Dahiya, J Plant Biochem Physiol 2013, 1:4
http:/dx.doi.org/10.4172/2329-9029.1000e111
Plant Biochemistry & Physiology
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Nutraceuticals and Their Impact on Human Health
Kiran Dahiya*
Department of Biochemistry, Pt. B.D.S. PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana, India
Herbal medicine is the need of the day. With the modernised,
competitive lifestyle and ever increasing stressful conditions, all types
of diseases are having a field day. Allopathic cure is available for most
of the disorders but it comes at a price. First, the cost of medicine is
increasing day by day as for all other commodities. Second, allopathic
medicines are associated with a variety of side effects. Therefore, more
and more people are inclining towards lifestyle modification and use of
herbal products only. This helps in keeping various diseases at bay and
boosting the overall health of the person.
Herbal or plant medicine constitutes an effective source of
both traditional and modern medicines. It is more popular in rural
population and around 80% of rural population in India depends on it
for their primary health care [1]. Medicinal plants offer a rich, though
inadequately explored, source of components which provide a variety
of health benefits. These components, known as phytochemicals, can
act as [2]:
1. Substrates for various biochemical reactions.
2. Cofactors/ inhibitors of different enzymatic reactions.
3. Absorbents/sequestrants that bind to and eliminate undesirable
constituents in the intestine.
4. Ligands that behave as agonists or antagonists of cell surface or
intracellular receptors.
5. Scavengers of highly reactive or toxic chemicals.
6. Compounds that enhance the absorption and/ or stability of
essential nutrients.
7. Selective growth factors for beneficial gastrointestinal bacteria.
8. Fermentation substrates for useful oral, gastric or intestinal
bacteria and selective inhibitors of harmful intestinal bacteria.
Foods containing these phytochemicals are known as
‘nutraceuticals’. The term nutraceutical is derived from the words
‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceutical’. Thus, nutraceutical is a food or a part
of the food which exerts a curative or preventive effect on disease. These
include various nutrients, dietary supplements, specially designed diets
or herbal products. Nutraceuticals of both plant and animal origin hold
great opportunities for food industries to bring out novel food catering
to future needs [3,4].
The phytochemicals present in these foods have wide range of
therapeutic effects against a number of diseases like diabetes, heart
disease, common cold, arthritis, cancer, hypertension, dyslipidemia,
inflammatory bowel disease, depression etc. Compounds like
phenylpropanoids,
isoprenoids,
polyphenols,
anthocynidins,
flavonoids, terpenoids, carotenoids, phytoestrogens and alkaloids
etc are responsible for the beneficial effects of diet rich in fruits and
vegetables. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is also found in
plant diets which produce kynuramine, a biogenic amine, by oxidative
metabolism. Kynuramine improves mitochondrial metabolism, acts as
cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor and an important antioxidant [5].
The interface between the nutritional environment and cellular/
genetic processes is termed as ‘nutrigenomics’. It provides a molecular
J Plant Biochem Physiol
ISSN: 2329-9029 JPBP, an open access journal
enlightenment of phytochemicals benefitting human health by altering
the expression or constitution of genes. This leads to alteration in
initiation, development and progression of different diseases. Thus,
nutrigenomics is very important in the role of nutraceuticals against
ageing and different diseases by proving genetic information [6].
Emerging trends in nutraceuticals
Nutraceuticals may be divided into herbal/ natural products,
dietary supplements and functional foods. Out of these, most rapidly
growing segment is herbal/ natural products followed by dietary
supplements. The generation of scientific research linked foods of plant
origin and health has resulted in understanding that plant bio-active
compounds have antioxidant and other health promoting properties.
High dietary intake of fibres in the form of fruits, vegetables, whole
grains is strongly linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases like cancer
and cardiovascular diseases. Cancer development is a chronic, stepwise
complex process culminating into metastsis if not tackled in time.
Epidemiological studies now provide convincing evidence that dietary
factors may modify carcinogenesis. A number of phytochemicals
as well as some plant origin foods with yet unidentified components
possess anti-carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic properties. Thus, use of
these bioactive compounds as chemopreventive subtances, in future,
can not be overlooked [7].
Similarly, isoflavonoids or soy products and flaxseed have the ability
to decrease total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and
increase high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) resulting in
reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Phytoestrogens are also
reported to be beneficial in prevention of CVDs. For CVD, important
risk factors include obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes
which can be countered by phytochemicals. Phytochemicals help
in reducing oxidative stress also which is implicated in process of
atherosclerosis. Nutraceuticals help in boosting the antioxidant defense
system of the body [8,9].
Categories of nutraceuticals [10]
1. Substances with established nutritional value i.e. nutrients e.g.
vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, polysaccharides
etc.
2. Products of herbs or botanical products in the form of
concentrates or extracts i.e. herbals e.g. aloe vera, wheat grass,
ginger, garllic etc.
*Corresponding author: Kiran Dahiya, Associate Professor, Department of
Biochemistry, Pt. B.D.S. PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana, India, 124001, E-mail:
kirandahiya_2002@yahoo.com
Received July 20, 2013; Accepted August 07, 2013; Published August 15, 2013
Citation: Dahiya K (2013) Nutraceuticals and Their Impact on Human Health. J
Plant Biochem Physiol 1: e111. doi:10.4172/2329-9029.1000e111
Copyright: © 2013 Dahiya K. This is an open-access article distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and
source are credited.
Volume 1 • Issue 4 • 1000e111
Citation: Dahiya K (2013) Nutraceuticals and Their Impact on Human Health. J Plant Biochem Physiol 1: e111. doi:10.4172/2329-9029.1000e111
Page 2 of 3
3. Compounds derived from other sources serving specific
functions such as sports nutrition, weight-loss supplements and
meal replacements termed as dietary supplements.
Based on food sources, nutraceuticals can be classified as
1. Dietary fibres
These are the plant origin substances present in food which are
not digested in gastointestinal tract and add bulk to the intestinal
contents. Examples include fruits, barley, oats, lignin, cellulose, pectin
etc. Generous intake of these fibres in diet is associated with low
risk of CVD, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and colon cancer and
gastrointestinal disorders [11].
2.
Probiotics
These are live microbial feed supplements which when administered
in adequate dose help in improving the intestinal microbial balance
of the host e.g lactobacilli, bifidobacteria etc. There administration
is reported to be associated with a decreased risk of allergy, asthma,
cancer, infection of ear and urinary tract [12].
3.
Prebiotics
These are the dietary ingredients that benefit the host by selectively
altering the composition or metabolism of gut microbiota. These
are, generally, fructose based oligosaccharides existing naturally or
supplemented in the food and are not digested by human beings.
Examples of such foods are chicory roots, banana, tomato and alliums,
beans etc. These are found to be beneficial in improving lactose
tolerance, detoxification, and dyslipidemia, relief from constipation and
in certain tumours [13].
4.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids
These may be omega 3 fatty acids e.g. α-linolenic acid,
eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid found in fatty fishes,
flaxseed, soybean etc. or omega 6 fatty acids e.g. α-linoleic acid and
arachidonic acid found in corn, safflower, sunflower and soybean etc.
[11].
5.
Antioxidant vitamins
These include vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids. These vitamins
are abundant in many fruits and vegetables and possess singlet oxygen
quenching and lipid peroxidation preventing properties. Regular intake
of these helps in prevention of a number of diseases [11].
6.
Polyphenols
These phytochemicals are produced by plant for protection against
photosynthetic stress and reactive oxygen species e.g flavonoids,
anthocyanins and phenolic acids. These possess anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties and are found in foods like legumes, tea and
soybean etc. [11].
7.
Spices
nutraceuticals lack the specificity required for botanical drugs. This may
result in adulteration or contamination of nutraceuticals remaining
unnoticed and posing threat to the health of consumers [15].
It is also important that a distinction is drawn between information
obtained from in vitro studies with that of in vivo studies. The
mechanism of action along with the efficacy of various phytochemicals
in different clinical conditions needs to be established with help of
in vivo studies [2]. Many widely used medicinal plants still lack the
extensive physiological characterization. The detailed knowledge about
metabolic pathways for biosynthesis of different phytochemicals with
associated factors and role of genetic makeup and environmental
modulations in these biosyntheses is also not yet available [16].
Furthermore, the cost of nutraceuticals is another concern.
Commercially available preparations are bound to be purer and more
effective forms but much more expensive as compared to the natural
ones.
Conclusion
Response of nutraceuticals varies form person to person.
Individual’s susceptibilty to any particular disease depends on the
genetic predispostion, environmental factors and lifestyle. But the
role of nutraceuticals in prevention, restriction and cure of various
diseases is beyond doubt. Their success will be governed by purity,
safety and efficacy without compromising innovation in the field.
Information available presently poses a challenge for nutritionists,
physicians, food technologists, plant physiologists and public health
personnel. The role of nutraceuticals in clinical practice is emerging
but important pharmaceutical and clinical issues need to be answered.
Long term clinical research is needed to scientifically validate their
role in different diseases. Herbal medicine shows good results when
treated as an adjuvant to allopathic medicine, but not as a substitute, in
most of the disesases like diabetes, hypertension and cancer etc. With
a little bit of careful hadling, the future of both plant and animal origin
nutraceuticals holds exciting opportunities in the medical field.
References
1. Israel O, Auguster O, Edith OA (2010) Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of
polyphenols from ethnomedicinal plants of Nigeria. Afr J Biotech 9: 2289-2293.
2. Dillard CJ, German JB (2000) Phytochemicals: nutraceuticals and human
health. J Sci Food Agric 80: 1744-56.
3. Kalra EK (2003) Nutraceutical- Definition and Introduction. AAPS Pharm Sci
5: 27-28.
4. Pandey M, Verma RK, Saraf SA (2010) Nutraceuticals: new era of medicine
and health. Asian J Pharmaceuticals Clin Res 3: 11-15.
5. Iriti M, Faoro F (2006) Grape phytochemicals: A bouquet of old and new
nutraceuticals for human health. Medical Hypotheses 833-838.
6. Prakash D, Gupta C, Sharma G (2012) Importance of phytochemicals in
nutraceuticals. Journal of Chinese Medicine Research and Development70-78.
7. Cherdshewasart W, Sutjit W, Pulcharoen K, Chulasiri M (2009)The mutagenic
and antimutagenic effects of the traditional phytoestrogen-rich herbs,
Puerariamirificaand Puerarialobata.Braz J Med Biol Res 42: 816-823.
These are esoteric foods adjuncts used to enhance sensory quality
of foods. Most of the components of spices are terpenes and other
constituents of essential oils. Minute quantities of dietary spices have
antioxidant, chemopreventive, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory amd
immune modulatory effects [14].
8. Prakash D, Upadhyay G, Pushpangadan P, Gupta C (2011) Antioxidant and
free radical scavenging activity activities of some fruits. J Complement Integr
Med 8: 1-19.
Areas of concern
10. Craig W, Beck L (1999) Phytochemicals: Health Protective Effects. Can J Diet
Pract Res 60: 78-84.
The major concern for the use of nutraceuticals is the lack of
quality control. Food laws which govern the quality and processing of
11. Das L, Bhaumik E, Raychaudhuri U, Chakraborty R (2012) Role of nutraceuticals
in human health. J Food SciTechnol49: 173-183.
J Plant Biochem Physiol
ISSN: 2329-9029 JPBP, an open access journal
9. Prakash D, Gupta C (2011) Role of phytoestrogens asnutraceuticals in human
health- A review. Biotechnology: An Indian J 5: 1-8.
Volume 1 • Issue 4 • 1000e111
Citation: Dahiya K (2013) Nutraceuticals and Their Impact on Human Health. J Plant Biochem Physiol 1: e111. doi:10.4172/2329-9029.1000e111
Page 3 of 3
12. Lenoir-Wijnkoop I, Sanders ME, Cabana MD, Caglar E, Corthier G, et al. (2007)
Probiotic and prebiotic influence beyond the intestinal tract. Nutr Rev 65: 469489.
13. Hord NG (2008) Eukaryotic microbiotic crosstalk: potential mechanisms for
health benefits of prebiotics and probiotics. Annu Rev Nutr 28: 215-231.
15. Patil CS (2011) Current trends and future prospective of nutraceuticals in health
promotion. BioInfoPhramaceutical Biotechnology 1: 1-7.
16. Briskin DP (2000) Medicinal plants and phytomedicines. Linking plant
Biochemistry and Physiology to human health. Plant Physiol 124: 507-514.
14. Kochhar KP (2008) Dietary spices in health and diseases. Indian J Physiol
Pharmacol 52: 106- 22.
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Citation: Dahiya K (2013) Nutraceuticals and Their Impact on Human Health. J
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ISSN: 2329-9029 JPBP, an open access journal
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