Bioactive Molecules in Plant Foods

Functional foods (those with beneficial factors on health when consumed regularly as part of meals at effective levels) became prominent as food and nutrition science advanced beyond the treatment of deficiency syndromes to reduction of disease risk and health promotion. The dynamic trend of functional foods calls for accurate and reliable information in this emerging area of nutritional sciences. This book gives insight on physiologically active components of several plant foods. It is a collection of findings of basic and applied research on plant bioactive molecules, their development and utilization in food products. This book highlights various aspects of plant bioactive molecules such as lipids of physiological importance; antioxidants and health effects; micronutrients, botanicals and other dietary molecules; bioactive peptides; functional beverages/food products and other aspects of disease prevention and treatment.