Impact of citrus limonoids on human health
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abstract
Fruits and vegetable have shown potential benefits to prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart. Among several factors, understanding their bioactivity by isolation and purification of bioactive compounds and establishing their structure-function relationship are major challenges. Several health promoting citrus limonoids were purified and tested in cell and animal models. Recent studies both in our interdisciplinary group and elsewhere have demonstrated that citrus bioactive compounds, such as limonoids, have synergistic effects in preventing certain types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Antitumor activities of certain limonoids showed inhibition of MCF-7, CYP1A1, CYP1B1 and CYP3A4 and enhancing apoptosis through downstream induction of Caspase 3/7 in cell culture. Furthermore, animal studies demonstrated induction of glutathione S-transferase and enhancing apoptosis. In another study, long term exposure of limonoids seems to suggest that high levels of limonoids caused potentially unsafe changes. Considering the potential benefits of citrus bioactive components and little toxicity to human health, studies were conducted to enhance bioactive compounds through several preharvest and postharvest storage conditions. Limonoids are either stable or increased at marginal levels. Postharvest irradiation treatment had no significant influence on limonoid levels and ultra-low oxygen storage marginally decreased limonin glucoside levels.
