Status of Bioactive Compounds in Foods, with Focus on Fruits and Vegetables

Components of cereals, legumes, pulses, proteins, sea food, milk, carbohydrates and lipids are being evaluated for their
influence on human health, as biofunctional compounds. However, references dealing with fruits and vegetables exceed any
other food group and accordingly their focus. Fruits and vegetables abound in a spectacular range of such health influencing
compounds and thus, study of their bioactivity, in lieu of their consumption in fresh or processed form. Anti-cancerous
phenolics from Phyllanthus, radioprotective Litchi phenolics/flavonoids, hypoglycemic Sygium, quercitin and hydroxyl
cinnamates of Sweet cherries, xanthones ofMangosteen, ellagitannins of Pomegranate, ursolic acid of Sea buckthorn, muscle
relaxative watermelon, anti-cholesterolemic soluble fibre and sterols, cardioprotective saponins, ACE-inhibitory potato
hydrolysates, anti-pancreatic cancerous ascorbic acid, carotenoids including pro-vitamin A are few examples unraveled.
Thus, the imminent scope to obviate their structural chemistry, influence on storage and processing conditions, factors
favoring their bio-accessibility/bio-availability in the food formulations, influencing human health. It is the meticulous
combination of these compounds in daily consumption that determines their usefulness to human body.What is of paramount
importance is the actual health benefits accrued from consumption of such functional- compound based fresh/processed
fruits ,vegetables or other foods.