Interaction of Phytochemicals from Walnut on Health: An Updated Comprehensive Review of Reported Bioactivities and Medicinal Properties of Walnut

Nuts are included as one of the important elements of healthy dietary guidelines in some countries including New Zealand because they are considered a good dietary source of nutrients including unsaturated fatty acids. Walnut (Juglans regia Linn) is one of the most popular nuts worldwide. It has been widely applied in traditional medicine including treatment of asthma, skin disorders, diabetes and thyroid dysfunction. Walnut is regarded as a crop of high economic interest because of its edible fruit parts. There has been a renewed interest in the phytochemicals and medicinal properties of walnut. Therefore, the aim of this review was to comprehensively cover bioactivities and medicinal properties of walnut. The components of walnut include fat (58.3-65.2 %), protein (15.1-17.4 %), carbohydrate (13.9-19.4 %), triterpenic & alphatic alcohols, bioactive compounds, phenolic compounds, sterols and minerals. Future research should investigate the inclusion of walnut or its by-products in the formulation of food products as a method to incorporate specific biologically active components in food products.