Carotenoids and Human Health provides an introduction to food sources and metabolism. Written by experts in their fields and including the most up-to-date information, this volume serves as an in-depth guide to studies that have been performed in humans and observations that have been made in population level assessments. Special emphasis is given to associations with disease, as well as the importance of carotenoids internationally, specifically as a source of vitamin A for the world. Comprehensive and easy to use, Carotenoids and Human Health is a very useful resource for nutritionists, registered dieticians, medical students, and graduate students.

This volume is the newest release in the authoritative series of quantitative estimates of nutrient intakes to be used for planning and assessing diets for healthy people. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) is the newest framework for an expanded approach developed by U.S. and Canadian scientists. This book discusses in detail the role of vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and the carotenoids in human physiology and health. For each nutrient the committee presents what is known about how it functions in the human body, which factors may affect how it works, and how the nutrient may be related to chronic disease. Dietary Reference Intakes provides reference intakes, such as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), for use in planning nutritionally adequate diets for different groups based on age and gender, along with a new reference intake, the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), designed to assist an individual in knowing how much is "too much" of a nutrient.

Carotenoids: Properties, Processing, and Applications fills the gap of transfer knowledge between academia and industry, covering integral information in three critical dimensions: properties, recovery and applications. At the moment, carotenoid research is directed at particular applications, including colorants, antioxidants and recovery from plant processing by-products. These trends take into account the health, nutrition and functions of carotenoids, the new recovery efforts from underutilized sources, the extraction procedures using green solvents and technologies, and their sustainability aspects. Written by a team of experts in the field of food chemistry, food science and technology, as well as bioresource technologists mainly from academia, the book covers the most recent advances in the field of carotenoids, while also analyzing the potential of already commercialized processes and products. - Covers carotenoids' properties in view of alternative sources (plant by-products, microalgae, etc.), recovery technologies and applications - Thoroughly explores mechanistic aspects, dietary intake and recommendations surrounding the health-promoting effects of carotenoids - Discusses the effect of processing and storage conditions in carotenoid levels and bioavailability - Presents applications and case studies in the food industry

Plants produce chemicals as part of their normal metabolic activities. These include primary metabolites found in all plants, such as sugars and fats, as well as secondary metabolites, which can have therapeutic effects in humans and be refined to produce drugs. Plants synthesize a bewildering variety of phytochemicals, but most are derivatives of a few biochemical motifs. Numerous herbal-derived substances have been evaluated for their therapeutic potential. These include alkaloids, coumarins, saponins, plant pigments and flavonoids. Flavonoids, carotenoids and anthocyanins are probably the best known of these substances due to their antioxidant properties. Carotenoids: Structure and Function in the Human Body presents comprehensive coverage of carotenoids. The text covers the scientific literature and clinical significance of this organic pigment, with an emphasis on its therapeutic potential. The authors approach carotenoids from a range of perspectives, from their structural and physicochemical properties to their distribution in nature, interaction with the human metabolism, and use as a coloring agent in various products. The intake, metabolism and secretion of anthocyanins in the human body are covered in-depth, as are the biosynthetic pathways through which these compounds are synthesized in the natural system. Factors affecting stability and extraction are listed, and health-related uses and biological activities are covered in great detail. Present and future trends in carotenoid research are also presented. This book provides a solid background in carotenoids for researchers and professionals in food science, food technology, nutrition, biology, chemistry and medical sciences.

The Carotenoids book series provides an introduction to the fundamental chemistry, detailed accounts of the basic methods used in carotenoid research, and critical discussions of the biochemistry, functions and applications of carotenoids. The use of carotenoids against diseases is discussed. This volume is to be used in conjunction with the Carotenoids book series and the Carotenoids Handbook.

Nutraceutical and Functional Food Components: Effects of Innovative Processing Techniques, Second Edition highlights the impact of recent food industry advances on the nutritional value, functional properties, applications, bioavailability, and bioaccessibility of food components. This second edition also assesses shelf-life, sensory characteristics, and the profile of food products. Covering the most important groups of food components, including lipids, proteins, peptides and amino acids, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, aromatic compounds, minerals, glucosinolates, enzymes, this book addresses processing methods for each. Food scientists, technologists, researchers, nutritionists, engineers and chemists, agricultural scientists, other professionals working in the food industry, as well as students studying related fields, will benefit from this updated reference. - Focuses on nutritional value, functional properties, applications, bioavailability and bioaccessibility of food components - Covers food components by describing the effects of thermal and non-thermal technologies - Addresses shelf-life, sensory characteristics and health claims

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.

This comprehensive, edited book explores carotenoids and their important functional roles in yeast, bacteria and plants and a profound exposition on the structures of carotenoid molecules, focusing in the first of three parts on the biosynthesis of carotenoids. The regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis in photosynthesis as well as in plant, fruits, storage roots and algae is central to the second part, and discoveries about the function of carotenoids in human health feature in the third and final part. Many helpful illustrations, explanations, overviews and examples help to bring readers up to date on relevant themes including carotenogenic genes, carotenoids in fruits and metabolic engineering. The book explores where carotenoids are synthesized in nature, including in carrots and algae. Contributing expert authors examine enzyme functions and plant models, and analyze the structure of carotenoid molecules. The function of carotenoids in photosynthesis and in photosynthetic organs as well as during fruit ripening are then explored. A whole chapter is dedicated to the latest research on apocarotenoids and further chapters cover interesting and novel themes on plastid development and the epigenetic regulation that affects carotenoid synthesis in plants. The metabolic engineering of carotenoids that has been done in fruits, plants, and seeds is another area that readers can explore, along with evidences on the function of carotenoids in human nutrition, as antioxidants, as in the control of lipid metabolism and in the absorption of carotenoids. This is a highly informative and wide-ranging work which will update researchers in the field, as well as supporting students of plant physiology and biotechnology, as supplementary reading.

"Bio-Farms for Nutraceuticals" can be said to have been born of the NUTRA-SNACKS project within the Sixth Framework Programme Priority on Food Quality and Safety. One objective of NUTRA -SNACK S was to improve the nutritional and eating properties of ready-to-eat products and semi-prepared foodstuffs through better monitoring of the quality and safety of raw materials and the development of innovative processes along the production chain. Another main objective of the project was the production of ready-to-eat snacks with high nutraceutic activity. Seven research institutes and three companies in six European countries were involved in this effort. The co-operation resulted in the production of food having a high content of natural metabolites with the following beneficial health effects: anticancer, antilipidemic, anticholesterol, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antihypertensive, anti-inflamatory and antioxidant activities.

Polyphenols and carotenoids are abundant in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, and beverages, such as tea, cocoa and wine providing health-related benefits and antioxidant properties. Focusing on non-extractable polyphenols and carotenoids that are present in the diet, this book will improve our knowledge of dietary intakes and physiological properties ensuring a better understanding of their potential health effects. With global appeal, this will be the first book dedicated to raising the profile of this important area. Summarising the current knowledge in the field, the book will direct further research for food chemists, scientists and nutritionists looking for new perspectives.