(L.) Moench, commonly known as okra or lady's finger, is an annual flowering plant belonging to the family. Okra is a native plant in Africa as well as a traditional medicine in Africa and India for treating different diseases and conditions. Today, okra is widely consumed as a vegetable and is increasingly recognized as a superfood due to its rich nutritional profile and potential pharmacological benefits. Research indicates that okra exhibits a range of biological activities, including antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antifatigue, vasoprotective, hepatoprotective, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. Despite its promising therapeutic potential, research on the active compounds in okra and evaluating efficacy in clinical settings remains limited. This review aims to consolidate existing scientific knowledge on the biological and pharmacological properties of okra, thereby encouraging further investigation into its health benefits. Ultimately, this could pave the way for the development of functional foods or health supplements that leverage okra as a key ingredient to prevent chronic diseases and enhance overall health outcomes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/foods14020177 | DOI Listing |
Int Immunopharmacol
January 2025
Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. Electronic address:
Global healthcare systems are under tremendous strain due to the increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders. Growing data suggested that overconsumption of high-fat/high-carbohydrates diet (HFHCD) is associated with enhanced incidence of metabolic alterations, neurodegeneration, and cognitive dysfunction. Functional foods have gained prominence in curbing metabolic and neurological deficits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
Agricultural College, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China.
L. (Jinhuakui, JHK) is widely cultivated for its pharmacological properties owing to its high flavonoid content and is commonly used as a garden landscape plant. However, the absence of an efficient genetic transformation system poses significant challenges for functional gene studies in this species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFoods
January 2025
Agricultural Research Sub-Station, Agriculture University, Sumerpur-Pali 306902, Jodhpur, India.
The intensive use of chemical fertilizers for vegetable cultivation to achieve higher productivity causes soil degradation, resulting in an alarming decline (25-50%) in nutritional quality and a reduction in a wide variety of nutritionally essential minerals and nutraceutical compounds in high-yielding vegetable crops over the last few decades. To restore the physio-chemical and biological qualities of soil as well as the nutritional and nutraceutical qualities of fresh produce, there is a growing desire to investigate the remedial impacts of organic sources of nutrition. This study specifically focused on the impact of six different ratios of chemical fertilizers and organic sources with microbial inoculation on vegetable productivity, nutrition quality, and soil health parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFoods
January 2025
Department of Food and Health Science, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
(L.) Moench, commonly known as okra or lady's finger, is an annual flowering plant belonging to the family. Okra is a native plant in Africa as well as a traditional medicine in Africa and India for treating different diseases and conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIran J Med Sci
December 2024
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Background: In approximately 80% of colorectal cancer cases, mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli () gene disrupt the Wingless-related integration site (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling pathway, a crucial factor in carcinogenesis. This disruption may result in consequences such as aberrant spindle segregation and mitotic catastrophe. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of the ethanolic extract of red okra () pods (EEROP) in inducing apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells (SW480) by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
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