Harnessing the health benefits of plant biodiversity originating from the American tropics in the diet

Abstract

--Introduction. Fruit and vegetable consumption is now more than ever before understood, along with physical exercise, to be among the factors ensuring well-being. Crosscultural epidemiological studies reveal a preventive effect of this consumption on certain human pathologies, whence the emergence of preventive nutrition. Changes in biodiversity dietary intake. Industrially-processed products, undergoing a greater or lesser degree of refinement, were developed during the last century; they focused on a few productive species and varieties. The concept of high-calorie foods, an energy source, which has been prevalent in dietetics over the past few decades, had minimised the role of fruit and vegetables in the diet, due to their low calorie content. Plant biodiversity in foodstuffs originating from the American tropics. There are few cultivated major species and varieties in terms of biodiversity. 40% of the edible plant species in the world today originate from the American tropics. Of the planet's 250 000 estimated plant species, 100 000 are believed to be from the Americas. Preserving the beneficial properties of processed products. To improve recovery of the properties of the fresh resource for the consumer, innovation in the processing methods is required, with unit operations ensuring the best possible preservation of the healthy compounds. Conclusion and prospects. Communication on fruit and vegetables has not enjoyed the same research and publicity resources as many processed products. Knowledge of and information on food resources, diet and health have become a major challenge. The relative wealth of the plant biodiversity from the American tropics represents a heritage we need to reharness. Résumé --Introduction. La consommation de fruits et légumes est plus que jamais appré-hendée, avec l'exercice physique, comme l'un des garants du bien être. Des études épidémio-logiques transculturelles laissent apparaître un effet préventif de cette consommation sur certaines pathologies humaines, d'où l'éclosion de la nutrition préventive. Évolution de l'appropriation alimentaire de la biodiversité. Des produits transformés industrialisés, plus ou moins raffinés, ont été développés au cours du dernier siècle ; ils ont été focalisés sur quelques espèces et variétés productives. Le concept d'aliment calorique, source d'énergie, qui a pré-valu dans la diététique ces dernières décennies, avait minimisé la place des fruits et légumes dans l'alimentation, du fait de leur faible apport calorique. La biodiversité végétale alimentaire originaire d'Amérique tropicale. Les espèces et variétés majeures cultivées sont peu nombreuses, au regard de la biodiversité. Aujourd'hui, 40 % des espèces végétales alimentaires dans le monde sont originaires d'Amérique tropicale. Parmi les 250 000 espèces végétales estimées de la planète, 100 000 seraient américaines. Préserver les propriétés bénéfiques des produits transformés. Pour permettre une meilleure restitution, au consommateur, des propriétés de la ressource fraîche, il fa...

Bananas, raw materials for making processed food products

“…To enrich and clarify decision-making in consumption, we should establish knowledge in as diverse a range as possible diversity of fruits and vegetables, including tropical fruits, which numerically form the majority of biodiversity in consumption (Fahrasmane, 2006;Fahrasmane, Ganou, & Aurore, 2007). The impact of production conditions and post-harvest treatments on the nutritional and physiological quality of crops should be determined, and methods developed to obtain from plants compounds with biological properties (McCreight & Ryder, 2004).…”

Major physicochemical and antioxidant changes during peach-palm (Bactris gasipaesH.B.K.) flour processing

“…These compounds can slow down or prevent the oxidation of organic molecules by reducing chemical reactions involving oxygen. They can neutralize the oxidative action by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), or preventing their generation [6,7].…”