Basella- an Underutilized Green Leafy Vegetable with a Potential for Functional Food Development

Basella alba is an underutilized green leafy vegetable predominantly grown in the Asian subcontinent. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, phenols, and antioxidants. Ferulic acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene are the major bioactive compounds present in B. alba. However, their potential as ingredients for development of functional foods has not been fully explored. Extraction and encapsulation of bioactive compounds from Basella alba will help in their incorporation into foods imparting functionality to the developed foods. Therefore, it is important to explore the potential of B. alba as functional food perse or as an ingredient in various processed food products for imparting functional attributes to such products. This review, therefore aims to identify the bioactive compounds present in Basella, in addition to evaluating the nutritional and therapeutic properties of this vegetable and also appraise different methods for extraction and encapsulation of bioactive compounds present in it.

Automated summary

Basella alba is a green leafy vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. However, its potential as a functional food ingredient has not been fully explored. Extraction and encapsulation of bioactive compounds from Basella alba can enhance the functionality of food products.