Dried Plums and Their Products: Composition and Health Effects–An Updated Review

Abstract

This paper describes composition of dried plums and their products (prune juice and dried plum powder) with special attention to possibly bioactive compounds. Dried plums contain significant amounts of sorbitol, quinic acid, chlorogenic acids, vitamin K1, boron, copper, and potassium. Synergistic action of these and other compounds, which are also present in dried plums in less conspicuous amounts, may have beneficial health effects when dried plums are regularly consumed. Snacking on dried plums may increase satiety and reduce the subsequent intake of food, helping to control obesity, diabetes, and related cardiovascular diseases. Despite their sweet taste, dried plums do not cause large postprandial rise in blood glucose and insulin. Direct effects in the gastrointestinal tract include prevention of constipation and possibly colon cancer. The characteristic phenolic compounds and their metabolites may also act as antibacterial agents in both gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. The indirect salutary effects on bone turnover are supported by numerous laboratory studies with animals and cell cultures. Further investigation of phenolic compounds in dried plums, particularly of high molecular weight polymers, their metabolism and biological actions, alone and in synergy with other dried plum constituents, is necessary to elucidate the observed health effects and to indicate other benefits.

Keywords:

• Prunes
• prune juice
• sorbitol
• chlorogenic acids
• quinic acid
• laxation

Acknowledgments

Supported by a grant from California Dried Plum Board, Sacramento, CA.