Fruit flavanoids: structure modification, antioxidant properties and mode of action in food and biological model systems

Canada has a sustainable supply of agricultural bio-resources, which include not only diverse agricultural commodities but also under-utilized bio-waste generated through agricultural production and processing. The World Health Organization has highlighted a changing world disease profile. In North America, significant challenges are being faced from oxidative stress-linked chronic disease epidemics, which are directly or indirectly linked to diet and the environment. Therefore, chemoprevention through diet modification, i.e. increased consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as the use of novel food ingredients derived from fruits and vegetables, will be important in helping to manage the current and emerging health care challenges. Natural plant compounds with antioxidant and cell signaling modulating properties, such as polyphenolics, triterpenes, and carotenoids, are now widely thought by the scientific community to be the principle components in fruits that provide specific health benefits beyond the basic nutritional functions. The proposed research will investigate the functionality of selected fruit compounds that can be efficiently extracted from under-utilized fruits in Canada. The proposed research will fill knowledge gaps in understanding of the biological functionality and industrial uses of unique bioactives present in cool climate fruits, fruit processing by-products and orchard wastes; the mode of action of selected bioactive compounds and their derivatives; and effect of food processing. Food model systems of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) will be used to assess fruit bioactives as natural stabilizers of PUFA lipids. The bioavailability and biological functionality of fruit bioactives and their new derivatives will be studied using selected animal research model systems with the aim of developing functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals targeted at selected oxidative stress-medicated chronic diseases. The long-term scope of the research is to develop and commercialize innovative, socially and economically acceptable value-added foods, food additives and ingredients, nutraceuticals and other bioproducts from cool climate fruits.