Journal
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
Volume 62, Issue 13, Pages 3535-3552Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1867055
Keywords
Antioxidant; ascorbic acid; carotenoids; mineral content; phenolic acids; tocopherols
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Funding
- National Research Foundation of South Africa [UID: 129179, UID: 109508]
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Cleome gynandra is becoming increasingly popular as a leafy vegetable due to its high nutritional content and beneficial health-promoting properties. It contains a rich pool of diverse antioxidant phytochemicals, including polyphenols, glucosinates, and terpenoids. Cleome gynandra's nutritional compounds have potential applications in food supplements, colorants, and extending the shelf-life of food products. Extracts of Cleome gynandra have shown promising effects in various biological assays. Including Cleome gynandra in diversified diets can contribute to food and nutrition security.
Cleome gynandra (Syn. Gynandropsis gynandra) is fast emerging as one of the most widely consumed leafy vegetables due to its nutrition and health-promoting properties. In addition to its high nutritional content, the plant has a rich pool of diverse antioxidant phytochemicals. The current review provides a critical appraisal on the increasing nutritional significance of Cleome gynandra due to its rich pool of natural bioactive compounds and beneficial health-promoting qualities. The rich nutritional content especially the high levels of macro- and micronutrients is an indication of its potential to mitigate malnutrition and the increasing incidence of diet-related obesity and non-communicable diseases. The presence of health-promoting natural compounds, notably polyphenols, glucosinates and terpernoids has been confirmed in Cleome gynandra using different analytical methods. Cleome gynandra possesses high levels of alpha-tocopherol, beta-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, violaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin. These nutritional compounds could be useful in food applications as supplements, colorants and extending shelf-life of food products. Cleome gynandra extracts have demonstrated promising effects in several biological assays using in vitro and in vivo systems. Clearly, diversified diets that include a regular intake of dark green leafy vegetables including Cleome gynandra, holds great promise in ensuring food and nutrition security.
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