A diet rich in fruits has been associated with lower risk of chronic diseases because, in addition to the vitamin and mineral composition, they contains various compounds with health-protective effects, in particular antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. In recent years, wild plant species have become very interesting for the food industry, because of their use as replacements for synthetic chemicals and nutraceuticals, but nutritional, economic and socio-cultural values of some neglected and underutilized natural resources are not fully exploited. Some less known and underutilized fruits, potential new sources for health-promoting agents, are presented in this chapter: Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal, Crataegus azarolus L., Lycium barbarum L., Morus nigra L., Amelanchier canadensis (L.) Medicus. Underutilized fruits could represent an opportunity for growers to gain access to these special markets where consumers lay emphasis on content of nutrients capable of preventing degenerative diseases: the development of specific horticultural models for nutraceutical fruit production could be an interesting opportunity to obtain a high standardized raw material for fresh or derived-products.
Nutraceuticals in alternative and underutilized fruits as functional food ingredients: ancient species for new health needs
Donno D.;Mellano M. G.;Cerutti A. K.;Beccaro G. L.
2018-01-01
Abstract
A diet rich in fruits has been associated with lower risk of chronic diseases because, in addition to the vitamin and mineral composition, they contains various compounds with health-protective effects, in particular antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. In recent years, wild plant species have become very interesting for the food industry, because of their use as replacements for synthetic chemicals and nutraceuticals, but nutritional, economic and socio-cultural values of some neglected and underutilized natural resources are not fully exploited. Some less known and underutilized fruits, potential new sources for health-promoting agents, are presented in this chapter: Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal, Crataegus azarolus L., Lycium barbarum L., Morus nigra L., Amelanchier canadensis (L.) Medicus. Underutilized fruits could represent an opportunity for growers to gain access to these special markets where consumers lay emphasis on content of nutrients capable of preventing degenerative diseases: the development of specific horticultural models for nutraceutical fruit production could be an interesting opportunity to obtain a high standardized raw material for fresh or derived-products.
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
