ABSTRACT
Compounds .................................................................................... 23 2.8 Bioactive Compounds from Leaves of Vernonia amygdalina L.
and Ocimum gratissimum and Their Health Benefits .................... 24 2.9 Summary ........................................................................................ 29 Keywords ................................................................................................ 29 References ............................................................................................... 30
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Plant species provide a large variety of bioactive compounds, and they act not only as a source of food but also as medicinal and supplementary healthcare products. The consumption of plant foods has been linked with reduction in the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and
cardiovascular diseases [2]. Regular intake of these plant foods in our daily life has been reported to have the potential of preventing free radical-mediated degenerative diseases [59]. The capacity of some plant-derived foods to reduce the risk of chronic diseases has been associated partly to the occurrence of secondary metabolites (phytochemicals) that have been shown to exert a wide range of biological activities. Although these metabolites may have low potency as bioactive compounds when compared with pharmaceutical drugs, when they are consumed regularly and in significant amounts as part of the diet, they may have a noticeable long-term physiological effect [24].
