Nutraceuticals: A Comprehensive Review on Classification, Roles and Importance, Exploration of Nutraceutical Consideration, Safety & Quality and Future Direction

Nutraceuticals comprised of two words nutra which means nutrition and pharmaceuticals. Nutraceuticals, in broad are food or part of food playing a significant role in modifying and maintaining normal physiological action that maintains healthy human beings.The term "nutraceuticals" was coined in 1989 by the foundation for innovation in medicine {newyork,us}, to provide a name for this rapidly growing area of bimedical research. Nutraceutical may range from isolated nutrients dietary supplements and diets to genetically engineered "designer" foods, herbal products and processed product such as cereals, soups and beverages. These nutraceuticals help in compating some of the major health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases cancer, osteroporosis, arthiritis, diabetes, cholestrol etc. Frequency of nutraceuticals use is 50% to 70% in developed country population and this number is increasing by the age. Ladies use more nutraceuticals than men. The ongoing research will lead to anew generation of foods which will certainly cause the interface between food and drug to become increasingly permeable. The present accumulated knowledge about nutraceuticals represents undoubtly a great challenge for nutritionists, physicians, food technologists and food chemist. The nutraceutical revolution will lead us into new era of medicines and health, become a researchoriented one similar to the pharmaceutical industry.