Phytochemicals specific types

Nutraceuticals are nonspecific biological therapies used to promote wellness, prevent malignant processes, and control symptoms. It is a broad umbrella term used to describe any product derived from food soiuces that provides extra health benefits in addition to the basic nutritional value foimd in foods. The definition of nutraceuticals and related products often depends on the soiuce. Phytochemicals and antioxidants are two specific types of nutraceuticals. It has been proved that phytochemicals found in foods may help to provide protection from diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, for example, carotenoids found in carrots. Antioxidants may be helpful in avoiding chronic diseases, by preventing oxidative damage in body [8]. There are multiple different types of products that come imder the category of nutraceuticals ... 

The accumulation of phytochemicals can be regulated by endogenous signals (e.g., hormones), or induced by exogenous/environmental conditions. The specific type of compounds, their level of accumulation and the spatio-temporal distribution of phytochemicals varies between different plant species. For example, during development and growth, plants accumulate monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. These volatile compounds are primarily released from aerial plant parts and play a major role in the interaction between plants and the environment (e.g.. 

There are several research observations which support the utilization of cardenolides in milkweed by monarch butterflies for purposes of defense. First, the monarch larvae feed exclusively on species of Asclepias through all developmental stages (Urquhart, 1960). Second, the insects are capable of selective storage of some cardenolides among different members of Asclepiadaceae (Roeske et al., 1976 Brower et al., 1982). Finally, metabolic conversion to specific types of cardenolides occurs in the monarch (Seiber et al., 1980). These data and the emetic response ellicited by the cardenolides in vertebrates provide compelling evidence on behalf of the utilization of phytochemicals by insects for the purpose of defense against predators. 

When a racemic substance is hydrogenated or when the reduction leads to the production of centers of asymmetry, the phytochemical reduction will take at first a completely or partially asymmetric course. Examples of such asymmetric reactions are the conversions of pure racemic valeraldehyde, acetaldol, furoin and furil, diacetyl and acetyl-methylcarbinol to optically active alcohols. Occasionally meso forms also arise, as for example in the case off glycols (p. 84). The reasons for the stereochemical specificity of these reactions have not been clarified. This type of phenomenon has frequently been observed in the related intramolecular dismutation of keto aldehydes, especially if enzyme materials of differing origins are used. 

Chromatography techniques with different detectors followed by skillful sample preparation are usually applied to quantify these antioxidants in natural sources. These techniques offer sensitive and specific analysis methods for most of the antioxidants. This is the first book that particularly covers and summarizes the details of sample preparation procedures and methods developed to identify and quantify various types of natural antioxidants in plants and food products. In the book, the principle of quantification methods for natural antioxidant-rich phytochemicals is introduced and current methods used in the determination of antioxidants in different sources are reviewed and summarized by experts in the field. As a handbook of analysis of natural antioxidant-rich phytochemicals, the book provides useful information for many researchers in this area to learn ideal analysis methods for the antioxidants they are examining. The book may also serve as a lecture resource for courses in food analysis, functional foods, and nutrition. 

This last category of saw palmetto product is a recent introduction to the world of herbs. Standardized products are manufactured to contain specific amounts of phytochemicals that the producers believe may be active constituents or that act as marker chemicals (a specific, easy-to-test-for component of the herb). The idea is that every capsule contains the exact same measure of the active substance. There are both pros and cons concerning this type of product and we will discuss them further in chapter 5. 

Fig. 2.3 Phylogenetic tree of the Convolvulaceae established by cladistic analyses based on molecular data sets (Stefanovic et al. 2003) outgroup Solanaceae for deteiils see text. Genera in bold indicate the significance for this book (presence of phytochemical data in the literature for this specific genus), in addition the genus Cressa ought to be printed in bold-face genera in standard type indicate that there are no data available...

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