Editorial-Special Issue - Nutraceuticals in human health and disease

Abstract

The term “nutraceutical”, derived from the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical” was coined in 1989 to describe substances that could be used as foods that possess health benefits. The range of nutraceutical products is widely diverse and may be divided into three main categories: (i) natural products, comprising, among others, herbs and spices; (ii) dietary supplements; and (iii) functional foods. Based on food sources, nutraceuticals can be classified as: (i) dietary fibres of plant origin; (ii) probiotics, which are live microbial feed supplements; (iii) prebiotics, dietary ingredients that selectively alter the composition or metabolism of gut microbiota; (iv) polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 or omega-6 fatty-acids; (v) antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids; (vi) biologically active phytochemicals like polyphenols; and (vii) spices, whose main components are terpenes and other constituents of essential oils.