Grown to Be Blue—Antioxidant Properties and Health Effects of Colored Vegetables. Part II: Leafy, Fruit, and Other Vegetables

Abstract

The current trend for substituting synthetic compounds with natural ones in the design and production of functional and healthy foods has increased the research interest about natural colorants. Although coloring agents from plant origin are already used in the food and beverage industry, the market and consumer demands for novel and diverse food products are increasing and new plant sources are explored. Fresh vegetables are considered a good source of such compounds, especially when considering the great color diversity that exists among the various species or even the cultivars within the same species. In the present review we aim to present the most common species of colored vegetables, focusing on leafy and fruit vegetables, as well as on vegetables where other plant parts are commercially used, with special attention to blue color. The compounds that are responsible for the uncommon colors will be also presented and their beneficial health effects and antioxidant properties will be unraveled.

Variation in Macronutrient Content, Phytochemical Constitution and In Vitro Antioxidant Capacity of Green and Red Butterhead Lettuce Dictated by Different Developmental Stages of Harvest Maturity

“…Vegetables are reckoned as an indispensable integrant of human diet due to their ramified colors and beneficial health effects directly correlated with their molecular constituents' antioxidant capacity. Leafy vegetables are widely consumed, mostly raw, all over the world [12]. Moreover, microgreens have presented an upcoming gastronomic component of culinary novelties in recent years [5,[13][14][15], distinguished for their sensory value but also their dense phytochemical content [4,16].…”

Chrysoeriol Prevents TNFα-Induced CYP19 Gene Expression via EGR-1 Downregulation in MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells

“…491-71-4; Figure 4 A) exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity (97.0 ± 2.20%). Chrysoeriol is present in lemon, Rooibos tea, pepper, and green vegetables such as celery, and exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. It has been reported that chrysoeriol inhibits CYP1B1 enzyme activity responsible for hydroxylation of 17β-estradiol in MCF-7 breast cancer cells [ 46 ].…”

“…Chrysoeriol is present in several foods and vegetables [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. Many dietary phenolics are generally poorly bioavailable, limiting their distribution in systemic tissues of their native form, mainly as glycosides and complex oligomeric structures [ 59 ].…”

The Effect of Nitrogen Input on Chemical Profile and Bioactive Properties of Green- and Red-Colored Basil Cultivars

“…Ocimum basilicum L. is an important herb that belongs to the Lamiaceae family, and has high commercial interest due to its wide range of industrial uses [ 1 , 2 ]. Conventionally, basil leaves have been used for medicinal purposes in the treatment of coughs, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, worms, warts, and kidney problems, activities which are associated with the occurrence of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. The antioxidant properties of basil leaf extracts are also attributed to polyphenol content, while basil leaves and flowers are also rich in essential oils, which is highly appreciated by the food and pharmaceutical industries.…”