Vol. 12, Issue 7 (2023)

Vegetables play a significant role in the human diet. Vegetables are high in carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, hence are considered as protective foods. They also provide health security on account of the presence of biologically active nutraceuticals or secondary metabolites of therapeutic importance. “Nutraceuticals are any substance that is a food or a part of a food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of diseases.” Vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, organosulfur compounds (Glucosinolates and thiosulfides), and flavonoids are the most important phytonutrients in vegetables with biological activity against chronic health conditions. Each vegetable offers a unique combination of phytonutrients, so a wide variety of vegetables should be consumed in order to take all the health advantages. Phytoestrogens, carotenoids, limonoids, phytosterols, glucosinolates, polyphenols, flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and anthocyanidins are all examples of phytochemicals. They have a significant effect on the healthcare system and can offer medical health benefits including prevention and/or treatment of disease and physiological disorders. Many traditional vegetables are been found to have functional properties and novel food items with extra nutraceutical constituents are being produced. Therefore, in order to develop cultivars with better nutritional qualities, it is necessary to accurately identify the plant compounds that are vital for human nutrition and should be proposed to breed cultivars with enhanced nutritional qualities.