Abstract
Agave has been used as a raw material for food and folklore medicinal purposes. Traditional processing involves the use of agave as a source of carbohydrate-rich syrups for direct use or as substrate to yield hydrolyzed fermented products and spirits. Agave plants can accumulate significant amounts of inulin, important molecule with prebiotic activity. The agave plant has been used to feed ruminants in arid areas where drought episodes are prevalent. This plant is an important source of saponins, considered as antinutritional factors but also as anticancer, antifungal, and antiinflammatory agents. Considering the low hydrosolubility of saponins, these compounds are not being recovered from the plant and alternative processes need to be devised. Agave also contains polyphenols with activities such as: anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitical, antimicrobial, prebiotics and coadjuvant in mineral absorption. The full phytochemical characterization of the sap, leaves and byproducts generated from the traditional food uses is needed to validate the beneficial effects of agave consumption and its potential use as a source of functional ingredients.
Keywords: Agave, fructooligosaccharides, nutraceutical, polyphenols, saponins.
Current Bioactive Compounds
Title:Agave (Agave spp.) and its Traditional Products as a Source of Bioactive Compounds
Volume: 8 Issue: 3
Author(s): Liliana Santos-Zea, Ana Maria Leal-Diaz, Enrique Cortes-Ceballos and Janet Alejandra Gutierrez- Uribe
Affiliation:
Keywords: Agave, fructooligosaccharides, nutraceutical, polyphenols, saponins.
Abstract: Agave has been used as a raw material for food and folklore medicinal purposes. Traditional processing involves the use of agave as a source of carbohydrate-rich syrups for direct use or as substrate to yield hydrolyzed fermented products and spirits. Agave plants can accumulate significant amounts of inulin, important molecule with prebiotic activity. The agave plant has been used to feed ruminants in arid areas where drought episodes are prevalent. This plant is an important source of saponins, considered as antinutritional factors but also as anticancer, antifungal, and antiinflammatory agents. Considering the low hydrosolubility of saponins, these compounds are not being recovered from the plant and alternative processes need to be devised. Agave also contains polyphenols with activities such as: anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitical, antimicrobial, prebiotics and coadjuvant in mineral absorption. The full phytochemical characterization of the sap, leaves and byproducts generated from the traditional food uses is needed to validate the beneficial effects of agave consumption and its potential use as a source of functional ingredients.
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Cite this article as:
Santos-Zea Liliana, Leal-Diaz Maria Ana, Cortes-Ceballos Enrique and Gutierrez- Uribe Alejandra Janet, Agave (Agave spp.) and its Traditional Products as a Source of Bioactive Compounds, Current Bioactive Compounds 2012; 8 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157340712802762410
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157340712802762410 |
Print ISSN 1573-4072 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-6646 |
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