Lignans are fairly widespread throughout the plant kingdom. They have been reported in blueberry and also other berries such as strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, cloudberry cranberry and lingonberry.
The lignans form a group of plant phenols whose structure in s determined by the union of two cinnamic acid residues or year biogenic equivalent. There are hundreds of different lignans each differing in degree of oxidation, cyclization or derivatization.
Lignans are related closely to intermediates in the biosynthesis of lignin and probably are formed from analogous pathways.
The lignans play an important part in the defence mechanism of many plant species, against pathogens and predators. Various roles in chemical defence, such as fungicidal, bactericidal and insecticidal have been reported.
In one study by Dutch researchers found that those who consumed at least one milligram of lignans per day had 49 % better memory scores.
The researchers said that natural substances in blueberry help block the action of damaging free radicals on brain tissues.
At least 40 lignans known to have antitumor and antiviral activity and many are cytotoxic.
Lignans in blueberry
The primary goal of food is to promote our health and general well-being. Food science entails comprehending the characteristics, composition, and behaviors of food constituents in different situations, such as storage, handling, and consumption.
April 21, 2014
The Most Popular Posts
-
Navel oranges are not only delicious but also packed with numerous nutritional benefits that contribute to overall health and well-being. T...
-
Retrogradation is another important property of starch. Retrogradation refers to the occurrence where starch reverts or retrogrades to a mor...
-
Gelatinization occurs when starch granules are heated in a liquid. It is responsible for the thickening of food systems. The process is an i...
-
Simple lipids are a fundamental category of lipids primarily consisting of fatty acid esters and alcohols, devoid of any additional function...
-
Compound lipids are a diverse class of lipids that consist of simple lipids conjugated with nonlipid molecules, playing crucial roles in bio...