Antinutritional Factors: Nutrient Bioavailability and Health Beneficial Effects

Abstract

Antinutrients are naturally occurring substances in plants, well known to block the absorption of beneficial or essential organic nutrients and inorganic minerals. Major antinutrients such as enzymes (lipase, amylase, and protease), trypsin inhibitors, phytate, polyphenols, lectins, glucosinolates, oxalates, and saponins have been characterized in different plant species. In general, these antinutrients are reported to have bitter taste and are unpalatable with bad odor and have a role in plant defenses. Antinutrients, which are known to bind the nutrients, severely affect the latter’s bio-accessibility and ultimately bioavailability. The current chapter briefly summarizes the various kinds of antinutrients and their role in limiting bioavailability of nutrients. Eventually, these antinutrients cause mineral deficiency and micronutrient malnutrition in humans. Hence, it is indispensable to reduce their contents in foods to a safe level for human consumption. Further, various strategies and concepts to tackle the deleterious effects of antinutrients are discussed. Many processing methods namely decortication, roasting, boiling, microwave heating, soaking, germination, autoclaving, fermentation, and extrusion technique are reported to decrease the antinutrient content in food crops. Further, the current understanding of the antinutrient’s health promoting effects such as reduction of blood glucose, cholesterol levels, prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer are also discussed.