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Abstract
The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) fruit is a source of vegetable oil and various phytonutrients. Phytochemical compounds present in palm oil include tocotrienols, carotenoids, phytosterols, squalene, coenzyme Q10, and phospholipids. Being a fruit, the oil palm is also a rich source of water-soluble phytonutrients, including phenolic compounds. Extraction of phytonutrients from the oil palm vegetation liquor of palm oil milling results in a phenolic acid-rich fraction termed Water-Soluble Palm Fruit Extract (WSPFE). Pre-clinical in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies carried out using various biological models have shown that WSPFE has beneficial bioactive properties, while clinical studies in healthy volunteers showed that it is safe for human consumption and confers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The composition, biological properties, and relevant molecular mechanisms of WSPFE discovered thus far are discussed in the present review, with a view to offer future research perspectives on WSPFE for health and non-health applications.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Director-General of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) for permission to publish this manuscript.
Author contributions
SSL: Conceptualization, design and writing of the manuscript; SF: Funding acquisition and critical review of the manuscript; RS: Conceptualization of studies on WSPFE, funding acquisition and critical review of the manuscript; All authors read and agreed to the final version of the manuscript.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.