Introduction of Seeds as Sources of Bioactive Natural Compound(s), Effects on Health, and General Adverse Effects

Seeds are increasingly being demonstrated as a viable and renewable source of healthy dietary fatty acids and other bioactive compounds. Seed oils show great diversity in the composition of fatty acids, tocopherols, phospholipids, sphingolipids, and sterols depending on plant species. This chapter discusses the sources of seeds along with their biological activity. The botanical sources of some important vegetable oils and their biologically active components are listed. The beneficial and health-promoting activity of vegetable oil and phytochemicals lies in the various chemical constituents that are present in various plants: Amaranthus cruentus, Annona muricata, Hancornia speciosa var. pubescens, Arctium lappa, Borago officinalis, Arabidopsis thaliana, Eruca sativa, Cannabis sativa, Carica papaya, Combretum kraussii, Punica granatum, Hibiscus cannabinus, etc. Some common chemical constituents, such as fatty acids and tocopherols, are discussed below. Linoleic acid is the main fatty acid, followed by oleic, linolenic, palmitic, and stearic acids, α,β,y, tocopherols, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, 5-avenasterol, citrostandienol and cycloartenol, kaempferol, quercetin, caffeic acid, voakangin, undulation, acummidin, ambellin. And this gives various beneficial and health-promoting activities: antimutagenic activity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, radioprotective activity, inflammation, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory activity, antimutagenic activity, neuroprotection, antioxidant, antifungal activity, antiplatelet activity, cardioprotective effect. Furthermore, some adverse effects are also discussed.