Low-fat Fruits Research Articles

Comprehensive Review of Phytochemical Profiles and Health-Promoting Effects of Different Portions of Wampee (Clausena lansium).

Clausena lansium, commonly known as wampee, is a subtropical fruit from the Rutaceae family characterized by its high nutrient content and numerous bioactive substances. This low-fat fruit is abundant in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids. Wampee has been found to contain several bioactive compounds, including essential oils, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids. These bioactive constituents provide numerous health-enhancing properties, such as antioxidant, neuroprotective, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial effects. The relationship between these compounds and their impacts on health has been explored in various studies. While the disease-prevention efficacy of C. lansium has been established, additional research is necessary to elucidate the precise mechanisms and metabolic pathways involved. This paper presents a comprehensive review of wampee, focusing on its bioactive compounds, the beneficial effects derived from its consumption, and the evidence supporting the development of wampee-based functional foods in future studies.

A Comprehensive Review of Hass Avocado Clinical Trials, Observational Studies, and Biological Mechanisms.

This first comprehensive review of fresh Hass avocados includes 19 clinical trials, five observational studies, and biological mechanisms. We identified four primary avocado health effects: (1) reducing cardiovascular disease risk in healthy overweight or obese adults with dyslipidemia by lowering non-HDL-C profiles, triglycerides, LDL oxidation, small atherogenic LDL particles and promoting postprandial vascular endothelial health for better peripheral blood flow; (2) lowering the risk of being overweight or obese, supporting weight loss, and reducing visceral fat tissue in overweight or obese women; (3) improving cognitive function in older normal-weight adults and in young to middle age overweight or obese adults especially in frontal cortex executive function; and (4) stimulating improved colonic microbiota health in overweight or obese adults by promoting healthier microflora and fecal metabolites. We also identified a unique combination of four Hass avocado nutritional features that appear to be primarily responsible for these health effects: (1) a 6 to 1 unsaturated (rich in oleic acid) to saturated fat ratio similar to olive oil; (2) a source of multifunctional prebiotic and viscous fiber; (3) a relatively low energy density of 1.6 kcal/g (79% of edible Hass avocado weight consists of water and fiber with a creamy, smooth texture); and (4) its oleic acid and water emulsion increases carotenoid absorption from low-fat fruits and vegetables (e.g., salsa or salad) when consumed with avocados. They are also a good source of micronutrients and polyphenols, and are very low in sodium and available carbohydrates supporting secondary health and wellness benefits. Hass avocado health effects are best demonstrated when consumed in a healthy dietary plan such as the Mediterranean diet. More extensive and longer clinical trials are needed to further enhance our understanding of the Hass avocado’s health effects.

Nutritional Composition, Phytochemistry and Medicinal Use of Quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) with Emphasis on its Processed and Fortified Food Products

Quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) is a health promoting simple pome fruit which belongs to family Rosaceae. It’s a native of Iran and Turkey. In India its production is limited to Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Quince is a low fat fruit and is considered to be a rich source of bioactive compounds, especially antioxidants and nutritional compounds. Several studies have revealed that quince fruit is a good and low-cost natural source of phenolic acids and flavonoids, and it contains high amount of cell wall polysaccharide which makes it a potential source of dietary fibres and pectin. Besides it is an abundant source of minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and calcium. The phytochemical composition of quince has also been extensively investigated. It contains a considerable amount of caffeoylquinic acids, several kaempferol and quercetin glycosides. Quince has conventionally been used as medicinal fruit. The ethno-botanical study exposed that quince has been used to treat sore throat, cough, pneumonia, intestinal discomfort and lung diseases. Some other effects such as antiseptic, hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory have also been reported. Quince is an astringent and a tough fruit which makes it inedible when unprocessed. As a result, quince is ameliorated by processing it into a variety of products such as candy, jam, jelly, marmalade etc. Quince has also been fortified into many products such as beers and yogurts due to its aromatic and functional properties. Besides this quince seed mucilage, a hydrocolloid can also be used as a bulking agent and a thickener in food products. Thus it can be said that the multifarious effects of quince fruit in terms of nutrients, phytochemicals and anti-oxidants make it possible choice both in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Pulp composition and the invasion and decay of fruits by microbes

Among temperate-zone plant species, fruits with fat-rich pulp have been predicted to disappear more rapidly than low-fat fruits, in part because of more rapid decay by microbes. The influence of fat content of pulp on the susceptibility of fruits to microbial invasion and the rate of pulp deterioration after invasion were examined using Cornus amomum fruits (approximately 5.8% crude fat) and C. racemosa fruits (approximately 23.1% crude fat). Fruits were surface sterilized, punctured with a sterile needle or left undamaged, and inoculated with sterile water, a suspension of bacteria, or a suspension of fungal spores. The two species did not differ significantly in the number of days to first deterioration (= susceptibility), but whole C amomum fruits deteriorated faster than did whole C. racemosa fruits after invasion was first visible. This difference between species persisted when the difference in mean dry pulp mass was taken into account using an exponential model of pulp decay. The two Cornus species did not differ in rate of pulp deterioration (milligrams dry tissue per day) when a linear model of microbial decay of pulp was used. In these two species, higher fat content of pulp does not yield greater susceptibility to invasion or higher rate of deterioration by microbes.

Why do fleshy-fruit plants of the mediterranean scrub intercept fall-but not spring-passage of seed-dispersing migratory birds?

Production of fleshy fruits by 8 tree and shrub species, and patterns of their utilization by 6 resident and 6 transient bird species, were assessed in an Israeli Mediterranean scrub. Whereas more than half the ripe crop of plants that fruit in one relatively short burst is not removed by birds, the greater part of the crop of species that fruit throughout a long period, is removed. Of two plant species that fruit simultaneously, the one with an inconspicuous fruit is utilized by a single, year-round resident frugivorous bird, whereas the species with bright fruits is utilized by several non-resident and omnivorous bird species. A further two simultaneously fruiting species differ in fat content and the color of their conspicuous ripe fruits; the low-fat fruit being taken by a resident species and the high-fat fruit by a transient congener, just prior to the desert-crossing portion of its Fall-passage.Though more migrants pass through in Spring than in Fall, none of the fleshy-fruit plants fruit in Spring, and most fruit during the Fall. Two non-exclusive explanations for this phenomenon are (a) Fall dispersal ensures immediate germination, with least exposure to desiccation and predation; (b) Spring transients approaching their breeding territories may either be reluctant to spend much time on feeding, or mostly require proteins, amply supplied by the Spring flush of insects, typical of the Mediterranean region. Fall transients approaching the desert require mostly fats and carbohydrates, supplied by fruits. Fruits attract birds easily in the Fall, when insects are scarce.