ABSTRACT

As the role of diet in the prevention of human diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, heart disease, osteoporosis, and obesity has become more evident, many consumers increasingly seek functional food to improve their diets. Recent studies have suggested that plant food phytochemicals, including phenolic compounds (PCs), might have potential benefi cial health effects, mainly related to their antioxidant capacity (Llobera and Cañellas 2008). A large number of epidemiological investigations have established an association between diets rich in PC and a decrease in the risk of suffering from many of the diseases of civilization (Rice-Evans et al. 1996). Moreover, several investigators have reviewed the importance of dietary fi ber (DF) in recent years. It is well known that DF promotes benefi cial physiological effects, including improvement in gastrointestinal function, the moderation of postprandial insulin response, and reductions in total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (Davidson and McDonald 1998). Consequently, there is a trend towards searching for natural raw materials rich in DF and high in antioxidant capacity as functional ingredients for the food industry.