Complexity and Health Functionality of Plant Cell Wall Fibres from Fruits and Vegetables.

The prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases is increasing in developing countries with the causes for death starting to follow the same pattern in the developed world, lifestyle factors including inadequate dietary intake of fruits and vegetables and over consumption of nutrient-poor processed foods, are considered to be major causal risk factors associated with increased susceptibility to developing certain diseases (Alldrick, 1998, Kiani, 2007). Recent epidemiological evidence confirms a strong association between dietary fibre and reduced all-cause mortality risk, as well as a risk reduction for a number of non-communicable diseases (Chuang et al., 2012). The relationship between dietary fibre and mortality has been described as "convincing observations that call for mechanistic investigations" (Landberg, 2012). In particular, the health protective roles played by dietary fibres of different origin are not well understood. Whilst Hippocrates was the earliest known physician to study the health benefits of fibre derived from grains (Burkitt, 1987), the functionality of fruit and vegetable fibre, especially in association with other compounds such as polyphenols and carotenoids, is an area of more recent interest. Hence the objective of this review is to assess the complexity and health-related functional role of plant cell wall fibres from fruits and vegetables with a particular emphasis on interactions between cell walls and phytonutrients.