chim phyto

• Phytochemicals


  Nonnutritive, plant-based bioactive compounds that have disease preventive components
• Nutraceuticals


  Substances that are food or part food that provide medicinal or health benefits including prevention of disease
• Types of nutraceuticals

  • Herbal products
  • Dietary supplements
  • Isolation nutrients
  • Designer food
• Properties of phytochemicals

  • Antibacterial
  • Antifungal
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antiallergic
  • Antispasmodic
  • Chemopreventive
  • Hepatoprotective
  • Neuroprotective
• There are 1000 known phytochemicals
• Phytochemicals are produced by plants as secondary metabolites
• Phytochemicals have great antioxidant potential, and prevent aging, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, etc.
• Types of phytochemicals

  • Alkaloids
  • Phytosterols
  • Polyphenols
  • Flavonoids
  • Phenolic acids
  • Tannins
  • Terpenoids
  • Organosulfur compounds
• Main roles of phytochemicals

  • Substrate for biochemical reactions
  • Cofactors and inhibitors of enzymatic reactions
  • Scavengers for toxic chemicals
  • Enhance absorption and stability of essential nutrients
  • Selective growth factor for beneficial bacteria
  • Ligands that agonize/antagonize cell surface or receptors
  • Eliminate undesirable contents in the intestines
• Extraction


  Process of separation of bioactive components of plants using selective solvents
• Factors that can influence the quality of extracts

  • Solvent
  • Plant part
  • Procedure
• Factors that affect extracted bioactive components

  • Nature
  • Origin
  • Processing
  • Moisture content
  • Particle size
• The quantity of secondary metabolite depends on the type and time of extraction, temperature, nature and concentration of solvent, and polarity
• Antioxidant-rich phytochemicals

  • Carotenoids
  • Phytosterols
  • Limonoids
  • Polyphenols
  • Phytoestrogens
  • Terpenoids
  • Saponins
  • Fibers and polysaccharides
• Phytochemicals of nutraceutical importance

  • α-linoleic acid
  • Allicin
  • Anthocyanins
  • Carotene
  • Catechins
  • Curcumin
  • Gallic acid
  • Geinstein
  • Diosgenin
  • Ellagic acid
• Solvents


  Chosen based on the polarity of the solute of interest. Solvents with similar polarity to the solute will properly dissolve the solute. Multiple solvents can be used sequentially to limit the number of the same compounds in the final % yield of the component.
• Factors affecting the choice of solvent

  • Quantity of components to be extracted
  • Rate of extraction
• Extraction solvents

  • Water
  • Methanol
  • Ethanol
  • Acetone
  • Chloroform
  • Dichloromethanol
  • Ether
• Characteristics of good solvents

  • Low toxicity
  • Ease of evaporation
  • High absorption of the extract
  • Preservative action
  • High % yield
• Techniques of phytochemical extractions

  • Maceration
  • Infusion
  • Percolation
  • Digestion
  • Soxhlet
  • Aqueous-alcoholic by fermentation
  • Microwave-assisted
  • Sonication
  • SFE (supercritical fluid extraction)
  • Headspace trapping
  • Solid phase microextraction
  • Protoplast
  • Microdistillation
  • Thermomicrodistillation
• Ethnobotany


  The study of plants in relation to people including wild and domesticated plants
• Aromatic plants


  Hydrodistillation techniques (water, steam) and hydrolytic maceration