ABSTRACT
One of the leading health problems on a global scale is increasing risk of cardiac disease. The risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease is reduced by moderate consumption of anthocyanins, as suggested by epidemiological evidence. A high content of bioactive compounds is found in subtropical fruits and they are recognized as having health-promoting properties due to their nutritional composition. Furthermore, subtropical fruits containing natural anthocyanins, such as apple, blueberry, grape, and pomegranate, have been widely researched and found to show potent cardiovascular protective action. The mechanisms involved consist of regulating lipid metabolism, inhibiting platelet function, attenuating inflammation, reducing oxidative stress, modulating blood pressure, alleviating ischemia/reperfusion injury, suppressing thrombosis, and protecting vascular endothelial function. This chapter focuses on natural anthocyanin derived from subtropical fruits for cardiac disease prevention and potential mechanisms of actions based on evidence from experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies.
