Improvement of Nutraceutical Value of Food by Plant Symbionts

Consumers and producers have recently shown an increasing interest in healthpromoting properties of plant fresh foods, which are currently considered "functional foods." They contain phytochemicals playing a key role in promoting human health by reducing oxidative damages, modulating detoxifying enzymes, stimulating the immune system, and showing chemopreventive actions. Recent findings revealed that the content and composition of phytochemicals in fresh fruit and vegetables is greatly affected by plant genotype, harvest season, soil quality, and agronomic and environmental factors, including mycorrhizal symbioses established by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with most crop plants. AMF promote plant growth and health and reduce the need of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, leading to less environmental damage and to improved food quality and health. They also enhance the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites with health-promoting activities, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, flavonoids, phytoestrogens, and activity of several antioxidant enzymes. Recent studies reported a higher nutraceutical value in mycorrhizal globe artichoke and tomato, two plant species largely cultivated for human consumption, suggesting that AMF inoculation may represent a suitable biotechnological tool to be implemented in agri-food chains aimed at producing safe and healthy food.