Bioactive phytochemicals (flavonoids) in fruit and vegetables: storage, processing and rapid sensor-based analytical methods

The population in northern Europe, and especially in Norway, has a very low comsumption of fruit and vegetables. There is substantial evidence that a large intake is related to a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, probably because fruit a nd vegetables contain bioactive constituents in addition to nutrients. Very little is known about the behaviour of these phytochemicals during storage and processing of plant products, and how they can be rapidly measured for convenient quality control. T he programme focuses on flavonoids being an important group of the bioactive compounds. In a selection of vegetables, berries and fruit, the effects of various types of postharvest processing and storage on the contents, chemistry and bioactivities of fla vonoids will be studied. Long-term storage in controlled atmosphere and short-term storage in modified atmosphere packaging will be included, as well as juice making, drying and other relevant processing. Rapid methods to monitor flavonoids will be invest igated using chlorophyll fluorescence. Chemical methods will be used to quantify flavonoids and the antioxidant capacity/activity in plant product samples. Bioactivitiesare to be studied in cell cultures, in a transgenic mouse mo del and in humans. are to be studied in cell cultures, in a transgenic mouse mo