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major Classes of phytonutriceuticals in vegetables and health benefits: a review - Journal of Nutritional Therapeutics
Abstract
Journal of Nutritional Therapeutics - Major Classes of Phytonutriceuticals in vegetables and health benefits - Dias J.S. 2012
... There are two major products of plant biotechnology: traits and methods. Traits such as a host plant resistance or product quality (e.g. increase antioxidant content) create value in the process of vegetable breeding (Dias 2012b, c). For vegetable breeding enterprises, specialized in plant breeding biotechnology that have based their business model on the development and marketing of traits or marker platforms the protection through patents is essential. ...
Plant genetics and breeding are long-term endeavor that require dedicated expertise and infrastructure plus substantial and stable funding. The development of new vegetable cultivars or breeding techniques requires time, effort and funding. Likewise, access to technology and to crop diversity remains essential for the development of vegetable cultivars. Vegetable breeding is characterised by continuous innovations and the development of new cultivars that meet the requirements of growers and consumers. The driving force behind this innovation is acquiring or increasing seed market share. However, breeding new vegetable cultivars requires high investments that can only be recouped if the breeding companies can commercialise the cultivar for a certain period. Intellectual property rights on cultivars are regarded by some in the private sector as the ultimate guardian of plant breeding entrepreneurs. They are viewed as the opportunity to control as many aspects of the invention as possible, thereby strangling the innovative capacity of the competition. As a result, a few multinationals dominate the global seed trade, while public sector plant breeding and local, small- and medium-size seed enterprises have a marginal role. Plant variety rights through patents may affect both vegetable diversity and the progress of plant breeding research, except within the company holding the patent. While obviously benefiting that company, it is a big step backwards for the plant breeding community and by extension, for horticulture itself. Some vegetable breeding programs were merged to reduce costs, which could lead to growers being dependent on a narrow genetic background that could contribute to biodiversity reduction and food insecurity. Access to “advanced” genetic resources is an important condition for a healthy and innovative vegetable breeding sub-sector and food security. We argued that the private sector relies on fundamental research and proof-of-concept demonstrations of feasibility from the public sector, and the public sector expects their discoveries to be expanded and implemented commercially by the private sector. Hence, we advocate effective and synergistic private-public partnerships for enhancing the use of vegetable diversity, accelerating its breeding and increasing genetic gains.
All world and domestic experience shows that in modern conditions it is impossible to provide the human body with the optimal amount of biologically valuable substances at the expense of ordinary food. The solution to this problem requires the creation and use of specialized food products enriched with valuable physiologically functional ingredients with a protective effect. Juices are the most technologically advanced product for creating new types of functional nutrition. Fruit and vegetable juices are the main component of a variety of drinks. In addition, they contain a complex of vitamins and minerals. The introduction of new physiologically functional ingredients into them is not difficult. In connection with the foregoing, the development of technology and the organization of the production of functional juices are a solution to nutrition-related problems. In this paper, the possibilities of using pumpkin as the main raw material for the development of juices with the addition of rosehip tincture, apples containing a significant amount of vitamins and minerals that play an important role in improving immunity will be investigated and substantiated. Directly squeezed juices are made only from local fruits and vegetables during the harvest period, and this, naturally, limits the possibilities of juice producers and consumers' expectations regarding the variety of juice products. The aim of the work is to develop a recipe and technology for the production of blended juice from gourds. Objectives: To develop a recipe and technology for the production of juices from gourds. A study was conducted on the preparation of blended vegetable juices biologically complete from melons. For the preparation of mixed juice, four recipes were used with different percentages of juices from each raw material. Then the products were subjected to physico-chemical analysis and organoleptic evaluation. The prepared blended juices were evaluated by tasters in terms of color, taste and aroma, and it was noted that there was no significant difference between the juice samples in terms of color and overall acceptability. However, in terms of taste and texture, significant differences were observed between the samples, and sample 3 received the highest score and was the most acceptable in taste and texture compared to the other samples and was rated as «good».
The development of the wet-chemical silvering and coppering method on inert fiber surfaces and a number of usable materials (silver, copper and others) allows fabrication of several textile structures with functional characteristics. In order to analyse the silver and copper coating characteristics such as structure, homogeneity and crack formation, the surface morphology (SM) was investigated using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical structuring of the surfaces (amount of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, silicium, copper and silver) is analysed with an energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Phase formation and crystalline properties of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) with a Cu-Kα radiation reflection geometry source. Furthermore, textile-chemical analyses for the wash fastness were carried out as well.
Carrot juice is one of the main products of carrot processing and the second most popular vegetable juice after tomato. Due to the presence of a complex of various nutritive and biologically active substances (BAS) carrot juice can make a significant contribution to maintaining human healthy diet. The aim of the study was to establish the nutrient profile of carrot juice.
Material and methods:
A study of parameters of carrot juice of industrial production, characterizing its nutritional and biological value was carried out. The results of these experiments were compared with the data of BAS profiles of carrot juice from reference books and scientific publications.
Results and discussion:
The established nutrient profile includes data about content of more than 30 nutritients and BAS. The sucrose is the predominant carbohydrate in carrot juice; glucose and fructose concentrations are substantially lower. Among organic acids predominates L-malic acid whereas content of citric acid is usually 5-10 fold lower than that of L-malic acid. The total acidity of carrot juice is low, on average 0.25 mg of organic acids is present in 100 cm3 of juice. Carrot juice is a relatively rich source of a number of vitamins and minerals. A serving (200-250 cm3) of industrial carrot juice on average contains around 18% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for potassium, 9% for magnesium, 8% for iron, 12% for copper and 14% for manganese. Vitamins are represented to a large extent by β-carotene and other carotenoids (more than 400% of the RDI in a serving), as well as niacin, biotin and pantothenic acid - about 7% of the RDI in a serving for each of these vitamins. The content of vitamins E and K in serving averages 17 and 10% of the RDI respectively. Not clarified carrot juice contains about 1.1 g of dietary fiber in 100 cm3, including pectins - about 0.2 g/100 cm3.
Conclusion:
Based on the results of this investigation the carrot juice might be considered as a substantial source of minor BAS mostly carotenoids, vitamins E and K, group B vitamins: niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid, mineral substances: potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, as well as dietary fiber.
Carrot is a root vegetable with carotenoids, flavonoids, polyacetylenes, vitamins, and minerals, all of which possess numerous nutritional and health benefits. Besides lending truth to the old adage that carrots are good for eyes, carotenoids, polyphenols and vitamins present in carrot act as antioxidants, anticarcinogens, and immunoenhancers. Anti-diabetic, cholesterol and cardiovascular disease lowering, anti-hypertensive, hepatoprotective, renoprotective, and wound healing benefits of carrot have also been reported. The cardio- and hepatoprotective, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects of carrot seed extracts are also noteworthy. All are discussed in this review article.
The effect of vitamin C deficiency on the digestive and absorptive functions of the gut has been investigated in guinea pigs. The absorption of D-glucose was significantly elevated, but that of L-leucine, L-alanine and L-lysine considerably depressed in the intestine of scorbutic guinea pigs compared to controls. The intestinal transport of vitamin B,2 was also diminished. Activities of sucrase and alkaline phosphatase on the brush border were enhanced, but that of leucine aminopeptidase markedly reduced in scorbutic animals com pared to controls. Maltase activity was unaffected in vitamin C deficient animals. Chemical analysis of the brush borders isolated from scorbutic animals revealed a considerable decrease in membrane protein, total lipids, phospholipids, and free cholesterol contents compared to control animals. In vivo 2-l4C-acetate incorporation into membrane lipids suggested that the observed decrease in lipid components of the scorbutic membranes is due to reduced synthe sis. Administration of ascorbic acid to scorbutic animals ameliorated the intestinal aberra tions observed in scurvy. During recent years the metabolic role of ascorbic acid has been extensively studied in a variety of tissues [2, 14. 16. 24], Deficiency of vitamin C impairs the biosynthesis of col lagen [7], produces mental disorders [ 17], and induces various lysosomal enzyme activities in the liver [15]. Preliminary observations suggest that vitamin C deficiency also affects the absorption of nutrients from the intestine [6. 20], but the precise role of ascorbic acid in the functional activities of the gut is un known. The microvillus membrane lining the surface of enterocytes is the primary site re sponsible for the terminal events in the pro cess of digestion and absorption in the intes tine. The aim of the present studies was to investigate the effects of vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs on the chemical composition
Dietary fiber measurements are essential to assessment of the potential therapeutic and preventive effects of fiber intake. Ideally, dietary fiber analyses should measure all components—soluble polysaccharides, noncellulosic polysaccharides, cellulose, and lignin—and the constituent sugars of the soluble and noncellulosic polysaccharides. We modified existing techniques to measure reproducibly the total dietary fiber, polysaccharide, and lignin components and the sugar constituents of selected foods. Soluble-fiber content as percentage of total dietary fiber for groups of foods averaged 32% for cereal products, 32% for vegetables, 25% for dried beans, and 38% for fruits. Lignin content, estimated gravimetrically, was approximately 1.4 g/100 g dry wt for 24 foods. Detailed fiber measurements are critical for evaluating the potential health benefits of dietary fiber intake.
Cancer has become one of the major health problems around the world. In the U.S., about 1,372,910 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed and 570,280 people will die from cancer in 2005.¹ Although cancer occurs in every country around the world, there are wide geographic variations in the incidence of cancer. The incidences of hormone-related cancers including breast, prostate, endometrium, and ovary cancers are much higher in the U.S. and European countries compared to Asian countries such as Japan and China. It has been believed that the difference in the incidences is due to the environmental and lifestyle factors including dietary habits. The Japanese and the Chinese consume a traditional diet high in soy products. Dietary intakes of 39.4 and 47.4 mg soy isoflavone/day in Chinese and Japanese populations, respectively, have been reported, whereas the dietary consumption of soy isoflavones is less than 1 mg/day in the general population in the U.S.²⁻⁴ Epidemiological studies have revealed that high consumption of soybean is inversely associated with the risk of hormone-related cancers.⁵⁻⁷ Therefore, isoflavones that mainly exist in soybean have received much attention as dietary factors having inhibitory effects on carcinogenesis. In recent years, growing evidence from animal and in vitro studies has demonstrated that isoflavones are able to exert their inhibitory effects on the development of cancers, cancer cell growth, and cancer progression, suggesting that isoflavones may be promising agents for cancer prevention and/or treatment.
Garlic is a popular culinary herb that is also used throughout the world as a traditional medicine for the prevention and treatment of disease. Epidemiologic studies have suggested that long-term consumption of garlic reduces risk for certain cancers, most notably stomach and colon cancer. This article summarizes the key findings behind one important mechanism explaining the anticarcinogenic effects of garlic-derived agents in animal models: the inhibition of cytochrome p4502E1 (CYP2E1), with some commentary on other aspects of carcinogen metabolism modified by these unique phytochemicals.
Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a compound that occurs naturally in Brassica vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli, can induce a G1 cell-cycle arrest of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells that is accompanied by the selective inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (Cdk6) expression and stimulation of p21(Waf1/Cip1) gene expression Construction and transfection of a series of promoter-reporter plasmids demonstrate that the indole-regulated changes in Cdk6 and p21(Waf1/Cip1) levels are due to specific effects on their corresponding promoters. Mutagenic analysis reveals that I3C signaling targets a composite transcriptional element in the Cdk6 promoter that requires both Sp1 and Ets transcription factors for transactivation function. Analysis of protein-DNA complexes formed with nuclear proteins isolated from I3C-treated and -untreated cells demonstrates that the Sp1 DNA element in the Cdk6 promoter interacts with an I3C-inhibited protein-protein complex that contains the Sp1 transcription factor. In indole-treated cells, a fraction of [H-3]I3C was converted into its natural diindole product H-3-labeled 3-3'-diindolylmethane ([H-3]DIM), which accumulates in the nucleus; this suggests that DIM may have a role in the transcriptional activities of I3C. Mutagenic analysis of the p21(Waf/Cip1) promoter reveals that in transfected breast cancer cells, DIM (as well as I3C) stimulates p21(Waf1/Cip1) transcription through an indole-responsive region of the promoter that contains multiple Sp1 consensus sequences. Furthermore, DIM treatment regulates the presence of a nuclear Sp1 DNA-binding activity. Our results demonstrate that both the Cdk6 and p21(Waf1/CiP1) promoters are newly defined downstream targets of the indole-signaling pathway, and that the observed transcriptional effects are due to a combination of the cellular activities of I3C and DIM.
Compounds in garlic work synergistically to produce various effects, but, because of garlic's chemical complexity, processing methods yield preparations with differing efficacy and safety. Although thiosulfinates such as allicin have been long misunderstood to be active compounds due to their characteristic odor, it is not necessary for garlic preparations to contain such odorous compounds to be effective, and they decompose and disappear during any processing. Garlic exhibits hypolipidemic, antiplatelet, and procirculatory effects. It prevents cold and flu symptoms through immune enhancement and demonstrates anticancer and chemopreventive activities. In addition, aged garlic extract possesses hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antioxidative activities, whereas other preparations may stimulate oxidation. Additional effects may be caused by S-allylcysteine, S-allyl mercaptocysteine), saponins, N-alpha-fructosyl arginine, and other substances formed during a long-term extraction process. Although not all of active ingredients of garlic are known, and allicin-like transient components are not directly active, ample research suggests that an allicin-free garlic preparation that is standardized with a bioavailable component such as S-allylcysteine, is active and various effects of garlic may be attributed to it. Furthermore, various chemical constituents in garlic products, including nonsulfur compounds such as saponins, may contribute to the essential biological activities of garlic. Further studies are needed to confirm their bioavailability and associated activities.
