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There is a worldwide growing interest toward the nutritional and antioxidant values of fruits and vegetables, especially because phytochemicals in natural products are perceived as necessary for a healthier diet due to their high antioxidant capacity. This book provides readers with novel insights into how quality, in terms of nutritional and antioxidant values, is influenced and/or controlled genetically, environmentally, and by different postharvest treatments. This book is a collection of important pieces of research covering different aspects related to the nutritional and antioxidant values of some horticultural species, including edible flowers, Italian green tea, and stinging nettle, along with potato and sweet potato. Today’s food products are all the more appreciated for their content of phytonutriceuticals, and, therefore, horticulture has to turn to the supply of products with a variety of valuable metabolites and aromas. It is the task of researchers to study these compounds and enable the enhancement of horticultural products.

α-solanine --- α-chaconine --- color variables --- chlorophyll contents --- color index --- stinging nettle --- freeze-drying --- oven-drying --- heat pump drying --- total phenolic compounds --- antioxidant activity --- Ipomoea batatas --- nutrients requirement --- β-carotene --- vitamin A --- minerals --- carotenoids --- phenolic compounds --- VOCs --- aroma --- air-drying --- preservation --- tea --- Camellia sinensis --- DPPH --- ABTS --- FRAP --- HPLC --- anthocyanins --- flavor --- polyphenols --- sensory analysis --- postharvest --- shelf life --- n/a

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This Special Issue comprises articles related to the effects of genotype and processing conditions on the phenolic compound profile and antioxidant activity of cocoa-derived products, isolation and characterization of antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols and melanoidins from cocoa beans, and assessment of the antioxidant, antioxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects of cocoa beans and cocoa-derived products. The results of these studies show that it is possible to maintain or increase the biological activity of cocoa beans and their derived products (cocoa powder and chocolate) by choosing appropriate processing conditions and cocoa genotype and origin. The papers published in this Special Issue confirm that cocoa beans and cocoa by-products can be considered as an attractive source material for manufacturing of functional foods and nutraceuticals. This is because they contain many bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols, including flavonoids (proanthocyaninidins, monomeric flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins) and phenolic acids, as well as melanoidins. Finally, the in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate the importance of cocoa antioxidants for the prevention of oxidative stress and inflammation.

cocoa --- chocolate --- polyphenols --- antioxidants --- melanoidins --- theobroma cacao L. --- total phenolic compounds --- antioxidant capacity --- metal-chelating ability --- fourier transform infrared spectroscopy --- flavan-3-ol --- procyanidin --- α-glucosidase --- melanoidin --- Maillard reaction --- (–)-epicatechin --- borderline hypertensive rats --- nitric oxide --- redox balance --- iron --- Nrf2 --- PPAR-γ --- open field --- cocoa by-products --- cherry extract --- oxidative stress --- human endothelial cell --- roasting --- catechin --- epicatechin --- total phenolic content --- Criollo cocoa --- kinetic --- flavonoids --- cocoa extract --- ischemia-reperfusion injury --- apoptosis --- inflammatory markers --- conching --- milk chocolate --- milk powder --- protein --- antioxidant activity --- solid–liquid kinetic extraction --- polyphenol oxidase --- cocoa polyphenols --- heat treatment --- enzyme inactivation --- n/a --- (-)-epicatechin --- solid-liquid kinetic extraction --- Research. --- Biology. --- Food --- Social aspects.