therapeutically significant compounds in a range of lichen species but none are currently believed to be in use in mainstream medicine.

Applications

40x brightfield microscopy of Pestalotia/Pestalotiopsis spores. Note the appendages. Some strains (Pestalotiopsis pauciseta) are known to produce taxol.

Cancer

Paclitaxel is synthesised using Penicillium raistrickii and plant cell fermentation. Fungi can synthesize other mitotic inhibitors including vinblastine, vincristine,  podophyllotoxin, griseofulvin, aurantiamine, oxaline and neoxaline.

11,11'-Dideoxyverticillin A, an isolate of marine Penicillium, was used to create dozens of semi-synthetic anticancer compounds. 11,11'-Dideoxyverticillin A, andrastin A, barceloneic acid A and barceloneic acid B, are farnesyl transferase inhibitors that can be made by Penicillium. 3-O-Methylfunicone, anicequol, duclauxin and rubratoxin B, are anticancer/cytotoxic metabolites of Penicillium.

Penicillium is a potential source of the leukemia medicine asparaginase.

Some countries have approved Beta-glucan fungal extracts lentinan, polysaccharide-K, and polysaccharide peptide as immunologic adjuvants. There is some evidence of this use having effectiveness in prolonging and improving the quality of life for patients with certain cancers, although the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center observes that "well designed, large scale studies are needed to establish the role of lentinan as a useful adjunct to cancer treatment"..

 According to Cancer Research UK, "there is currently no evidence that any type of mushroom or mushroom extract can prevent or cure cancer". Fungal metabolites such as ergosterol, clavilactones, and triterpenoids are efficient Cdk inhibitors that lead to G1/S or G2/M arrest of cancer cells. Other metabolites, such as panepoxydone, are inhibitors of NF-kB. Fucose and mannose fragments of fungal cell wall are antagonists of VEGF-receptors 

Antibacterial Agents (antibiotics)

Alexander Fleming led the way to the beta-lactam antibiotics with the Penicillium mold and penicillin. Subsequent discoveries included alamethicin, aphidicolin, brefeldin A, Cephalosporin, cerulenin, citromycin, eupenifeldin, fumagillin, fusafungine, fusidic acid, itaconic acid, MT81, nigrosporin B, usnic acid, verrucarin A, vermiculine and many others.

Antibiotics retapamulin, tiamulin and valnemulin are derivatives of the fungal metabolite pleuromutilin. Plectasin, austrocortilutein, austrocortirubin, coprinol, oudemansin A, strobilurin, illudin, pterulone, and sparassol are antibiotics isolated from basidiomycete Species.

Cholesterol Biosynthesis Inhibitors

Statins are an important class of cholesterol-lowering drugs; the first generation of statins were derived from fungi.

The Pravastatin precursor mevastatin can be extracted from Penicillium. Lovastatin, the first commercial statin, was extracted from a fermentation broth of Aspergillus terreus. Industrial production is now capable of producing 70 mg lovastatin per kilogram of substrate. The red yeast rice, fungus, Monascus purpureus, can synthesize lovastatin, mevastatin, and the simvastatin precursor monacolin J. Zaragozic acids were isolated from ascomycota. Nicotinamide riboside, a cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor, is made by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Other compounds include Simvastatin, a semi-synthetic derivative of Lovastatin.

Antifungals

Griseofulvin, caspofungin, strobilurin, azoxystrobin, micafungin, and echinocandins, are all extracted from fungi. Anidulafungin is a derivative of an Aspergillus metabolite.

The red yeast rice, fungus, Monascus purpureus, can synthesize three statins.

ImmunosuppressantsEdit

Ciclosporin, was discovered in Tolypocladium inflatum. Bredinin was discovered in Eupenicillium brefeldianum. Mycophenolic acid was discovered in Penicillium stoloniferum. Thermophilic fungi were the source of the fingolimod precursor myriocin. Aspergillussynthesizes immunosuppressants gliotoxin and endocrocin. Subglutinols are immunosuppressants isolated from Fusarium subglutina  Other compounds include mizoribine.

Malaria

Codinaeopsin, efrapeptins, zervamicins, and antiamoebin, are made by fungi.

DiabetesEdit

Many fungal isolates act as DPP-4 inhibitors, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, and alpha amylase inhibitors in vitro. Ternatin, is a fungal isolate that suppresses hyperglycemia. Aspergillusol A is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor made by Aspergillus. Sclerotiorin is an aldose reductase inhibitor made by Penicillium.

Psychotropic Effects

A number of fungi have well documented psychotropic effects, some of them severe and associated with sometimes acute and life-threatening side-effects. Well known amongst these is Amanita muscaria, the fly agaric. More widely used informally are a range of fungi collectively known as "magic mushrooms",  which contain psilocybin and psilocin.

The history of bread-making is also peppered with references to deadly ergotism caused by ergot, most commonly Claviceps purpurea, a parasite of cereal crops. A number of therapeutically useful drugs have subsequently been extracted from ergot including ergotamine, pergolide and cabergoline.

Psychotropic compounds created from ergot alkaloids also include dihydroergotamine,  methysergide,  methylergometrine,  hydergine, nicergoline, lisuride, bromocriptine, cabergoline, pergolide. Polyozellus multiplex synthesizes prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors polyozellin, thelephoric acid, kynapcins. Neurotrophic fungal isolates include L-theanine, tricholomalides, scabronines, termitomycesphins. Many fungi synthesize the partial, non-selective, serotonin receptor agonist/analog psilocin.

A number of other fungal species, including species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, have been induced to produce ergot alkaloids.

The photochemistry of Vitamin D biosynthes

VitaminsEdit

Fungi are one source of vitamin D. Fungi can synthesize vitamins D₂ (ergocalciferol), D₄ (22-dihydroergocalciferol), and D₁ (Lumisterol+D₂).

PhytaseEdit

Aspergillus niger is used to produce recombinant phytase, an enzyme added to animal feeds to improve absorption of phosphorus.

Edible species with medically significant metabolites

Many edible species have been shown to produce medically significant metabolites. However eating fungi with such properties is most unlikely to result in any medically beneficial effect. Most compounds of interest when used for medical purposes are synthesized on an industrial scale and are packaged and administered in ways that maximise the potential benefit.

Those fungi listed below have been shown to have significant effect as evidenced by human clinical trials published in peer reviewed papers and quoted in secondary sources.

Agaricus subrufescens (Agaricus blazei/brasiliensis, almond mushroom) is a fungus associated with Brazil and Japan. Research and small clinical studies demonstrated A. subrufescens extracts have antihyperglycemic and anticancer activities. Brefeldin A and blazein were isolated from A. subrufescens.

Boletus badius has been shown to synthesize theanine which is claimed to have mild psychoactive properties.

Cordyceps sinensis is an entomopathogenic fungi collected on the Tibetan Plateau. The immunosuppressant ciclosporin was originally isolated from Cordyceps subsessilis. The adenosine analog cordycepin was originally isolated from Cordyceps. Other Cordycepsisolates include, cordymin, cordycepsidone, and cordyheptapeptide. CS-4 is commercially sold as C. sinensis, but Cs-4 has recently been confirmed to be a different species from the Cordyceps species used in traditional Chinese medicine. CS-4 is properly known as Paecilomyces hepiali. Hirsutella sinensis is the accepted asexual form of C. sinensis.

Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) has been used as a source of Lentinan, AHCC, and eritadenine. In 1985 Japan approved lentinan as an adjuvant for gastric cancer. Studies there indicate prolonged survival and improved quality of life when gastric cancer patients with unresectable or recurrent diseases are treated with lentinan in combination with other chemotherapies.

Morchella esculenta (Morel) contains the amino acid, cis-3-amino-L-proline.

Ustilago maydis (Mexican truffle, huitlacoche, corn fungus) synthesises ustilagine and ustilagic acid.

Ganoderma lucidum (Ling zhi, mannentake, reishi) has a long record of medicinal use. It contains p-hydroxybenzoic acid, cinnamic acid, and lanostane-type triterpenoids such as ganoderic acids.

Hydnellum peckii has yielded atromentin, an anticoagulant isolated from the mycorrhiza.

Schizophyllum commune (Split gill) has yielded schizophyllan (SPG, sizofiran, sonifilan) which has been researched clinically for anticancer activity. Hydrophobins were originally isolated from S. commune. A chemically analogous polysaccharide, scleroglucan, is an isolate of Sclerotium rolfsii.

Trametes versicolor (Coriolus versicolor, yun zhi, kawaratake, turkey tail) have produced protein-bound polysaccharides PSK and PSP (polysaccharopeptide) from different mycelia strains. In Japan, PSK is a gastric cancer adjuvant. Japan began using PSK in 1977, while China began using PSP in 1987.

Yeasts

Saccharomyces is used industrially to produce the amino acid lysine, as well as recombinant proteins insulin and Hepatitis B surface antigen. Transgenic yeast are used to produce artemisinin, as well as a number of insulin analogs.  Candida is used industrially to produce vitamins ascorbic acid and riboflavin. Pichia is used to produce the amino acid tryptophan and the vitamin pyridoxine. Rhodotorula is used to produce the amino acid phenylalanine. Moniliella is used industrially to produce the sugar alcohol erythritol.

References

1. ^ Engler M, Anke T, Sterner O (1998). "Production of antibiotics by Collybia nivalis, Omphalotus olearis, a Favolaschia and a Pterula species on natural substrates.". Z Naturforsch C 53 (5-6): 318–24. PMID 9705612.
2. ^ "Maitake Mushroom". Complementary and Alternative Medicine : Diet and Nutrition. American Cancer Society. 2008. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
3. ^ Zheng, Weifa; Miao, Kangjie; Liu, Yubing; Zhao, Yanxia; Zhang, Meimei; Pan, Shenyuan; Dai, Yucheng (2010). "Chemical diversity of biologically active metabolites in the sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus and submerged culture strategies for up-regulating their production". Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 87 (4): 1237–54. doi:10.1007/s00253-010-2682-4. PMID 20532760.
4. ^ ^a b S Malhotra, R Subban, A Singh (2007). "Lichens – Role in Traditional Medicine and Drug Discovery". The Internet Journal of Alternative Medicine 5 (2).
5. ^ Bemani E, Ghanati F, Rezaei A, Jamshidi M (2013). "Effect of phenylalanine on Taxol production and antioxidant activity of extracts of suspension-cultured hazel (Corylus avellana L.) cells.". J Nat Med 67 (3): 446–51. doi:10.1007/s11418-012-0696-1. PMID 22847380.
6. ^ Gangadevi V, Murugan M, Muthumary J (2008). "Taxol determination from Pestalotiopsis pauciseta, a fungal endophyte of a medicinal plant.". Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao 24(8): 1433–8. doi:10.1016/s1872-2075(08)60065-5, PMID 18998547. 
7. ^ (PDF)http://web.archive.org/web/20141226222055/http://globalsciencebooks.info/JournalsSup/images/0806/IJBPS_2(1)1-23o.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 26, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help).
8. ^ "Research update: Chemists find help from nature in fighting cancer - MIT News Office". Web.mit.edu. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
9. ^ Overy DP, Larsen TO, Dalsgaard PW, Frydenvang K, Phipps R, Munro MH, et al. (2005). "Andrastin A and barceloneic acid metabolites, protein farnesyl transferase inhibitors from Penicillium albocoremium: chemotaxonomic significance and pathological implications... Mycol Res 109 (Pt 11): 1243–9. doi:10.1017/S0953756205003734  PMID 16279417.
10. ^ Shrivastava A, Khan AA, Shrivastav A, Jain SK, Singhal PK (2012). "Kinetic studies of L-asparaginase from Penicillium digitatum.". Prep Biochem Biotechnol 42 (6): 574–81. doi: 10.1080/10826068.2012.672943. PMID 23030468.
11. ^ ^a b Ina, K; Kataoka, T; Ando, T (2013). "The use of lentinan for treating gastric cancer".  Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry 13 (5): 681–8. doi:10.2174/1871520611313050002. PMC 3664515 PMID 23092289. 
12. ^ "Lentinan". Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 27 February 2013. Retrieved August 2013.

External Links

• Antitumor Extrolites Produced by Penicillium Species
• Endophytic fungi for producing bioactive compounds originally from their host plants
• Bioprospecting for Microbial Endophytes and Their Natural Products - 2003
• Cancer Research UK Medicinal Mushrooms: Their therapeutic properties and current medical usage with special emphasis on cancer treatments.
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Agaricus subrufescens, Phellinus linteus, Ganoderma lucidum, Trametes versicolor and PSK, Grifola frondosa, Inonotus obliquus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Cordyceps, Shiitake, Lentinan, AHCC.
• American Cancer Society Trametes versicolor and PSK, Grifola frondosa, Shiitake.
• National Cancer Institute Shiitake, Lentinan, Cordycepin.

- Wikipedia