A comprehensive review on beneficial dietary phytochemicals in common traditional Southern African leafy vegetables

Abstract

Regular intake of sufficient amounts of certain dietary phytochemicals was proven to reduce the incidence of noncommunicable chronic diseases and certain infectious diseases. In addition, dietary phytochemicals were also reported to reduce the incidence of metabolic disorders such as obesity in children and adults. However, limited information is available, especially on dietary phytochemicals in the commonly available traditional leafy vegetables. Primarily, the review summarizes information on the major phytochemicals and the impact of geographical location, genotype, agronomy practices, postharvest storage, and processing of common traditional leafy vegetables. The review also briefly discusses the bioavailability and accessibility of major phytochemicals, common antinutritive compounds of the selected vegetables, and recently developed traditional leafy vegetable‐based food products for dietary diversification to improve the balanced diet for the consumers. The potential exists for better use of traditional leafy vegetables to sustain food security and to improve the health and well‐being of humans.

Capsaicinoids, Polyphenols and Antioxidant Activities of Capsicum annuum: Comparative Study of the Effect of Ripening Stage and Cooking Methods

“…Pun1 is a key regulator in the capsaicinoid pathway and controls the accumulation of capsaicinoids [12,13] Besides genetics, the concentration of capsaicinoids depends on other factors, such as stage of maturity and agronomic growing conditions [14,15,16]. Genetic diversity, agronomic practices and environmental conditions similarly influence the accumulation of polyphenolic compounds, minerals, Vitamin A, and ascorbic acid [17,18].…”

Application of biochar and inorganic phosphorus fertilizer influenced rhizosphere soil characteristics, nodule formation and phytoconstituents of cowpea grown on tropical soil

“…Cowpea is an important legume in most SSA countries as the grains, roots and leaves serve as major source of protein for people and as sources of feed for animals ( Quaye et al., 2009 ; Timko and Singh, 2008 ). Cowpea is reported to be rich in phytochemicals, such as phenols, flavonoids and alkaloids ( Alidu et al., 2020 ; Sivakumar et al., 2018 ; Sombié et al., 2018 ). The phytochemicals have medicinal uses and as important secondary metabolites, they moderate, soil-plant-microorganism interactions including alellopathy, defense against cowpea diseases and pest, nodulation, nutrient fixation and N uptake ( Aniszewski, 2007 ; Bhattacharya et al., 2010 ; Hu et al., 2005 ).…”

Effect of Thermal Processing on Key Phytochemical Compounds in Green Leafy Vegetables: A Review

“…Previous studies have been reviewed the interaction of processing and bioavailability and bioaccessibility of phytochemicals in vegetables. [8][9][10][11] The mechanism of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of phytochemicals have also been reviewed. [7,8,[12][13][14][15] Phytochemicals in green leafy vegetables and their potential health benefits Vegetable consumption has been identified to promote health, e.g.…”