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...
Flavonoids anti-oxidants chemicals in the body are found in high proportions in calendula, this help protect the body cells for oxidation. Oxidation produces natural chemicals that can reduce the effectiveness of the immune functionality.
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.
SY, Li, G, Ping, L, Geng, WK, Seow, and YH, Thong. (1994). Immunopharmocol-Ogy and toxicology of the plant flavanoid B-1. International Journal of Immunopharmacology, 16, 227-231.
Generally, antioxidants can be divided into natural and synthetic antioxidants. Natural antioxidants are normally found in the plant extracts which are believed to exhibit strong antioxidant activity and protection against oxidant-induced damage such as diabetes, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease (Maganha et al. 2010). Plants, fruits and vegetables are all known to be rich sources of natural antioxidants due to the presence of phenolic compounds, which are the secondary metabolites in plants (Misan 2010; Arya and Yadav 2011). Polyphenols, or phenolic compounds, constitute one of the most numerous and widely-distributed groups of substances in the plant kingdom (Urquiaga and Leighton 2000; Gan et al. 2010). They exist naturally in the form of glycosylated which makes them the most common water-soluble antioxidant compounds present in plants ...
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
Objective: The objective of this paper is to identify the molecular structure of chemical constituents of commonly used botanicals and to investigate the relationship of botanical supplements to liver toxicity.
But nowadays, over-nutrition is prevailing. Diseases like coronary heart disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes have become chronic. Research in 1990’s has recognized that certain nutrients have potent biological effects in addition to their nutritional value. This recognition created interest in studying the effect of micronutrients and other biologically active food ingredients on diseases. Functional foods include potent agents that induce health benefits in addition to their nutritional value. Some examples of such food ingredients are lycopene in tomatoes which reduce the risk for cancer, phytosterols in benecol margarine which reduce cholesterol levels thus reducing risk of coronary heart disease.
What if you heard that simply consuming a handful of a tart little red berries could make you live a longer, lose weight and feel better? Like millions of other consumers you would probably jump at the idea. With these claims, its no wonder the new health craze in the Himalayan Superfruit, the Goji berry, has become prevalent in supermarkets across the globe. The health claims of the Goji berry are endless; from its anti-inflammatory properties to its dietary benefits and anti-cancerous properties, the health prospects are immense (Xanthe 2013). However, do these nutritional benefits hold any true merit? With this in mind, this research paper will discuss how the Goji berry is currently being advertised as well as the science behind its claimed nutritional benefits. I would like to compare the advertised dietary and health claims against the scientific literature and experimentation that supports the truth behind these alleged health benefits. For instance, many enterprises claim that the Goji berry is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin C and dietary fiber. The Goji berry is additionally asserted to be high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and a number of vitamins and minerals. It is declared to have strength building qualities and is associated with an increase in lifespan. (Amagase 2011). Packaging claims consider the Goji berry a Superfruit for its incredible nutritional value and for having one of the highest rankings on the ORAC scale (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), which measures its antioxidant activity (Amagase 2011). My goal is to learn which of these claims are actually scientifically supported as well as to discover how this benefits our hea...
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.
Cacao beans, produced from a tree called Theobroma cacao, are the source of dark chocolate. These beans undergo a series of steps that include fermentation, roasting and milling to alter their physical and chemical properties as they are not palatable in raw form. Dark chocolate is often distinguished by the proportion of cocoa solids in the bar which range from 30% (sweet dark) to 70% - 75%, or even above 80% for immensely dark bars. Based on these
Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, herbs, nuts and seeds contain an abundance of phenolic compounds, terpenoids, sulfur compounds, pigments, and other natural antioxidants which act as compounds for the treatment of different metabolic disorders. Food derived from herbs, citrus fruits & vegetables provide plenty of polyphenols, vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and soluble fiber and are also believed to prevent cancers. The vast number of nutraceuticals, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and other ingredients, are like an alphabet soup ranging from A to
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