Allium: Characterization, Bioaccessibility, Bioavailability and Health Potential

Interest in plant-derived bioactive compounds continues to increase over the years. This is mainly due to growing evidence that regular consumption of these compounds can be associated with potential health benefits. Historically, the consumption of Allium vegetables has been related to different beneficial properties for health, being used in the preparation of home remedies and as part of the mythology of different cultures. Such vegetables include garlic, onion, shallot, leek, chives, and scallions. In recent decades, the study of these vegetables has related the protective or preventive effect of their regular consumption against certain diseases to the presence of compounds of biological interest. However, information on metabolization, distribution and excretion, as well as its bio-health potential is still limited. Furthermore, the consumption of these products is usually carried out after some kind of culinary treatment, modifying their composition, especially affecting the phytochemical compounds, causing their transformation or degradation.

Therefore, it is necessary to characterize the nutritional and bioactive compound profile of these vegetables, including assessing the impact of the processing and/or cooking process on it, in order to gain a better understanding of the health potential of these food products. Moreover, further information on the transformations that occur of the compounds in the food matrix during gastrointestinal digestion, colonic fermentation, and their absorption, metabolism, distribution and excretion must also be gathered in order to determine the bioactivity and bioavailability of these compounds, along with the metabolites that are produced.

In this Research Topic, we welcome the submission of different types of manuscripts (original research, review articles, mini reviews, opinion papers) from, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Reliable characterisation of products of the Allium genus or derivatives, including in the context of health and metabolic effects.
• In-vivo and in-vitro assessment of bioaccessibility, colonic microbiota metabolism and bioavailability of phytochemicals in Allium foods.
• Evaluation of the health potential of consuming Allium products or their main phytochemicals using cell-based experiments.
• Impact of processing and culinary techniques on the nutritional and phytochemical profile of Allium vegetables.

Keywords: allium, vegetable, food characterization, onion, shallot, leek, chive, garlic

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.