Açai Fruits: Potent Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Superfruits with Potential Health Benefits

Dried Fruits ◽  
2013 ◽  
pp. 393-413
Author(s):  
Alexander G. Schauss
Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3126
Author(s):  
Datu Agasi Mohd Kamal ◽  
Norizam Salamt ◽  
Allia Najmie Muhammad Yusuf ◽  
Mohd Izhar Ariff Mohd Kashim ◽  
Mohd Helmy Mokhtar

Curcumin is one of the main polyphenolic compounds in the turmeric rhizome. It possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-arthritis, anti-asthmatic, anti-microbial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. This review aims to provide an overview of the potential health benefits of curcumin to treat female reproductive disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovarian failure and endometriosis. Comprehensive information on curcumin was retrieved from electronic databases, which were MEDLINE via EBSCOhost, Scopus and Google Scholar. The available evidence showed that curcumin reduced the high level of androgen in PCOS. Studies in rodents suggest that curcumin resulted in the disappearance of cysts and the appearance of healthy follicles and corpora lutea. Furthermore, animal studies showed curcumin improved the overall function of the ovary in ovarian diseases and reversed the disturbance in oxidative stress parameters. Meanwhile, in vitro and in vivo studies reported the positive effects of curcumin in alleviating endometriosis through anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic mechanisms. Thus, curcumin possesses various effects on PCOS, ovarian diseases and endometriosis. Some studies found considerable therapeutic effects, whereas others found no effect. However, none of the investigations found curcumin to be harmful. Curcumin clinical trials in endometriosis and ovarian illness are still scarce; thus, future studies need to be conducted to confirm the safety and efficacy of curcumin before it could be offered as a complementary therapy agent.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Djurdjica Ackar ◽  
Kristina Valek Lendić ◽  
Marina Valek ◽  
Drago Šubarić ◽  
Borislav Miličević ◽  
...  

Chocolate has been consumed as confection, aphrodisiac, and folk medicine for many years before science proved its potential health benefiting effects. Main compounds of cocoa and chocolate which contribute to human health are polyphenols that act as antioxidants and have potential anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, antihepatotoxic, antibacterial, antiviral, antiallergenic, and anticarcinogenic properties. This paper gives a short overview of scientific literature regarding cocoa polyphenols and influence of cocoa and chocolate on human health. Although research on health benefits of dark chocolate and cocoa is quite extensive nowadays and shows potentially beneficial effects of dark chocolate and cocoa, there are still lots of unknowns and some controversies. This is obviously an area that needs more research in order to determine factual influence of chocolate on health.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prinya Wongsa

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important staple plant foods for global population especially in Asian countries. Pigmented rice including red rice, black, and purple contains a range of bioactive compounds including phenolics acids and flavonoids. Anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins are recognized as a major functional component in pigmented rice. Recently, pigmented rice varieties have received increasing attention from consumers due to its high nutritional values and bioactive compounds, providing its potential health benefits including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antidiabetic. Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to provide an up-to-date coverage of a systematic and advanced isolation, extraction and analytical methods, and potential health benefit studies related to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic cardiovascular disease risk inhibition potential and anti-neurodegenerative potential of pigmented rice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 5918-5940

Procyanidin is an abundant polyphenol found in nature. It is composed of flavan-3-ol units, including catechin and epicatechin. Procyanidin is a polyphenolic polymer found in abundance in grapes, cranberries, apples, tea, cocoa, and pine bark. Procyanidin possessed antioxidant, anticancer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and antiallergy properties and protected against chronic diseases and metabolic disorders. Consequently, procyanidin may protect against chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and immune-related diseases. Procyanidin acts as an anti-inflammatory, inhibits adipogenesis, melanogenesis, oxidative stress, and enhances lipid metabolism and macrophage activity. The current review summarized the numerous potential health benefits of procyanidin. Despite recent advances, multiple questions and challenges remain regarding procyanidin’s action, biogenesis, and bioavailability mechanisms. Further investigation of procyanidin’s metabolism, genetics, and cellular effects is necessary and should be pursued.


Author(s):  
Abiche Ekalu ◽  
James Dama Habila

Abstract Background The unique and vast pharmacological activities of flavonoids have made them of research interest. This led to the use of various techniques to isolate and characterize them, intending to determine their potential health benefits. Main text The medicinal values of plant-based flavonoids that this literature review tends to summarize the pharmacological activities of these secondary metabolites from 22 selected plant families. The pharmacological shreds of evidence reported in the literature have proven that flavonoids have shown anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-ulcer, and anti-edematogenic activities. Out of these, 30% showed to have anti-oxidant activity, key in protecting the body against free radicals. Besides, 18% of the references showed anti-microbial and anti-cancer activities. Further literature reports indicated that flavonoids from these families exhibited anti-inflammatory and anti-edematogenic (9%), anti-viral and anti-ulcer (5%), anti-fungal, anti-nociceptive, and anti-histamine (2%). Conclusion The pharmacological activities of flavonoids from the various sources reviewed in this study show that the secondary metabolites could provide a scaffold for the development of potent anti-cancer drugs in the future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satheesh Babu Natarajan ◽  
Suriyakala Perumal Chandran ◽  
Sahar Husain Khan ◽  
Packiyaraj Natarajan ◽  
Karthiyaraj Rengarajan

Background: Tea (Camellia sinensis, Theaceae) is the second most consumed beverage in the world. Green tea is the least processed and thus contain rich antioxidant level, and believed to have most of the health benefits. </p><p> Methods: We commenced to search bibliographic collection of peer reviewed research articles and review articles to meet the objective of this study. </p><p> Results: From this study, we found that the tea beverage contains catechins are believed to have a wide range of health benefits which includes neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic effects. The four major catechin compounds of green tea are epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and epicatechin gallate (ECG), of which EGCG is the major constituent and representing 50-80% of the total catechin content. And also contain xanthine derivatives such as caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, and the glutamide derivative theanine. It also contains many nutritional components, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, fluoride, and potassium. We sum up the various green tea phytoconstituents, extraction methods, and its medicinal applications. </p><p> Conclusion: In this review article, we have summarized the pharmacological importance of green tea catechin which includes antioxidant potential, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic and cosmetic application.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ademola Adetokunbo Oyagbemi ◽  
Temitayo Olabisi Ajibade ◽  
Yapo Guillaume Aboua ◽  
Idayat Titilayo Gbadamosi ◽  
Aduragbenro Deborah A. Adedapo ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trishala Gopikrishna ◽  
Harini Keerthana Suresh Kumar ◽  
Kumar Perumal ◽  
Elavarashi Elangovan

Abstract Purpose Fermented soybean foods (FSF) is popularly consumed in the South-East Asian countries. Bacillus species, a predominant microorganism present in these foods, have demonstrated beneficial and deleterious impacts on human health. These microorganisms produce bioactive compounds during fermentation that have beneficial impacts in improving human health. However, the health risks associated with FSF, food pathogens, biogenic amines (BAs) production, and late-onset anaphylaxis, remain a concern. The purpose of this review is to present an in-depth analysis of positive and negative impacts as a result of consumption of FSF along with the measures to alleviate health risks for human consumption. Methods This review was composed by scrutinizing contemporary literature of peer-reviewed publications related to Bacillus and FSF. Based on the results from academic journals, this review paper was categorized into FSF, role of Bacillus species in these foods, process of fermentation, beneficial, and adverse influence of these foods along with methods to improve food safety. Special emphasis was given to the potential benefits of bioactive compounds released during fermentation of soybean by Bacillus species. Results The nutritional and functional properties of FSF are well-appreciated, due to the release of peptides and mucilage, which have shown health benefits: in managing cardiac disease, gastric disease, cancer, allergies, hepatic disease, obesity, immune disorders, and especially microbial infections due to the presence of probiotic property, which is a potential alternative to antibiotics. Efficient interventions were established to mitigate pitfalls like the techniques to reduce BAs and food pathogens and by using a defined starter culture to improve the safety and quality of these foods. Conclusion Despite some of the detrimental effects produced by these foods, potential health benefits have been observed. Therefore, soybean foods fermented by Bacillus can be a promising food by integrating effective measures for maintaining safety and quality for human consumption. Further, in vivo analysis on the activity and dietary interventions of bioactive compounds among animal models and human volunteers are yet to be achieved which is essential to commercialize them for safe consumption by humans, especially immunocompromised patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Louis-Jean ◽  
Debbie Sanon ◽  
Kevin Louis-Jean ◽  
Nicole Sanon ◽  
Ruthonce Stvil Louis-Jean ◽  
...  

AbstractThe biochemical process of fermentation (zymology) is widely practical for foods and beverages. This metabolic process involves microorganisms (bacteria) and their enzymes in the preparation and preservation of foods. Many studies have shown that fermented foods and beverages have various documented health benefits to humans, such as being high in vitamin b, and, among other benefits, having atherogenic and anticarcinogenic properties. This communication discusses the significance of fermentation in Haitian cuisine by focusing on pikliz—a spicy fermented meal garnishment that is widely popular among Haitian dishes. This analysis provides relevant information on Haitian cuisine while examining the underlying mechanisms, compositions, properties, nutritional values, and potential health benefits of pikliz. This spicy meal garnishment represents the regional, ethnic, and national identity of Haitians living in Haiti and abroad.


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