Cruciferous Vegetables Isothiocyanates And Indoles

This publication sets outs the findings of an IARC Working Group, held in Lyon, France in November 2003, which considered the benefits of a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables in helping to reduce the risk of various cancers. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress and brussel sprouts, contain substantial amounts of compounds which have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancers. This publication reviews current knowledge on the topic, including data from human, experimental and mechanistic studies, as well as making recommendations for future research and public health policy options.

Today's consumers are looking for food products with health-promoting roles in addition to nutritional benefits. With current research showing that nutraceuticals and functional foods rich in specific bioactives may have chemopreventative effects, these products are increasingly popular. However, while much in the literature supports the health-promoting features of these foods, few texts focus on their bioactive agents and their mode of action in cancer signaling. Nutraceuticals and Cancer Signalling: Clinical Aspects and Mode of Action explains the link between nutraceuticals and cancer in terms of clinical trials and modes of action. This book gives an overview of common cancers and their mechanisms, and the most common functional foods and their bioactive components. Individual chapters focus on specific functional foods--including tomatoes, garlic, honey, tea, yoghurt, and many more--their prominent bioactive compounds, and their mode of action in cancer signaling and chemoprevention. Recent findings on cancer-prevention roles of different vitamins and minerals are also discussed. For food scientists, nutritionists, and pharmaceutical experts looking to understand how functional foods can play a role in fighting cancer, this text serves as a one-stop reference.

Glucosinolates: Properties, Recovery and Applications covers all the important aspects of glucosinolates (properties, processing and recovery issues, particular applications). Starting from the metabolism, health effects and biosynthesis of glucosinolates, the book then deals with recovery, analysis and processing issues in order to reveal their potential applications. Bringing the latest advances in the field, the book also covers practical approaches and applications, giving emphasis to their diversity in plants, the debate of "good" and "bad" glucosinolates, biosynthetic pathways and metabolism, the influence of the food supply chain on decomposition and intake, sustainable sources of glucosinolates, processing and cooking effects, and more. Written by a team of chemists, biochemists, food scientists and technologists, this book is a helpful resource for anyone dealing with food science, technology and new product developments in food, natural products and in health industries. Thoroughly explores the most trending topics of glucosinolates, giving emphasis on their diversity in plants Covers properties, processing, recovery issues and particular applications of glucosinolates Brings the health effects of glucosinolates, metabolomics and decomposition

This volume includes contributions presented at the Second International Sym posium on Nutrition and Cancer, held in Naples, Italy, in October 1998 at the National Tumor Institute "Fondazione Pascale." During the Conference, experts from different disciplines discussed pivotal and timely subjects on the interactions between human nutrition and the development of malignancies. Comparing the themes of this Meeting with those discussed at the First Sympo sium in 1992, the major scientific advancements certainly derive from the extensive use of molecular approaches to perform research in nutrition. Moreover, the fundamental observation of R. Doll and R. Peto (1981), which suggested that at least 35% of all cancers (with large differences among different tumors) might be prevented by dietary regimens, has been definitively confirmed by epidemiological studies. On the other hand, the relationships between diet and cancer are quite intricate and complex; it is difficult, and at the same time not methodologically correct, to reduce them to simple terms. Metabolic and hormonal factors, contaminants and biological agents, and deficiency of specific protective nutrients are all pieces of the same puzzle.

This comprehensive volume focuses on anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals and their role in various chronic diseases. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs such as steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), statins and metformin have been shown to modulate inflammatory pathways, but their long-term intake has been associated with numerous side effects. This means that there is enormous potential for dietary agents that can modulate inflammatory pathways in humans. Leading experts describe the latest research on the role of anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals in preventing and treating chronic diseases.

Vegetables, Whole Grains and their Derivatives in Cancer Prevention looks in detail at the evidence regarding the effects and mechanisms of action of potentially cancer-preventive components and their sources from plant kingdom. The book covers current knowledge on certain foods and their constituents in cancer prevention, such as cruciferous and green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, tomato lycopene and carotenoids, alliums and their sulphur and selenium constituents, and capsaicinoids from chilli peppers. It focuses not only on single compounds but aims to widen the view by discussing a whole-diet approach in cancer prevention. A single component may lose its chemopreventive efficacy when isolated from the food matrix and in many cases isolated and concentrated components as supplements may actually induce tumor development. Apart from describing the effects and mechanisms of action, the chapters also contain information on intake, bioavailability, metabolism and possible toxic effects of foods and components presented. Evaluation and comparison of the data from mechanistic studies in vitro with those from animal experiments in vivo form a basis for applying the current knowledge to human nutrition in the field of carcinogenesis. With contributions from leading experts in the field, this book is an invaluable resource for scientists and professionals working in cancer research, as well as individuals involved in food and nutrition.

An in-depth treatment of cutting-edge work being done internationally to develop new techniques in crop nutritional quality improvement Phytonutritional Improvement of Crops explores recent advances in biotechnological methods for the nutritional enrichment of food crops. Featuring contributions from an international group of experts in the field, it provides cutting-edge information on techniques of immense importance to academic, professional and commercial operations. World population is now estimated to be 7.5 billion people, with an annual growth rate of nearly 1.5%. Clearly, the need to enhance not only the quantity of food produced but its quality has never been greater, especially among less developed nations. Genetic manipulation offers the best prospect for achieving that goal. As many fruit crops provide proven health benefits, research efforts need to be focused on improving the nutritional qualities of fruits and vegetables through increased synthesis of lycopene and beta carotene, anthocyanins and some phenolics known to be strong antioxidants. Despite tremendous growth in the area occurring over the past several decades, the work has only just begun. This book represents an effort to address the urgent need to promote those efforts and to mobilise the tools of biotechnical and genetic engineering of the major food crops. Topics covered include: New applications of RNA-interference and virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) for nutritional genomics in crop plants Biotechnological techniques for enhancing carotenoid in crops and their implications for both human health and sustainable development Progress being made in the enrichment and metabolic profiling of diverse carotenoids in a range of fruit crops, including tomatoes, sweet potatoes and tropical fruits Biotechnologies for boosting the phytonutritional values of key crops, including grapes and sweet potatoes Recent progress in the development of transgenic rice engineered to massively accumulate flavonoids in-seed Phytonutritional Improvement of Crops is an important text/reference that belongs in all universities and research establishments where agriculture, horticulture, biological sciences, and food science and technology are studied, taught and applied.