Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to this taxonomic hierarchy. This book explores a range of topics related to this plant and their nutritional components. The chapters to this volume provide a survey of chemical composition, functional properties, and its impact on human health, but also the opportunities for chia as an ingredient to be incorporated into foods for the benefit of consumers. The topics include: Plant history & agronomy; Chemical composition of Chia (Salvia hispanica); Nutritional value of chia seeds; Composition of fatty acid of chia oil; Fatty acids 3 & 6 in chia oil; Chia seeds as source of dietary fibre; Physicochemical properties of chia gums; Biological value of chia proteins; Chemical & functional characteristics of chia proteins; Biological properties of chia; Some pharmacology studies; Health aspects of chia; Experimental & industrial application of chia: Encapsulation & film properties; Prospective utilisation of chia in functional foods. The contributors to this volume provide valuable information about Salvia hispanica. The biofunctional, technofunctional potential and health implications of consumers are presented in this book.

J. curcas L. is a small or large shrub tree, up to 57m tall, belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family which consists of around 800 species and belongs to around321 genera. Jatropha is a drought resistant crop that has a life expectancy of up to fifty years. It is also known as Ratanjayot and the physic nut. It can grow in arid, semiarid and wasteland climates. The plant has its native distributional range in Mexico, Central America, Africa, Brazil, the Indian subcontinent, Peru, Argentina and Paraguay. J. curcas offers many benefits. Some of these benefits include: It costs almost nothing to grow; it is perennial, drought resistant and adapted for marginal land, and seems to be adequate for land reclamation; it can be grown almost anywhere even in sandy, saline, or otherwise infertile soil; it is easy to propagate; it is capable of stabilising sand dunes, acting as a windbreaker and combating desertification; it naturally repels both animals and insects; it does not exhaust the nutrients in the land; it does not require expensive crop rotation; it does not require fertilisers; and it grows quickly and establishes itself easily, among many other beneficial qualities. Currently, J. curcas can produce 2,000 L/ha oil annually. Presently, the production and usage of J. curcas oil is no longer confined to a specific geographic region or a limited number of end-products. Large quantities of J. curcas oil are consumed all over the world as ingredients of numerous products manufactured by a large number of industries. J. curcas was found to be suitable as a non-edible vegetable oil feedstock in oleochemical industries (biodiesel, fatty acids, soap, cosmetics, paraffin, fatty nitrogenous derivatives, surfactants and detergents, etc.). To supply J. curcas oil and its derived ingredients to these industries and their customers, an integrated J. curcas oil production has been developed over the years. Globally, J. curcas has created an interest for researchers because it is a non-edible oil, does not create a food versus fuel conflict, and can be used to produce biodiesel with same or better performance results when tested in diesel engines. For the above mentioned, the purpose of this book is to provide an insight into the possibilities of applying J. curcas for commercial purposes. Emphasis will be placed on the biology, chemistry and potential uses of J. curcas and its derivatives.

This book discusses critical findings about the significance of Stevia rebaudiana, a natural calorie free sweetener and ways to incorporate it in our diet. Stevia is a plant used in the food industry as a sweetener but empirically used for the treatment of diabetes. Scientific literature has reported anticariogenic, antineoplastic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperglycemic effects. It is important to people in developed countries, and designed for product developers, nutritionists, dieticians, and regulatory agencies. This book explores a range of topics related to this plant and their components as stevioside, rebaudiose, dulcoside, etc. The chapters in this volume provide a survey of chemical composition, functional properties, the impact on human health, but also the opportunities for Stevia as ingredient to be incorporated into foods for the benefit of consumers.

Actualmente las proteinas y peptidos con actividad biologica constituyen una de las categorias mas importantes dentro del sector de los alimentos funcionales. Sector en franco crecimiento, hoy en dia es reconocido que llevar un estilo de vida sano, incluida la dieta, puede contribuir a reducir el riesgo de padecer enfermedades y a mantener un buen estado de salud. Este libro pretende divulgar los efectos beneficiosos de los peptidos biologicamente activos, como parte integral de los hidrolizados y de las fracciones proteicas, abriendo con ello una puerta al desarrollo de nuevos productos que establezca el enlace entre la nutricion y la salud. Esto sienta las bases para transferir los resultados de la investigacion a la industria alimentaria fomentando con ello la utilizacion, conservacion, caracterizacion y evaluacion de recursos biologicos para la alimentacion. Fortaleciendo el crecimiento economico a traves de la innovacion cientifica y tecnologica en pro del bienestar social.