The interest in phytochemicals found in plant foods as bioactive components of the diet has expanded\nin the last few years. This is because they have been linked with the prevention or reduced progression\nof many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and degenerative diseases.\nOxidative stress, which could bring about oxidative damage to DNA, protein and lipids has been found\nto be a major factor in the aetiology of these diseases. Epidemiological evidence shows that observed\nhealth benefits of these plant foods on humans, especially fruits and vegetables, are due to the\npresence of bioactive phytochemicals which today, play an important role in pharmaceutical\napplications. Research shows that these compounds modulate the risk of chronic disease development\nby inhibiting reactions mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Consequently, strong\nrecommendations for their ingestion through the diet have become increasingly popular to improve\nman�s health. This article presents a review of the role of nutraceuticals, functional foods and value\nadded food products in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. We also summarized the\nbiotechnological approaches for enhancing the level of these bioactive compounds in plants, with a\nview to improve their nutraceutical value and phytotherapy efficiency.
Loading....