Phytochemicals are chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants that give the plant their characteristic colors, smells, or tastes. The word phytochemical literally means plant chemical, since the prefix “phyto” means "plant" in Greek. The color and smell of certain phytochemicals may be useful to the plant in attracting bees for pollination. Some phytochemicals protect plants from destructive insects and microbes. Colorful pigments in skin of fruits and vegetables protect the plant from sun damage.
The color of a plant indicates which phytochemicals there are, what nutritional value the plant has. Eat a variety of colors to get the full range of phytochemicals in your diet.
Red fruits and vegetables contain a powerful carotenoid called lycopene. Lycopene is associated with a reduced risk of many types of cancers, particularly prostate cancer.
Lycopene is also linked to a decreased risk of heart disease. Tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene, especially when tomatoes are cooked. The heating process actually makes carotenoids more easily absorbed by the b...
Cranberry extracts can restrain the development and expansion of breast, prostate, and lung disease cells.
It can be concluded that chloroplast is responsible for photosynthesis, with blue light forming the highest rate of photosynthetic activity. The widespread use of coloured netting in the future could result in indoor plant growth that is unreliant on weather, and the ease of the production of crops with the desirable phenotypes. However, future research is still required to eradicate any unknown data and determine plant responses in relation to wavelength
They absorb light energy and enable it to be converted into chemical energy which is used by the plants to make glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water. Plants appear to be different colours because of the dominant pigments they contain. These pigments absorb some colours of light and reflect others, for example, the green chlorophylls absorb light from the blue-violet and the red regions of the visible spectrum and reflect green light. This is why plants which contain mostly chlorophylls appear green. Other pigments found in green plants, the yellow, orange and red carotenoids which absorb light only from the blue-violet region of the spectrum, are mostly masked by the more dominant chlorophyll.
To conclude, colours are a way characters express what they want to be seen as. We see one character acting the way they put themselves out in society, however each person has a deeper meaning for how they are acting, just like a colour. Colour symbolism is used to give us, the reader, a deeper understanding of the characters in the novel. Green and white are used to enhance ones deeper thoughts and feelings while others use colours to hide their true colours to camouflage into different crowds. We see a colour for what it is; nevertheless each colour has a deeper meaning behind it, just like each character in the novel The Great Gatsby.
Phenolic acids are secondary plant metabolites widely distributed in foods, especially fruits and vegetables. In recent years, phenolic acids have attracted a lot of attention because they exist ubiquitously in plants and play protective roles. Phenolic acids possess interesting biological properties, (Beilin, Stocker, & Croft, 1997) that render them interesting to study. They are widespread in crops such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, grains, and seeds and derived foods such as juices, wines, and oils, (Graf, Ameho, Dolnokowski, Milbuty, Chen, & Blumberg, 2006). Phenolic compounds play a key role in thwarting the negative impacts of oxygen and nitrogen reactive species (ROS/RNS), maintaining the redox homeostasis of biological fluids and preventing conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, and other degenerative pathologies, such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, (Shahrzad & Bitsch, 1998).
Heirloom vegetables may look the same as any other vegetables, but they are far from ordinary. The only difference is that they were not crossbred with other planted vegetables. When vegetables are referred to as heirloom it just means that they are from an old crop (“Hot Food Trend 2017”). Heirloom vegetables have many positive benefits. Many cooks prefer using heirloom vegetables because of their positive effects. Today’s society should be more open to the trend of heirloom vegetables because of their effects on health, their environmental effects, and their appealing attributes.
Lycopene is a member of the carotenoids pigment family that conveys bright red color to many plants. Its name is obtained primarily from tomato. Lycopene is currently considered one of the most efficient antioxidants, protecting against free radicals that accelerate aging and damage critical parts of the cell (Liu, 2008). Recent studies have shown an inverse relationship between intake of tomatoes along with tissue lycopene levels and the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD).
Saturated fat and cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease. Fiber and a reduced risk of cancer. Fruit, vegetables and grain products that contain fiber and a reduced risk of heart disease.
This essay has therefore discussed the most popular classes of plant chemical defences, namely terpenes, phenolics, nitrogen-based defences and allelopathy. The effects of these defences on herbivores has also been touched on. Many of these compounds produced by plants have later been extracted by humans for use as insecticides. Compounds such as tannins are also used in the wine industry. These chemicals thus have a very strong economic influence.
Kool-Aid, strawberry ice cream, and Doritos: What do these things have in common? Whether you realize it or not, many ordinary foods contain dyes. Some of the dyes are natural; others are synthetic. Is one better than the other?
Alexander, D. D. (2010). A review and meta-analysis of prospective studies of red and processed meat intake and prostate cancer. Nutrition Journal, 50.
Tannins, a natural compound produced by many plants, have become a common topic when discussing various beverages and fruits, yet the truth is that tannins are compounds that can be found in most all plants and have a much more involved significance than astringent taste. Tannins are a type of plant product that is classified as a polyphenol (Cornell University 2014). Polyphenols, also referred to as phenolic compounds, can have a high molecular weight due to the attachment of one or many hydroxyl groups to an aromatic ring structure (Balasundram 2006). Phenolic compounds can commonly be found connected to single and complex sugars within plants (Balasundram 2006). There is a vast diversity within the plant polyphenols as related to composition, yet polyphenols are categorized into 12 different classes based on structure (Balasundram 2006). Tannins along with
Some of these additives do not add any nutritional value to the food and may even be harmful to your health. More nutritional factors to consider are the variety of the fruits and vegetables in our diet. Nutritional data shows that dark green vegetables (romaine lettuce, kale, broccoli, etc.), and orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and summer squash) provides more nutritional value than some of the less colorful vegetables. Here are even more nutrition facts. Some foods contribute to burning fat. Green tea contributes to fat burning by increasing the body's metabolism and increasing energy level. Foods high in protein are more difficult to digest so they require more calories in the digestive process. Good nutrition practices may not be sufficient for some people they may require unique supplements such as CoEnzimeQ10 or
Color is a part of everyone's life, we are surrounded by different colors every moment. Because of this, we associate feelings and emotions towards certain colors. Certain cultures, color is a way to represent their belies and values. Cultures often associate different significance to different colors. The same color can have two very different meanings. This is because people from different cultures have different preferences over color.
Plant nutrition is area of plant biology that is of the utmost importance for the proliferation of plants. Without proper nutrition, plants would simply cease to exist unless drastic alterations were made. There are certain elements that are required for the plant to grow and reproduce; these elements are known as essential elements. There are three requirements of an essential element: the element must be required for the completion of the plant’s life cycle, the element must not be replaceable by another element in whole, and finally the element must be direction involved in the metabolism of the plant. Chemical compounds that are involved in proper nutrition have been designated as nutrients, and further classified as macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are needed for growth, metabolism, and many other functions, but are designated as “macro” because they are required in larger amounts. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fat molecules. Micronutrients have a much wider function that depends on the exact micronutrient. Micronutrients are designated as so because they are needed in much smaller amounts when compared to macronutrients. Examples of micronutrients include vitamins and minerals.