Inositol phosphates: health implications, methods of analysis, and occurrence in plant foods

Inositol phosphates (InsPs), especially myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP₆), are important binders of phosphorus and minerals in plant seeds. However, they have long been considered as anti-nutritional components of plant foods due to their possible negative effects on the absorption of minerals and proteins in mammals. On the other hand, recent findings have found InsPs to be ubiquitous in eukaryote cells and actively participating in multiple cell functions. In vivo and in vitro studies have also documented the preventive potential of these compounds against the development of a wide range of diseases. In light of these findings, interest in the relationship between these compounds and human health has been renewed. It is suggested that the interactions of InsPs with other nutrients in the gut are complex, that the absorption of dietary InsPs might be implied but is not certain, and that the disease fighting capabilities of InsPs hold both promises and limitations. At the same time, the analysis of these compounds in foods and biological samples still faces many challenges, calling for more advanced modification and developments in the future.