Phytochemicals: An Emerging Application

作者：Rohit Kumar, Era Chaudhary, Satveer Kaur, Amneet Kaur Badwal, Lakshmi Giri · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1201/9781032690636-6 · 研究领域：Natural Antidiabetic Agents Studies

Consumption of nutritious and healthy foods is highly recommended to prevent diseases. Bio-fortification of common agricultural crops enriched with phytochemicals is a sustainable method for providing nutritional supplements. Phytochemicals are highly nutritious secondary metabolites with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity widespread in many fruits and vegetables like blackberries, blueberries, apples, coffee, tea, carrots, lettuce, and onions. Phytochemicals protect the cells against oxidative stress by eliminating the highly reactive free radicals. Many crops, including maize, rapeseeds, tomatoes, black rice, colored wheat, and potato tubers, have also been targeted for increased phytochemicals and anthocyanin content via either transgenic or breeding technology. However, a significant impediment when considering the biofortification of plants with antioxidants is the complexity of endogenous metabolic pathways and targeting a specific path without affecting plant growth and development. In this chapter, our attention is directed towards the recent biological advancements in phytochemical biofortification across diverse crops. We explore their potential to offer dietary alternatives that contribute to averting various human illnesses.