Naturally present bioactive compounds in plants are referred to as "Phytochemicals" and are being studied extensively for their role in human health. Studies have shown that they can have an important role to play in the prevention and management of several human diseases. Recognizing the increasing interest in this area, this book is being published in response to the need for more current information globally about phytochemicals and their role in human health. Chapters of the book are authored by internationally recognized authors who are experts in their respective field of expertise. The chapters represent both original research as well as up-to-date and comprehensive reviews. We are sure that the book will be an important reference source meeting the needs of a wide range of interest groups.

Fruit and Vegetable Phytochemicals: Chemistry, Nutritional Value and Stability provides scientists in the areas of food technology and nutrition with accessible and up-to-date information about the chemical nature, classification and analysis of the main phytochemicals present in fruits and vegetables – polyphenols and carotenoids. Special care is taken to analyze the health benefits of these compounds, their interaction with fiber, antioxidant and other biological activities, as well as the degradation processes that occur after harvest and minimal processing.

"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.

Global dietary recommendations emphasize the consumption of plant-based foods for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Plants contain many biologically active compounds referred to as phytochemicals or functional ingredients. These compounds play an important role in human health. Prior to establishing the safety and health benefits of these compounds, they must first be isolated, purified, and their physico-chemical properties established. Once identified, their mechanisms of actions are studied. The chapters are arranged in the order from isolation, purification and identification to in vivo and clinical studies, there by covering not only the analytical procedures used but also their nutraceutical and therapeutic properties.

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 In

A collection of current knowledge of phytochemicals and health Interest in phenolic phytochemicals has increased as scientific studies indicate these compounds exhibit potential health benefits. With contributions from world leaders in this research area, Plant Phenolics and Human Health: Biochemistry, Nutrition, and Pharmacology offers an essential survey of the current knowledge on the capacity of specific micronutrients present in ordinary diets to fight disease. The coverage in this resource: Explains the presence and biochemical properties of phenolics present in fruits and vegetables, as well as in foods derived from their plant sources Provides biochemical explanations on how certain plant phenolics fight cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and other widespread pathologies Focuses on certain phenolics, e.g., flavonoids, stilbenes, and curcuminoids, and provides insights on the biochemical bases used to define their significance in the diet as well as their recommended consumption requirements and toxicity Appropriate for graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses in human and animal nutrition, basic nutritional biology, physiology, pharmacology, and other health-related disciplines, Plant Phenolics and Human Health: Biochemistry, Nutrition, and Pharmacology serves as both an invaluable supplementary classroom text and a self-teaching guide for professionals interested in defining the association between diet and health from classical, alternative, and complementary biomedical perspectives.

Nutraceuticals are bioactive phytochemicals that protect or promote health and occur at the intersection of food and pharmaceutical industries. This book will cover a wider spectrum of human health and diseases including the role of phytonutrients in the prevention and treatment. The Book includes chapters dealing with biological and clinical effect, molecular level approach, quality assurance, bioavailability and metabolism of a number phytochemicals and their role to combat different diseases.

Phytochemicals, consumed as part of the diet, improve human health by lowering its risk and preventing chronic diseases. Fruits, vegetables, chocolate, pulses, and teas, among others, are rich sources of phytochemicals; however, only a certain amount has been isolated and identified. Moreover, the wide diversity of these compounds requires optimized extraction methodologies for further characterization and evaluation of healthy properties. This Special Issue addresses interdisciplinary research related to phytochemicals, highlighting their dietary sources, innovative extraction methodologies, and their effects on human health. Seven papers have been selected for further contribution to phytochemical studies.

Global health and the increasing incidence of various diseases are a cause for concern, and doctors and scientists reason that the diet, food habits and lifestyle are contributing factors. Processed food has reduced the nutritional value of our diet, and although supplementing foods with various additives is considered an alternative, the long-term impact of this is not known. Many laboratories around the world are working to identify various nutritional components in our daily food and their effect on human health. These have been classified as Nutraceuticals or functional food, and they may have preventive and therapeutic effects in a number of pathologies associated with modern dietary habits and lifestyles. This book addresses various aspects of this issue, revitalizing the discussion and consolidating the latest research on nutritional and functional food and their effects in in-vitro, in-vivo and human clinical studies.

Are soy isoflavones neuroprotective? Just how different is one species of Echinacea from another? Which phytochemicals will be effective as therapeutic agents in vivo? Supported by solid scientific research, Phytochemicals in Nutrition and Health helps provide answers to these and other probing questions concerning the mechanisms of action associat