Food science has emerged with a growing literature about fruits and vegetables imparting greater health benefits to humans. The recent focus has been on functionality of foods meaning thereby of improving quality of diet by identifying foods which boost the capacity of human body to resist disease and enhance health. These alternative medicinal approaches of increasing intake of antioxidant and micronutrient rich foods are valuable in coping up the oxidative stress which is associated with many health disorders such as increased prevalence of diabetes, cataract, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. There is a need to develop awareness about consumption of protective foods such as green leafy, fruit and root vegetables, the intakes of which is far below their recommended dietary allowances. The last two decades of research has brought more understanding of the functions and new roles of micronutrients and other active principles from fruits and vegetables. They have multiple metabolic functions and they are integral components of antioxidant enzymes that protect organism against free radical damage. It is important to know the adequacy of micronutrient contents of diet to prevent oneself from possible deficiency or excess. Although there are some books and reports available on micronutrient contents of raw fruits and vegetables, the data on cooked vegetables are scanty. Further, systematic data on antioxidant quality of commonly consumed fruits and vegetables both in their raw and cooked form are not available. Hence, there is a need of a reference book to educate researchers, clinicians, students and even health aware individuals about the individual antioxidants and micronutrients and the nutraceutical potential of fruits and vegetables available in local markets so as to emphasize their importance as inexpensive and natural sources having health promoting properties. Audience/Readership: The book would be useful to nutritionists, food scientists, home science students, graduate and post graduate of medical colleges, medical and health professionals, policy makers of child and women health as also the homemakers.

Dr. Vaishal Agte has done M.Sc. in Chemistry with first class and 4th rank from Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, Mumbai in 1972. She wasawarded CSIR-JRF and Ph.D in Biochemistry from Pune University in 1978 for the project 'Sparing effect of non essential amino acids on the requirements of essential amino acids in protein energy malnutrition'. After working on projects sponsored by KVIC and BARC, she did her post doctorate research in nutritional biochemistry at Denmark during 1980. After returning back, she worked on two ICMR funded projectsand then joined a faculty position as Scientist C in Agharkar Research Institute, Pune in 1982 and retired as Scientist F in 2009. As a recognized guide for Ph.D. from Pune University in Biochemistry, Biometry& Nutrition and Health sciences, she has guided 7 students for their M.Phil and Ph. D and taught nutritional biochemistry courses for M.Sc students for 4 years. Since 1985, under various institutional and DBT, DST and ICMR funded projects, she has been doing independent research in various areas of food science and nutritional biochemistry like bioavailability of micronutrients from Indian diets and strategies to improve, micronutrient status of Indians, micronutrient interactions through cell, animal and human models, antioxidant role of zinc, studies in wild edible fruits for their antioxidant and prebiotic potential, potential of antioxidants and micronutrients from foods and herbal materials fortreatment of cataract and type 2 diabetes. She has also been a recognised instructor of Art of Living and published research papers on Sudarshan Kriya. Her current areas of research are antioxidants, prebiotics,micronutrient quality of Indian foods including wheat, sorghum and green leafy vegetables, functional food development. She has 104 papers from reputed national and international journals, several chapters in the books and popular articles for magazines and newspapers to hercredit.



Dr. Kirtan Tarwadi is M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Maharaja Sayajirao University in 1990. She worked as ICMR - Senior Research Fellow at Agharkar Research Institute, Pune during 2000-2004. During this tenure, she accomplished her Ph.D in Biochemistry from Pune University in 2005 on a problem entitled 'Potential of antioxidants infruits and vegetables in prevention of oxidative stress related disorders prevalent in Indians with special reference to cataract', under the guidance of Dr. Vaishali Agte at Agharkar Research Institute. After completing her Ph.D program, she worked as 'Principle Investigator 'from December 2006 - January 2010 on the project 'Development of anutraceutical formulation for slowing down the lens degeneration' sponsored by DST under Women Scientist Scheme (WOS-A) under the mentorship of Dr. Vaishali Agte at Agharkar Research Institute, Pune.Dr. Tarwadi has more than 10 years experience in area of Nutritional Biochemistry with special emphasis on food analysis involving estimation of antioxidant and micronutrient potential. She is also experienced in assessment of blood levels of oxidative stress andantioxidant activity as also micronutrient status of senile population involving diabetic and cataract patients. She is the recipient of two Young Scientist Awards, one from 'The Nutrition Society of India' and second jointly from 'The Nutrition Society of India' and 'The Indian Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition'. She has attended various National and International conferences and presented many papers. She has 30 papers in national and international journals of repute to her credit.The work presented as database in this book is carried out exclusively by her under the mentorship of Dr. Vaishali Agte at Agharkar Research Institute.