1. Biological activity and toxicity of plant nutraceuticals: an overview
- Author
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Yelko Rodríguez-Carrasco, Josefa Tolosa, Mercedes Taroncher, María José Ruiz, and Pilar Vila-Donat
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,education.field_of_study ,030109 nutrition & dietetics ,Population ,food and beverages ,Biological activity ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,Pesticide ,Biology ,040401 food science ,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ,Crop protection ,03 medical and health sciences ,0404 agricultural biotechnology ,Nutraceutical ,Toxicity ,Food science ,education ,Beneficial effects ,Food Science - Abstract
Plant nutraceuticals have currently been receiving international attention due to their potentially health-promoting effects when consumed as part of a varied diet, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative properties. These beneficial effects have been attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds naturally occurring in food or produced de novo through metabolic pathways. However, taken into account that nutraceuticals could be concentrated forms of the food or plants, it is probable to find undesirable substances utilized in crop protection, such as pesticides, and other contaminants (e.g. mycotoxins), which could be concentrated during the extraction process. Hence, this review will deepen into the bioactive compounds and health-promoting properties of plant nutraceuticals as well as the challenges related to safety issues because of the increase consumption of these products by population.
- Published
- 2021
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