Health-Promoting Properties of Fruits and Vegetables

About this book

Fruits and vegetables are among the richest sources of many compounds that promote health including vitamins, antioxidants and other bio-active compounds. Health experts generally agree that these types of compounds are responsible for the health benefits associated with increased dietary intakes of fresh fruit and vegetables, reducing the incidence of certain cancers and chronic diseases.

Health-Promoting Properties of Fruits and Vegetables collectively discusses and reviews empirical data on the health promoting properties of all types of fresh produce. Detailed information is provided on the identity, nature, bioavailability, chemopreventive effects and post-harvest stability of specific chemical classes with known bioactive properties. Additional chapters discuss the various methodologies used for extraction, isolation, characterisation and quantification of bioactive compounds and the in vitro and in vivo assays used for identifying and assessing their anticancer properties.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Alliums
3. Avocado
4. Blueberry and Cranberry
5. Brassicas
6. Citrus
7. Cucurbits
8. Exotics
9. Grape
10. Leafy Vegetables and Salads
11. Pome Fruit
12. Potato and Other Root Crops
13. Prunus
14. Ribes and Rubus
15. Strawberry
16. Tomato and Other Solanaceous Fruits
17. Tropical Fruit
18. Methodologies for Extraction, Isolation, Characterization and Quantification of Bioactive Compounds
19. Methodologies for Evaluating In Vitro and In Vivo Activities of Bioactive Compounds

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Biography

Dr Leon A Terry (Reader in Plant Science) is Head of the Plant Science Laboratory at Cranfield University and heads Food Security and Environmental Health within Cranfield Health, with responsibility over all staff and students in the area. His main research interests are fundamental postharvest physiology and biochemistry of fresh produce, postharvest pathology and disorders, chemometric and textural profiling for interpretation of chemical data, shelf-life and vase-life extension and quality evaluation and sensor and product development (including packaging).