Harnessing food‐based bioactive compounds to reduce the effects of ultraviolet radiation: a review exploring the link between food and human health

Abstract

Summary Appropriate exposure to sun is beneficial to humans and living organisms. However, excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can lead to photoageing, severe health risks and even death. Nowadays, the health risks of excess UV exposure have greatly increased due to the significant changes of global climate and human lifestyle as well as the thinning of the stratospheric ozone (a natural and effective filter for solar UV radiation). Therefore, protecting against UV radiation‐induced damage is a serious challenge. Research needs to address the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the UV‐induced damages and also explore the potential use of natural substances to combat the harm caused by UV radiation. Plant‐based substances have been found to exert significant protective effects against UV radiation. This review explores the most recent hypothesis of natural bioactive compounds (such as flavones, peptides, polysaccharides and terpenoids) as potential protective agents against UV radiation. The similarities and differences in UV photoprotective mechanisms among these different classes of compounds are also discussed.

Effect of ozone on the activity of antioxidant and chlorophyll‐degrading enzymes during postharvest storage of coriander ( Coriandrum sativum L.)

“…Plants, however, possess an antioxidant system that can regulate ROS levels and prevent oxidative stress. The antioxidant enzymes CAT and POD, function in the detoxification of ROS (Liu et al, ; Maya & Matsubara, ; Ye, Sun‐Waterhouse, You, & Abbasi, ), and APX also reduces oxidative stress through the AsA–GSH cycle, which catalyzes the breakdown of H 2 O 2 to water (Noctor & Foyer, ).…”

High-pressure recovery of anthocyanins from grape skin pomace (Vitis viniferacv. Teran) at moderate temperature

“…There are different groups of biologically active polyphenols in grape pomace, including flavonoids phenolic acids, and condensed tannins (Abbasi et al, ; de Oliveira et al, ; Ye, Sun‐Waterhouse, You, & Abbasi, ). The most common flavonoids found in grapes are anthocyanins and variations in their chemical structures implies their high reactivity during food processing, being highly sensitive to acidity (Putnik, Bursać Kovačević, & Dragović‐Uzelac, ), heat and oxidative degradation (Bursać Kovačević, Putnik, Dragović‐Uzelac, et al, ; Patras, Brunton, O'donnell, & Tiwari, ; Ricci, Parpinello, & Versari, ) therefore their extraction from plant cells is an important task closely associated to the need of preservation their biological activity.…”

Extraction of phenolic compounds from Siah‐Sardasht grape skin using subcritical water and ultrasound pretreatment

“…Several studies have also reported the antioxidant properties of grapes (Boussetta, Lanoisellé, Bedel‐Cloutour, & Vorobiev, ; Goula, Ververi, Adamopoulou, & Kaderides, ; Rockenbach, Gonzaga, et al, ; Rockenbach, Rodrigues, et al, ). The antioxidant compounds are very important, since they can scavenge hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anion radicals, preventing dangerous diseases like cancer (Gengaihi, Ella, Emad, Shalaby, & Doha, ; Kong, Chia, Goh, Chia, & Brouillard, ), and UV‐induced damages such as skin diseases, blindness, and immune system resistance reduction (Ye, Sun‐Waterhouse, You, & Abbasi, ). As a somewhat more indirect health benefit, grapes can also be used as a natural alternative to food dyes, since their skin is rich in anthocyanins (Bleve et al, ).…”