Introduction
Flavonoids are found in many foods and beverages that are consumed regularly throughout the world. They are pigments found in plants and are a product of the metabolism of the plants (Liu, 2013). Flavonoids can be found in many fruits and vegetables as well as tea, coffee and red wine (Corcoran, McKay & Blumberg, 2012). The flavonoids protect the plant and give it color (Liu, 2013). Many studies are finding flavonoid consumption to be beneficial to human health as well. Research has found flavonoids can delay the onset or even prevent some cancers, cardiovascular disease as well as some neurodegenerative diseases (Huntley, 2009). Flavonoids can also be beneficial in the defense of other diseases (Sinijia & Mishra, 2008).
What are Flavonoids and Where are They Found
As plants grow and develop they create byproducts. One of the products produced during plant metabolism is flavonoids. Flavonoids are a subgroup of a much larger category of phytochemicals (Corcoran, McKay & Blumberg, 2012). The largest group of phytochemicals is considered to be polyphenol and flavonoids are a part of this group (Corcoran, McKay & Blumberg, 2012). Flavonoids are grouped together into different types depending on their molecular structure (Corcoran, McKay & Blumberg, 2012).
In the typical American diet, six specific flavonoids are found; flavonols, flavanonones, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavones and isoflavones (Corcoran, McKay & Blumberg, 2012). There are many sources for each of the specific flavonoids and sources contain more than one type. Flavonols are found in onions, kale, leeks, blueberries, red wine and tea (Corcoran, McKay & Blumberg, 2012). Common sources for flavanonones include tomato...
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Anthocyanins, flavanols, flavanones,secoiridoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, coumarins, and isoflavones form a large class of polyphenols, which are phenolic compounds. This study, however, focuses on one category of these phenolic compounds: phenolic acids. These particular compounds have been classified into two groups, namely hydroxycinnamic acids and hydroxybenzoic acids. The most common hydroxybenzoic acids are protocatechuic acid and gallic acid, while hydroxycinnamic acids include ferulic acid, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and sinapic acid, (Nigdikar, Williams, Griffin, & Howard). Unlike hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids usually occur at very low levels in some black radish, red fruits, and onions, accounting for about 10 ppm on a fresh weight basis. Protocatechuic ac...
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The major use for herbal medicines is for the promotion of health and for therapy for chronic conditions, instead of being used for life-threatening conditions; except in the event of say advanced cancer or new infectious diseases when conventional medicine practices no longer are working an individual may use traditional remedies. While traditional medicines are often mistaken that because they are natural that they are safe, non-toxic, which is not always the case. In cases when an individual is taking herbs with prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or other herbs that may cause some adverse side affects. As a flourishing commercial enterprise, it doesn’t matter why an individual uses traditional medicines, it provides important health care services for individuals that have access physically or finantually to allopathic
Black elderberries (Sambucus nigra L.), a deciduous shrub is often used as a traditional medicine, and it is used for common cold and influenza. The bioactive chemical of Sambucus nigra is the anthocyanins. Anthocyanins, plant colorants that responsible for colors such as red, purple, or blue, and in addition, it also provides various health benefits. Studies have shown that anthocyanins for animal and in vitro have decreased necrotic and apoptotic cell death and lower the infarct risks through anti-inflammatory and relaxant effects on coronary arteries. Krawitz and colleagues conducted a study to find out if a standardized elderberry liquid extract will work against bacterial infections and influenza types A and B. They investigated the ability of the extract of elderberries to weaken or decrease the growth of of human pathogenic influenza A and B virus strains. Krawitz and colleagues worked with A/Thailand/KAN-1/2004 (KAN-1, H5N1) and B/Massachusetts/71 (B/Mass) in cell culture.
Lindberg, D. (n.d.). Herbal Medicine: MedlinePlus. U.S National Library of Medicine. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/herbal
Although chemotherapy is an effective treatment for cancer, patients still suffer from side effects such as hair loss. Thus, more studies need to be done to find alternative medications that do not have side effects. Folk medicine is one option used to treat many diseases such as hepatitis B, bacterial infection and parasitic infection (Ahmad et al., 2013). For instance, black seeds (black cumin) showed effects on cardiovascular disease because of the presence of the Thymoquinone component (Ahmad et al., 2013, Khan et al., 2011). Thymoquinone (TQ) has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties (Ahmad et al., 2013). Therefore, black seeds limit the replication of the abnormal WBCs that contain the leukemia. In previous studies, derivatives of black seeds were used against myeloid leukemia (Khan et al., 2011), but this study is focusing on the effects of black seeds themselves.
Nutritional guidelines across the nation do encourage people to eat a healthy array of fruits and vegetables, and often suggest the so called superfoods in their guidelines, but emphasize overall nutrition as well. Furthermore, there is a list of PFVs, or Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables that are highly recommended. These PFVs are colorful and usually yellows, leafy greens, orange, and citrus, and are associated with the reduced risk of recurring diseases and chronic illnesses. Superfoods are also usually antioxidants, which people immediately associate with weight loss. And there are hundreds of researchers looking to find the best foods to reduce risks of diseases every
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Flavonoids are widely distributed in plants, fulfilling many functions. Flavonoids are the most important in plant pigments for flower coloration, producing yellow, red, or blue pigmentation in plants designed to attract pollinators. In higher plants, flavonoids are involved in UV filtration, symbiotic nitrogen fixation and floral pigmentation. They may also act as chemical messengers, physiological regulators, and cell cycle inhibitors. Flavonoids, which are polyphenolic compounds, are a class of plant secondary metabolites possessing a broad spectrum of pharmacological activity including anti-cancer activities. Among the various natural products, flavonoids have attracted much attention due to their remarkable spectrum of pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antimutagenic, antibacterial, antiangiogenic,anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, modulators of enzymatic activities and anti-cancer activity. Flavonoids have been found act as protein kinase inhibitors which can prevent alterations in phosphorylation that result in uncontrolled cell division, inhibition of apoptosis, and other abnormalities. Flavonoids can be known as angiogenesis agents. Angiogenesis is a physiological process resulting in formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels. Antigiogenesis cause rapid growth of solid tumor and tumor metasta-sis are promoted by uncontrolled tumor angiogenesis. The flavonoids can control this growth of tumor. Besides that, flavonoids also can act as antioxidants which known as substances that delay, prevent or remove oxidative damage to a target molecule (Ravishankar et al., 2013).
Spinach is loaded with flavonoids which act as antioxidants, protecting the body from free radicals. Researchers have discovered at least 13 different flavonoid compounds that act as anti-cancer substances. The various nutrients offer much in the way of disease protection.
Flavonoids may also lessen stiffening of the blood vessels, which is a common side-effect of aging (WebMD, 2004). It is to be noted that white and milk chocolate do not have the same effect on the body as dark chocolate. These are unfortunately more likely to expand your waistline than improve health. “Chocoholics” are still at risk for obesity, whic...
Tannins, a natural compound produced by many plants, have become a common topic when discussing various beverages and fruits, yet the truth is that tannins are compounds that can be found in most all plants and have a much more involved significance than astringent taste. Tannins are a type of plant product that is classified as a polyphenol (Cornell University 2014). Polyphenols, also referred to as phenolic compounds, can have a high molecular weight due to the attachment of one or many hydroxyl groups to an aromatic ring structure (Balasundram 2006). Phenolic compounds can commonly be found connected to single and complex sugars within plants (Balasundram 2006). There is a vast diversity within the plant polyphenols as related to composition, yet polyphenols are categorized into 12 different classes based on structure (Balasundram 2006). Tannins along with
Nutraceuticals refer to extracts of foods claimed to have medicinal effect on human health. Nutraceuticals are a large and diverse class of compounds, which occur naturally in plants. Although these compounds are considered non-nutritive, many of them possess antioxidant, anti-oestrogenic, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties that might potentially be beneficial in preventing diseases and protecting the stability of the genome. The term ‘nutraceutical’ was coined from ‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceutical’ in 1989 by Dr. Stephen DeFelice (source: American Nutraceutical Association). According to DeFelice, a nutraceutical is any substance that is a food or a part of food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and
Herbal remedies’ qualities are widespread availability, lower cost, effective for chronic conditions. Herbal remedies are the use of plants or plant extract to treat a person’ overall health. Herbal treatments are prominent for developing countries for instance, “in Africa up to 90% and in India 70% of the population depend on traditional medicine to help meet their health care needs” (Wachtel-Galor & Benzie, 2011), due to their low cost and availability. Herbal remedies have gained attention in the past decades, and expanding their uses due to the increased interest of natural therapies (Wachtel-Galor & Benzie, 2011). Herbs used on the remedies grow in the wild throughout the world, therefore making it easy to
They are non-essential nutrients, meaning that they are not required by the human body for sustaining life. It is well-known that plant produces these chemicals to protect them but recent research demonstrates that they can also protect humans against diseases. There are more than thousand known phytochemicals. Some of the well-known phytochemicals are lycopene in tomatoes, is flavones in soy and flavonoids in fruits. There is ample evidence to support the health benefits of diets rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts. Because plant based foods are complex mixtures of bioactive compounds, information on the potential health effects of individual phytochemicals is linked to information on the health effects of foods that contain those phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are plant or fruit derived chemical compounds phytonutrients refer to phytochemicals or compounds that come from edible