Nutraceuticals, natural

SHW has also been apphed to the separation of nutraceuticals, natural products, and biochemicals, including the water-soluble vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, and pyidoxine (Table 18-3) without significant thermal degradation. 

Nutraceuticals Natural chemicals, usually contained in foods, with potential benefits to human health. 

HPLC separations are a fundamental analytical tool for the vast majority of testing laboratories. Over the last few years HPLC has expanded in two important ways. First, it become even more prevalent in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical (natural product), and protein/peptide characterization areas. Second, along with this, mass spectrometry has become more widespread as a detector of choice. 

Nutraceuticals Naturally occurring compounds associated with foods or plants that prevent diseases, mainly chronic diseases and cancer. 

The discovery that, in industrialised societies, diets deficient in fruits and vegetables can effectively double the risk of developing many different types of cancer has focused renewed attention on the beneficial properties of these foods (Block e/a/., 1992 Patterson ef a/., 1990 Southon and Faulks, 2002). As we have seen, plant foods are rich in micronutrients, but they also contain an immense variety of biologically active secondary metabolites providing colour, flavour and natural toxicity to pests and sometimes humans (Johnson et ah, 1994). The chemistry and classification of such substances is still a matter for much research and debate, but this has not prevented attempts to isolate and exploit substances that have variously been termed protective factors , phytoprotectants , phytochemicals and nutraceuticals . Phytochemical compounds include ... 

Delgado-Vargas, F. and Paredes-Lopez, O., Natural pigments global perspective, in Natural Colorants for Pood and Nutraceutical Uses, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2003, chap. 6. 

Genomic and molecular tools have made great impacts on plant biotechnology and offer potential for manipulation of carotenoids as natural colorants and also for applications in human and animal health. While microbial and other non-plant systems have been successfully used, plant modification eliminates need for expensive bioreactors and offers economically feasible opportunities for less developed nations for production of nutraceuticals and other chemical products. 

Considering the concerns of consumers for synthetic colorants and interest in natural formulas, many food manufacturers seek alternative healthy solutions to replace colorants, even the regulated ones from positive lists (like p-carotene), with colored fruit and vegetable extracts to be used as functional food ingredients or nutraceuticals (food supplements). ... 

Seabuckthom (Hippophae rhamnoides) fruits, very rich in phytochemicals and demonstrated to be excellent sources of natural food colorants (carotenoids and flavonoids) are increasingly used as food ingredients and nutraceuticals... 

Extraction processes for natural products including the decaffeination of coffee and tea and the isolation of nutraceuticals, flavors, and fragrances... 

Over the last decade, there has been a steady increase in the popularity and usage of natural products to enhance overall health. These nutraceuticals and functional foods modulate the function of various physiological systems including the immune system. By altering immunity, it is possible to augment an individual s ability to ward off infection, or suppress autoimmunity and chronic inflammatory diseases. Thus, the renaissance of herbal extracts as well as the increased consumption of other dietary components has afforded the public a relatively inexpensive way to self-medicate. 

This chapter is devoted to a description of the chemistry, applications, and safety of the wide variety of natural and synthetic colorants available today. But another aspect has entered into consideration. Food safety of colorants has usually been considered to be a negative if we ignore the many benefits of making food more attractive in appearance. The recent meteoric rise of the nutraceutical industries has made it possible to claim health benefits for many categories of food including the colorants. Where appropriate, the health claims will be included in this chapter. 

While poisonous plants on grazing lands have a significant impact on livestock production throughout the world, the natural toxins (secondary metabolites) in the plant may have multiple and diverse functions, not only for the plant world but also for the benefit of mankind. Many current pharmaceuticals have been chemically optimized from natural toxins of plant origin. New plant compounds and familiar compounds with renewed interest, e.g., nutraceuticals, herbal preparations, nutritional supplements, etc, are increasingly finding their value in human nutrition and health. 

The raison d etre for the proliferation of flavone and flavonol glycosides in nature continues to intrigue plant scientists. The ability of UV-B radiation to damage DNA, RNA, and proteins as well as to impair processes like photosynthesis is well known. Most flavonoids are very efficient antioxidants and chemoprotectants, and are therefore used in a plethora of food supplements and nutraceuticals [30]. Some flavonoids, however, have a Janus face - they could be excellent antioxidants but also have negative features. 

Chitosan, the most abundant marine mucopolysaccharide, is derived from chitin by alkaline deacetylation, and possesses versatile biological properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and a non-toxic nature. Due to these characteristics, considerable attention has been given to its industrial applications in the food, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and environmental industries. Currently, chitosan can be considered as a potential marine nutraceutical because its remarkable biological activities have been investigated and reported, in order to exploit its nutraceutical... 

Sponges are considered as the chemical factory in marine environment because of its immense production of chemically diverse compounds. Other than the chemical diversity, these compounds possess remarkable bioactivities. This great potential has aroused applications of sponge-derived compounds as therapeutics and at present, a number of promising compounds are in clinical and preclinical trials. Recently, nutraceuticals have received considerable interest among the health conscious community because of its multiple therapeutic effects. Natural health-promoting substances... 

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