Dietary Antioxidants and Bioactive Compounds in Food Processing

Abstract

The antioxidants available in fresh organic materials could vary significantly from all those we consume through diet, as it has historically been recognized. Plants contain several phytochemicals, which possess strong antioxidant activities. A large variety of phytochemicals have been isolated and characterized from familiar sources, including vegetables, such as onion and broccoli; fruits, such as apples and grapes; spices, such as nutmeg, pepper, and turmeric; and brews, such as green tea, oolong tea, and red wine; which possess strong antioxidant properties. This is typically affected by the usage of thermal and nonthermal food processing methods. This chapter deals with various traditional and unconventional techniques that can be utilized to recover bioactive constituents. Any traditional method’s extraction effectiveness is primarily influenced by the solvents utilized. Among the most effective approaches, notably pressurized solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, pressurized low-polarity water extraction, enzyme-assisted extraction, pulsed electric field extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and microwave-assisted extraction were reviewed. The contrasting antioxidant activities of various extraction techniques were emphasized, as well as the processing techniques and industrial applications for unconventional ways of antioxidant extraction. How well this varies throughout absorption, how this impacts gastrointestinal function, and subsequent accumulation into the plasma, but which in vivo biological consequences it has on the internal organs all are aspects to consider.