Tasty Spices as Nutraceuticals

2.1 Definition

Nutrient: As coined by Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) (1996), “a feed constituent in a form and at a level that will help support the life of an animal.” Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins are the main categories of feed nutrients.

Feed: As coined by Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) (1996), “edible materials which are consumed by animals and contribute energy and/or nutrients to the animal’s diet.”

Food: As coined by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (1968), “an article that provides taste, aroma or nutritive value. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers food as ‘generally recognized as safe’ (GRAS).”

Drug: As coined by Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) (1996), “a substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease in man or other animals. A substance other than food intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals.”

Dietary Supplement: As coined by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA, 1994), “a product that contains one or more of the following dietary ingredients: vitamin, mineral, herb, or other botanical, and amino acid (protein). Includes any possible component of the diet as well as concentrates, constituents, extracts or metabolites of these compounds.”

Nutraceutical: As commonly coined by the dietary supplement industry, “any nontoxic food component that has scientifically proven health benefits, including disease treatment and prevention.”

Veterinary Nutraceutical: As coined by the newly created North American Veterinarian Nutraceutical Council, Inc. (NAVNC), “a substance which is produced in a purified or extracted form and administered orally to patients to provide agents required for normal body structure and function and administered with the intent of improving the health and well-being of animals” [8].

2.2 Classification

1. Traditional

   • Chemical constituents in the form of nutrients and herbals

   • Probiotic supplements.

   • Enzyme supplements.

2. Non Traditional

   • Fortified nutraceuticals.

   • Recombinant Nutraceutical.

3. Substance with established nutritional functions

   • Vitamins

   • Minerals

   • Amino acids F

   • Fatty acids

4. Herbs (or) Botanical products

5. Reagents derived from other sources

   • Pyruvate

   • Chondroitin sulphate

   • Steroid hormone precursors

6. Functional foods

7. Probiotics and prebiotics

8. Polyunsaturated fatty acids

9. Antioxidant vitamin

10. Polyphenols

11. Spices

2.3 Advantages

• Nutraceuticals have the ability to aid in good eating as well as the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases.

• There is unquestionably a very large and expanding market, thus many pharmaceutical corporations are now attempting to enter the nutraceutical space.

• Consumers’ perception that these foodstuff-like chemicals are less harmful or hazardous than traditional medications [9].

2.4 Dis-advantages

• Companies making unregulated items to generate large profit margins.

• Harder and more expensive than ever to identify new molecules.

• Reduced bioavailability of nutrients [9].

2.5 Traditional nutraceuticals

Foods that do not go through manual modifications fall under this category. The ingredients are all-natural and may actively contribute to health advantages, such as Tomatoes, pink grapes, guava, papaya, and melon water contain lycopene, an antioxidant with anti-cancer properties, notably for the prostate, bladder, cervix, and leukaemia [10].

2.6 Non-traditional nutraceuticals

Nontraditional nutraceuticals are synthetic foods made by adding bioactive ingredients for human health. It can be further broken down into recombinant and fortified nutraceuticals. Nutraceuticals with agricultural breeding or additional nutrients are known as fortified foods. Some examples of fortified nutraceuticals include orange juice with calcium, cereals with extra vitamins or minerals, flour with added folic acid, and milk with cholecalciferol [1].

2.7 Fortified nutraceuticals

Fortification of food components is a technique of enhancing food with micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and essential elements) increases the food’s nutritional worth and effectiveness. Cholecalciferol-enriched breast milk used to treat vitamin D insufficiency is one example [5, 11].

2.8 Recombinant nutraceuticals

In order to produce food like yoghurt and cheese or bioactive extraction components using enzymatic or fermented technology, biotechnology and genetic engineering are applied in this way. Gold Ascorbic acid, carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin levels in kiwifruit have been increased through genetic modification. For example: Lutin is obtained from corn, avocado, egg yolks, spinach and have potential benefits as an anti-cancer activity [5, 11].

3.1 Vitamin

The importance of numerous vitamins in preserving a healthy metabolism and state of wellness cannot be overstated. All vitamin deficiencies can result in distinct clinical signs. As a result, the majority of nutritional supplements or nutraceutical therapy products contain vitamins, often common vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E. Humans mostly obtain their vitamins from plant-based meals and plant biotechnology. As a result, it has been utilised to boost the vitamin content of plants [12].

3.2 Herbal (or) botanical products

Extracts and concentrates are the two ways to get herbal or botanical goods. Herbs have been used to treat acute and chronic illnesses for as long as human civilization has existed. The “Ayurveda” natural remedy, which includes numerous efficient means of ensuring health care, has its earliest written heritage in India. The essential elements of herbal medicine contain numerous nutraceuticals.

4.1 Glucosamine and chondroitin

The building and repair of cartilage involve the usage of chemicals known as glycolsaminoglycans, of which glucosamine is a precursor. Bovine or calf cartilage as the source, in certain European nations, glucosamine sulphate is the first line of defence against arthritis. In joint fluid, glucosamine sulphate encourages the formation of hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid improves injured cartilage while reducing discomfort. Proteoglycan dosages were found to rise after glucosamine administration in in vitro tests. It is typically marketed as salt hydrochloride or salt sulphate. Both substances have anti-inflammatory properties. There is a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement available. The most prevalent glycosaminoglycan in cartilage, chondroitin, is what gives cartilage its resilience.

4.2 Flavonoids

Flavonoids are the primary biologically active component of plants. Regarding phenolic compounds, they have anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-microbial, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-ulcer, vasorelaxant, anti-atherosclerotic, antithrombogenic, antithrombogenic, cardio added, and anti-Neoplastic properties for profound impacts on the central nervous system [13].

4.3 Food supplements and food fibres

Food supplements are goods that have extra food elements added as medicines for deficiencies or illnesses. Dietary supplements are becoming more and more popular as a way to boost performance, prevent ageing, maintain fitness, and build up the body. One of the growing food and nutritional assessments is of groceries. On the market, there are numerous materials or products with a single ingredient that contain vitamins and minerals as dietary supplements [14]. Other than vitamins and minerals, dietary supplements may also include botanicals, amino acids, pure extracts, concentrates, a combination of glandular extracts, and organ tissue. It wasn’t intended to be a staple in the diet or used as a component of traditional or conventional food [15]. Fibre foods and high fibre products are very attractive because of the health benefits signifikan. E.g: rice, bananas, cereals etc.

4.4 Phytochemicals

In today’s communication, phytochemicals are also referred to as nutraceuticals and offer medicinal and health benefits. An intriguing reevaluation of conventional diabetes treatment has been made, and one of the key characteristics of phytochemicals is their ability to regulate glucose and insulin. Actually, fewer than a thousand manufacturers have received scientific research despite claims that they offer more unique benefits in the treatment of diabetes. Additionally, the importance of traditional medicines like anticancer, antiviral, and hypolyphical effects have been highlighted, as well as the nature of nutrition, tonic, and mushroom medicine. Lentinan enhances the host’s resistance to parasites, viruses, AIDS-causing bacteria and fungus, and other types of infections.

4.5 Functional food

Functional food is a supply of nutrients that is actually required and offers more than what is required for maintenance, growth, and development. Numerous additional subclasses, including cereal, nuts, and fermented foods, are included in the functional food classes [16]. Functional foods, such as cereals like rice, corn, wheat, millet, sorghum, and buckwheat, have been proven to have the ability to lower blood pressure, reduce the incidence of tumours, and remove the risk of coronary heart disease [17]. It has been discovered that kidney beans, almonds, beans, lentils, and soybeans contain potent antioxidants and have preventive effects against diabetes and cardiovascular disease [18]. Additionally, chocolate is a subtype of functional food that is the richest source of protein and a good supply of calcium, iron, magnesium, and riboflavin [19, 20]. Other functional food groups include citrus fruits, which have the potential to boost the immune system and have been shown to have therapeutic benefits as anticancer, antiviral, and antioxidant agents [21]. Other examples of functional foods that have positive effects on digestion are fermented milk and related items. For instance, yoghurt is a very nutrient-dense fermented food with anticancer potential; it has also been linked to the prevention of atherosclerosis and gastrointestinal illnesses. Patients who are lactose intolerant are advised to use it [22].

4.6 Prebiotics and probiotics

Direct microbial foods that are good for your health are under the probiotic group. They adhere to certain parts of the digestive tract and expel infections as a result of their activity [23]. Prebiotics are ingredients that have been specifically or fermented to encourage changes in gastrointestinal bacteria and whose actions have a positive impact on domestic health. They serve as probiotic bacteria’s fertilisers in the big intestine. Gastric pH and digestive acid have little effect on this. Examples include insulin, which when subjected to further hydrolysis yields oligo fructose and oligosaccharide from galactose [24, 25].

4.7 Polyunsaturated fatty acids

Omega-3 (N-3) and Omega-6 (N-6) polylist fatty acids (PUFA), which differ in the location of the first double double, are two kinds of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Because they cannot be produced by the human body and are crucial for maintaining physiological integrity, two Pufa is known as essential fatty acids. As a result, they need to be consumed with food.

4.8 Anti-oxidant

Free radical-induced cell damage is thought to be a major factor in both the ageing process and the onset of illness. Antioxidants are crucial for preserving our best health and wellbeing because they are our body’s first defence against free radical damage. Being a highly reactive element, oxygen can be found in potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals. Healthy bodily cells may be attacked by free radicals, losing their structures and functions. Free radicals can be stabilised or rendered inactive by antioxidants before they damage cells.

4.9 Polyphenols

Natural phytochemicals called polyphenols are found in plant-based foods such fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals, nuts, tea, coffee, wine, and cocoa; All plant meals include more than 8000 polyphenol components, including flavonoids and phenolic acid. These substances are plant secondary metabolites that serve as a line of defence against infections, oxidants, and UV radiation. Based on the amount of phenol rings and the structural components that connect these rings to one another, polyphenols can be divided into a number of types. Berry fruits, kiwis, cherries, apples, pears, chicory, and coffee are foods with high content of this phenolic acid. Phenolic acids constitute around a third of polyphenol compounds in a diet and include two primary types of acid, ferulatic acid, and synapaphic acid.

4.10 Spices

Herbs and spices are seasonings made from plants that are used in cooking. Although the phrases “herbs” and “spices” are sometimes used synonymously, they have distinct meanings in botany. Spices preserve their flavour in their seeds, bark, and roots, whereas herbs store it in their leaves [26]. The word “spice” is derived from the Latin word “species,” which denotes a specific kind [27]. Plant parts like clove buds, cinnamon bark, ginger roots, cumin fragrant seeds, and saffron flower stigmas can all be considered spices. Culinary spices have long been used as food preservatives and for their health-improving qualities in addition to improving the taste of food. Additionally, spices pique people’s appetites and improve the appearance of food for people all over the world [26]. Spices form the foundation of flavour in food applications. People use spices all around the world to enhance the flavour, texture, and appearance of food as well as to boost hunger. Spices are also prized for their healing abilities as antimicrobials and antioxidants [27].

Essential oils are liquids that are produced when plant parts are steam or water distilled (leaves, stems, bark, seeds, fruits, roots and plant exudates). Citrus oil can only be extracted from fruit peels using expression since heat readily damages the chemical makeup of the oil. Citrus oil production is a substantial byproduct of the juice industry nowadays. Up to several hundred chemical compounds can be found in an essential oil, and it is this complex combination of components that gives the oil its distinctive aroma and flavour. An essential oil can include up to several hundred chemical compounds, and it is this intricate assemblage of ingredients that gives the oil its unique flavour and perfume. In addition to the volatile essential oil, these oleoresins and extracts, which are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, also contain concentrated non-volatile flavour components. The solvent extraction processes are more complex and difficult than steam distillation, and most small-scale producers will not be able to afford them. Selling the raw materials to these extraction facilities, however, might be a good market strategy [28].

The majority of the significant spices that are currently traded internationally are produced in tropical areas. The most notable exceptions to this rule are the capsicums (chilli peppers, paprika, and coriander), which may be cultivated in a far wider variety of tropical and nontropical conditions. In these humid and damp settings, growing spices and essential oils presents unique crop and product management challenges. The crop must be dried in order to produce a stable stored product, which necessitates the use of effective drying techniques in wet, rainy climates [28].