Bioactives and bioactivity of selected underutilized fruits, vegetables and legumes grown in Sri Lanka: A review

Abstract

Being a tropical country, Sri Lanka has many food crops and they have not been extensively studied for their phytochemicals, food-based applications or many industrial uses. A greater deal of research nowadays focus on the identification of bioactive compounds in dietary sources, separation, purification and formulation of functional food products which may utilize as supplements to the body’s antioxidant defense system. The key purpose of the present review was to summarize the bioactivity of compounds available in selected underutilized food crops available in Sri Lanka to utilize them in functional food product development. There is much extent to research the bioactive potential of underutilized food crops. Evaluation of health benefits using ex-vivo studies should target the assessing the metabolic fate of bioactive compounds through cell metabolism since the biotransformation of bioactives through principal and peripheral metabolism in cells may either promote or elicit the desired bioactivity.