Prophylactic propensity of citrus phytochemicals: Action and Mechanisms
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29 August 2022
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The role played by dietary factors on health status has long been recognized but it
has been only recently that epidemiological, clinical and cell-culture studies have
provided a clearer insight on the chemical and physiological mechanisms of the effects of
bioactive food constituents on human health. Citrus fruits are rich in phytochemicals
which have been reported to contribute to optimal health and may protect against
degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. A number of mechanisms of action have been proposed for the protective effects of citrus fruits including antioxidant activity, regulation of gap-junction communication between cells,
inhibition of tumor growth and nitrosation, inhibition of the enzyme topoisomerase II in
cancer cells and reduction of advanced glycation end-products in diabetes models. With the background of comprehensive studies conducted on Mauritian citrus fruits, this chapter reviews some of the literature data on the modes of action of citrus
phytochemicals in disease prevention and management with a focus on diabetes, cancer
and neurodegenerative diseases.