ECOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES BIOACTIVE MOLECULES IN PLANTS AND POTENTIAL NEW MODE OF ACTION IN THE HUMAN BODY

Fruits and vegetables (FAVs) consumption provides many benefits to health and they are known to prevent chronic diseases. The beneficial effects of FAV have been attributed to bioactive phytochemicals and especially to polyphenols, which display antioxidant activity in vitro. However, due to the poor bioavailability of these compounds and their negligible contribution to the antioxidant network of the body, new hypotheses are being proposed to explain their action. In this paper, we suggest that polyphenols are providing important cues on the quality of the diet consumed which trigger metabolic adaptation through specific gene expression induction. We also suggest that these molecules have pre-biotic effects in the gut and influence the immune system among other things.