Recently, the role of diet in disease prevention and health promotion in human has been extensively discussed and thus the physiological functions of micoronutorients in diet attract much attention. Flavonoids, a family of polypnenols, are the major health beneficial ingredients we intake from the daily diet and especially the chemoprevention and cardiovascular disease prevention effects are implicated in flavonoid function. Anthocyanins, the flavonoid family, are the watersoluble pigment widely distributed in plants and contributing also to the colors of fruits and vegetables. The health beneficial effects of anthocyanins rich fruits such as berries have been recognized in people in early time, for example, night vision improvement, indicating anthocyanins are the active ingredient. However, precise scientific studies were not prompted because of their unstable nature at physiological pH and limited supply of authentic samples. As the critical roles of free radical and reactive oxygen species become apparent in disease and aging, the high antioxidant potential of anthocyanins has mainly been discussed in relation to their disease preventive functions especially towards cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Proposition of French Paradox might be another factor contributed to the vast of anthocyanin research. Many research are recently addressed to lifestyle and age related disorders such as obesity, hypoglycemia, hypocholestrolemia, and degenerative brain disorders. In addition, recent development in analytical methodology and techniques prompted studies on metabolism and bioavailability of anthocyanins both in experimental animals and human since these information are essential for the further understanding of the mechanism of functions. In this review book, unique properties of anthocyanins including acylated anthocyanins are discussed first from the view of their structure and stability, and then the bioavailability and metabolism studies are reviewed. In the following chapters, the recent research developments in anthocyanin functions are reviewed including antioxidant properties, vision improvement, anti-obesity function, cancer and anti-cardiovascular disease preventions, and degenerated brain function. We are grateful to these authors of different chapters for their timely contributions that made publications of this book possible. We hope this book will help readers to overview the significant role of anthocyanins as micronutrients functioning in disease prevention and health promotion.

Modern food biotechnology is now a billion-dollar industry, producing functional foods and nutraceuticals that offer a whole host of increased health benefits, including prevention against illness, and chronic and degenerative conditions. Written by a team of top-tier researchers and scientists from around the world, Biotechnology in Functional Foo

This reference work provides comprehensive information about the bioactive molecules presented in our daily food and their effect on the physical and mental state of our body. Although the concept of functional food is new, the consumption of selected food to attain a specific effect existed already in ancient civilizations, namely of China and India. Consumers are now more attentive to food quality, safety and health benefits, and the food industry is led to develop processed- and packaged-food, particularly in terms of calories, quality, nutritional value and bioactive molecules. This book covers the entire range of bioactive molecules presented in daily food, such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, isoflavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C, polyphenols, bioactive molecules presented in wine, beer and cider. Concepts like French paradox, Mediterranean diet, healthy diet of eating fruits and vegetables, vegan and vegetarian diet, functional foods are described with suitable case studies. Readers will also discover a very timely compilation of methods for bioactive molecules analysis. Written by highly renowned scientists of the field, this reference work appeals to a wide readership, from graduate students, scholars, researchers in the field of botany, agriculture, pharmacy, biotechnology and food industry to those involved in manufacturing, processing and marketing of value-added food products.

This book summarizes the current knowledge of anthocyanins, provides systematic information for future exploration of anthocyanin applications. It focuses on several aspects regarding the studying progression in the field of anthocyanins. The first section of the book provides a brief introduction to the scope and progress on anthocyanins, which is followed by the second section that describes the natural sources, structure, extraction approaches, bioavailability, and current stabilizing approach of anthocyanins. Then in the third part, the book focuses on the industrial processing of anthocyanins in foods by discussing the impact of food processing on anthocyanin structure and composition as well as classical processing techniques on anthocyanin-containing foods, including high-pressure, encapsulation, microwave, and combined application of the above techniques. In the last section of the book, the authors explore the currently most popular application of anthocyanins in improving human health, such as the effect of anthocyanin on vision, metabolism, neural system, cardiovascular system, and cancers. The book will facilitate readers’ understanding of the progress of anthocyanin studies. And it will benefit researchers and graduate students in the fields of natural products, functional food, and nutrition, etc.

Increasing knowledge of the various protective effects of phytochemicals has sparked interest in further understanding their role in human health. Phytochemicals: Health Promotion and Therapeutic Potential is the seventh in a series representing the emerging science with respect to plant-based chemicals. Drawn from the proceedings at the Seventh International Phytochemical Conference, Phytochemicals: Health Promotion and Therapeutic Potential, the book contains chapters written by conference presenters along with those of additional invited authors whose research focuses on the biological activities and clinical outcomes associated with phytochemical consumption. The book begins with a discussion of major research that has contributed to the widespread interest in phytochemicals and health promotion. This is followed by an exploration of the beneficial effects of polyphenols in healthy aging and against a host of illnesses and disorders, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and ulcers. The contributors also examine various aspects of phytochemicals related to bone and brain health, obesity, and metabolic disease. The book concludes by presenting methodologies for assessing the bioavailability of carotenoids and offers additional insight into Momordica cochichinensis Spreng, a fruit not commonly known in the Western world and a rich source of lycopene and beta-carotene. While promising advancements have been made in this field, opportunities for progress still exist concerning bioavailability, efficacy, genomics, and synergistic mechanisms. This book is destined to stimulate increased interest in research regarding these compounds, their biological activities, and the application of these findings to therapeutic alternatives.

Bioactive ingredients, including both bioactive compounds and bioactive live organisms, are present in small amounts in natural sources such as fruits and vegetables. These ingredients have been continuously investigated during the last few decades and the epidemiological data suggest that their intake is associated with significant decreased risk of various disorders and chronic diseases owing to their anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities. Some of these natural ingredients such as catechins, curcumin, resveratrol, oleuropein, quercetin, rutin, hesperidin, sulforaphane, ellagic acid, and anthocyanins, have been studied as factors with possible direct or indirect effect on specific molecular pathways which are playing vital roles in the association with the pathophysiology of the chronic diseases such as cancer. In light of this, natural foods and food-derived products rich in bioactives have received recent growing attention. It has been reported that frequent consumption of fruits, vegetables, and their associated natural products have many health-promoting benefits that protect against degenerative illnesses including heart disease, arthritis, cancer, immune system decline, brain dysfunction, inflammation and cataracts. Functional foods and medicinal supplements containing encapsulated bioactive materials will be the future of new emerging products in the food and pharma industries. Such products present therapeutical and medicinal properties that can prevent and/or cure specific chronic diseases and disorders. Handbook Of Bioactive Ingredients provides a systematic overview of different food bioactive ingredients describing their chemistry, structure, functionality, safety/toxicity, oral delivery and their applications in functional foods. Detailed chapters will describe various bioactive ingredients including polyphenolic compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins, carotenoids, sterols such as non-oxygenated carotenoids, xanthophylls and phytosterols, bioactive peptides such as marine bioactive peptides, animal bioactive peptides, plant bioactive peptides, microbial bioactive peptides, essential fatty acids like fish and marine oils and plant oils, live organisms like probiotics and yeasts, essential oils and oleoresins like monoterpens, sequiterpens and oleoresins, vitamins and minerals including liposoluble vitamins, hydrosoluble vitamins and trace minerals), and other bioactive compounds including prebiotics, oligosaccharides, dietary fibers and beta-glucan. This book is the first comprehensive collection of scientific evidence form published literature on natural bioactive ingredients.

Phytonutrients in Food: From Traditional to Rational Usage offers an overview of phytonutrients and reveals the techniques related to the extraction, separation, identification and quantification of these compounds. The book focuses on the connection between the discovery and characterization of new molecules, explores new applications of well-known compounds and their relative effects for human health, analyses the processes of extraction, identification and production, and explains the protocols and precautions to avoid degradation, significant loss, or production of secondary reactions during production. Intended for researchers, product developers, nutritionists, food chemists, pharmacologists, pharmacists, and students studying these topics, Phytonutrients in Food: From Traditional to Rational Usage is sure to be an invaluable reference. Reviews phytonutrients focusing on the connection between the discovery and characterization of new molecules Explores new applications of well-known compounds and their relative effects for human health Analyses the processes of extraction, identification and production Explains the protocols and precautions to avoid degradation, significant loss, or production of secondary reactions during production