ABSTRACT
The apple is a fruit consumed and cultivated worldwide. Consumed raw, dried, cooked or as jam, apples are believed to have several health-promoting effects in humans. As a natural product, the apple is known to contain hundreds of bioactive compounds. The skin of the apple is particularly rich in phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are specialized metabolites produced by plants and have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-cancerous properties. There is increasing interest in linking naturally occurring phytochemicals to their role in combating infections and diseases and, more importantly, how much of the bioactive compounds are needed for the desired health benefit to occur. Some of the factors that affect the production of phytochemicals in apples include the preharvest and postharvest technologies that have been used in the food chain. This chapter discusses the effects of the various manufacturing steps on the bioactive compounds in apples from the field to the fork.
