Antioxidants In Fruits Properties And Health Benefits

This book provides a comprehensive review of the antioxidant value of widely consumed fruits. Each chapter covers the botanical description, nutritional & health properties of these popular fruits. Fruits are one of the most important indicators of dietary quality and offer protective effects against several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and various types of cancer. In order to effectively promote fruit consumption, it is necessary to know and understand the components of fruits. In addition to underscoring the importance of fruit consumption’s effects on human diet, the book addresses the characterization of the chemical compounds that are responsible for the antioxidant proprieties of various fruits. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to graduate and post-graduate students, research scholars, academics, pomologists and agricultural scientists alike. Those working in various fruit processing industries and other horticultural departments will also find the comprehensive information relevant to their work.

This book covers the nutritional and nutraceutical profiles of a wide range of popularly consumed vegetables and nuts. The first half of the book focuses on popular vegetables, and describes how higher vegetable consumption reduces the risk of diseases ranging from diabetes to osteoporosis, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancer. The book also includes an interesting section on the antioxidant potential of mushrooms. In turn, the second half discusses the nutritional value of various nuts. Nuts are nutrient-dense foods with complex matrices rich in unsaturated fats, high-quality protein, fiber, minerals, tocopherols, phytosterols and phenolics. The respective chapters illustrate how the consumption of nuts could ward off chronic diseases like hypertension, cancer, inflammation, oxidative stress, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease etc. In order to effectively promote vegetable and nut consumption, it is necessary to know and understand the nutritional and nutraceutical profiles of vegetables & nuts. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to students, researchers, food scientists, olericulturists, dietitians and agricultural scientists alike. Those working in the vegetable and nut processing industries, horticultural departments and other agricultural departments will also find the comprehensive information relevant to their work.

Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Fruits and Vegetables provides an overview of the nutritional and anti-nutritional composition, antioxidant potential, and health benefits of a wide range of commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. The book presents a comprehensive overview on a variety of topics, including inflorescence, flowers and flower buds (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage), bulb, stem and stalk (onion, celery, asparagus, celery), leaves (watercress, lettuce, spinach), fruit and seed (peppers, squash, tomato, eggplant, green beans), roots and tubers (red beet, carrots, radish), and fruits, such as citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit), berries (blackberry, strawberry, lingonberry, bayberry, blueberry), melons (pumpkin, watermelon), and more. Each chapter, contributed by an international expert in the field, also discusses the factors influencing antioxidant content, such as genotype, environmental variation and agronomic conditions. Contains detailed information on nutritional and anti-nutritional composition for commonly consumed fruits and vegetables Presents recent epidemiological information on the health benefits of fresh produce Provides in-depth information about the antioxidant properties of a range of fruits and vegetables

This book is mainly based on the latest research results and applications of phenolic and polyphenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds, ubiquitous in plants, are an essential part of the human diet and are of considerable interest due to their antioxidant properties and potential beneficial health effects. These compounds range structurally from a simple phenolic molecule to complex high-molecular-weight polymers. There is increasing evidence that consumption of a variety of phenolic compounds present in foods may lower the risk of health disorders because of their antioxidant activity. When added to foods, antioxidants control rancidity development, retard the formation of toxic oxidation products, maintain nutritional quality and extend the shelf-life of products. Due to safety concerns and limitation on the use of synthetic antioxidants, natural antioxidants obtained from edible materials, edible by-products and residual sources have been of increasing interest. This contribution summarizes both the synthetic and natural phenolic antioxidants, emphasizing their mode of action, health effects, degradation products and toxicology. In addition, sources of phenolic antioxidants are discussed in detail.

Strawberry is among the most widely consumed fruits in the world and its cultivation is increasing worldwide. It is a microclimatic crop, which means that its behaviour may vary considerably depending on many agronomical and environmental factors such as temperature, light, moisture, soil type, etc. Strawberry production requires the input of large amounts of water because of its shallow rooting system, its high leaf area and the large water content of the fruit. This book discusses the cultivation of strawberries as well as the antioxidant properties and health benefits of consuming them.

Proanthocyanidins (PACs), present in a wide variety of food products and beverages, are the second most abundant class of phenolic compounds in our diet. These polyphenolic compounds are found in high proportions in cocoa products, seeds and skins of grapes, green and black tea, cinnamon and berries, among others. These compounds possess multiple therapeutic effects including anticancer, antimicrobial activity, cardioprotective role, prevention of atherosclerosis, and neuroprotective action. Many of these pharmacological benefits, including their neuroprotective action, are attributed to their significant antioxidant activity as free radical scavengers and as modulators of oxidant/antioxidant status. This book discusses food sources, the antioxidant properties and health benefits of proanthocyanidins.

Provides detailed information on identity, nature, bioavailability, chemopreventative effects and postharvest stability of specific chemical classes with known bioactive properties.

"Derived from leaves of evergreen herb Camellia sinensis, green tea is known for its significant human health benefits. Once primarily consumed in Asia and North Africa, green tea is becoming increasingly available around the world with an increase in its average annual growth. There has been a tremendous change in the consumption pattern of green tea, a prime drive of which is the increasing knowledge about and marketing of its health benefits. The most notable health benefit of green tea is its powerful antioxidant potential, which helps prevent cellular damage from certain oxidation reactions in the body at the molecular level. This book is an informative forum highlighting research on the antioxidant activity of green tea pertaining to its health benefits. The book is organised into seven chapters that provide a comprehensive review of the antioxidant activity of green tea and its associated health benefits. The book outlines useful information and improves the fundamental knowledge regarding the processing of green tea, its chemical components, their role as antioxidants and usefulness as nutraceuticals"--