Abstract

REVIEW ARTICLE: NOVEL NUTRACEUTICALS

Divya S. Kumar*, Deepa V., Gururaj S. Kulkarni and Padmaa M. Paarakh

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Abstract

A nutraceutical is an essential food component which included in a diet provides nutritional and pharmaceutical benefits. Nutraceutical provides extra health benefits, in prevention and promotion of health due to adverse effects of drugs, consumers are adding dietary food supplements. A nutraceutical is a substance that is considered as a food or its part which, in addition to its normal nutritional value provides health benefits including the prevention of disease or promotion of health. Due to adverse effects of drugs, consumers are preferring food supplements to improve health. This brought revolution worldwide in the field of nutraceuticals. Nutraceuticals provide extra health benefits, in addition to the basic nutritional value found in foods. As nanotechnology provides “a new dimension” accompanied with new or modified properties conferred to many current materials, it is widely used for the production of a new generation of drug formulations, and it is also used in the food industry and even in various types of nutritional supplements. These nano formulations of supplements are being prepared especially with the purpose to improve bio-availability, protect active ingredients against degradation, or reduce side effects.

Keywords: Nutraceuticals, Health, Disease, Nano formulations.