Prospects of Medicinal Plants Derived Nutraceuticals: A Re-emerging New Era of Medicine and Health Aid

Abstract

Nutraceuticals provides medical and health benefits including the prevention and treatment of a disease. Nutraceuticals are naturally derived bioactive compounds that are found in foods, dietary supplements and herbal products, and have health promoting, disease preventing and medicinal properties. Nutraceuticals are the substances which are not traditionally recognized nutrients but which have positive physiological effects on the human body. Nutraceutical has advantage over the medicine because they avoid side effects. Nutraceuticals are classifying on the basis of their natural source, chemical grouping, nutrients, herbals, dietary supplements and dietary fiber. Herbal nutraceutical is used in maintaining health and act against nutritionally induced acute and chronic diseases, thereby promoting optimal health, longevity, and quality of life. The nutraceutical revolution will lead us into a new era of medicine and health, in which the food industry will become research oriented to the pharmaceutical industry. The present review has been devoted towards understanding of the nutraceuticals from different medicinal plants based on their disease specific indications.