Black currant, micronutrient contents, phytonutrient contents, organic acid contents, essential oil, biological activity and nutraceutical activities

Description :   Black currant is a tasty and nutrient dense berry widely used for various therapeutic and medicinal

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Black currant is a tasty and nutrient dense berry widely used for various therapeutic and medicinal purposes.

General information regarding Black currant

• It is small berry like fruit
• It is black in colour
• It is native to Northern Asia and Central Europe

Nutritional profile

It is rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, essential oils and organic acids that exert potent nutraceutical activities

Biological activity

Antioxidant activity

• It is packed with antioxidants thus help to protect the body from free radical induced oxidative damages
• It also helps to prevent lipid peroxidation and decreases the risk of developing chronic diseases

Anti-inflammatory activity

• It contains gamma-linoleic acid, an imperative omega-6 fatty acid that exerts potent anti-inflammatory activity
• It is associated with reducing the concentration of pro-inflammatory mediators in body that helps to prevent inflammation
• It is very effective for protecting the heart, liver and kidney from inflammatory damages
• It is also very beneficial for improving the symptoms of urinary tract infection, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia

Anti-carcinogenic activity

• Anthocyanin component of black currant exerts anti-carcinogenic activity
• It helps to prevent cellular damages thus decreases the risk of developing certain types of cancers
• It is very effective for reducing the prevalence of liver cancer

Antimicrobial activity

• It exerts strong antimicrobial activity and inhibits microbial growth within host thus its consumption is thought to be very much useful for reducing the susceptibility of microbial infestation as well as infections
• It has seen that consumption of black currant extract is extremely helpful for preventing the growth of Influenza A viruses, which are responsible for causing fever, nasal inflammation, headache, sore throat and muscle pain
• Leaf extract of black currant contains various important components like sabinene, ocimene, caryophyllene and terpinolene that also exert antibacterial as well as antifungal properties and significantly reduce the growth of Candida albicans, Streptococcus faecalis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

Sedative activity

• It helps to provide calmness to the body that helps to prevent anxiety and stress
• It also helps prevent insomnia by promoting sleeping quality

Anti-diabetic activity

• Delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside and peonidin 3-rutinoside components of black currant show strong anti-diabetic effect that help to decrease the concentration of free glucose in blood
• It helps to regulate the activity of various carbohydrate mobilizing enzymes like pancreatic α-amylase and α-glucosidase, which help to delay the breakdown of carbohydrate thus prevents glucose spike

Hypolipidemic activity

• Anthocyanin component of black currant is accountable for decreasing the level of bad cholesterol or LDL in body whereas it helps to increase the level of good cholesterol or HDL, which ultimately provides a positive impact on cardiac health
• It has seen that individuals who consume black currant or its extract show comparatively lower cholesterol level than others
• Its hypolipidemic activity plays imperative role in reducing the risk of developing metabolic syndrome

Health benefits and disease preventive role of Black Currant

Role on immunity

• Its antioxidant and micronutrient components are responsible for providing a boost to the immune system
• Its anthocyanin component also helps to improve immunological responses of the body
• It helps to improve the function of macrophages
• It has seen that regular consumption of black currant significantly improves body’s resistance power that increases the ability of the body for fight against infectious agents or diseases causing microbes thus lessen the susceptibility of developing infectious diseases

Role on digestive health

• Consumption of black currant or its extract is very beneficial for improving overall digestive health
• Its phytochemical components especially flavonoid components help in the relaxation of smooth muscle of GI tract
• Its myricetin, flavonoids and quercetin components exert antispasmodic activity thus help to prevent spasms in intestine and stomach
• Black currant leaves are widely used in folk medicine as an effective remedial action for    Read more