NUTRACEUTICALS

Bikash Kumar Sah

2ND
ND Sem.

Purbanchal University college of Medical and allied

Sciences
(PUCMAS)
The definition of health status.

“Health is a state of complete

well-being, physical, mental and
social, and not merely the absence
of disease”

( World Health Organization)

 The availabile tools.

Primary prevention
Secondary prevention

• Lifestyle – behaviour – dietary habits

Possible approaches:

• Drugs (waitchful waiting medicine)

• Nutraceuticals (pro active
The possible approaches.
Nutraceuticals:

Nutraceutical: food or part of food that

provides medical or health benefits,
including the prevention and/or
treatment of a disease.
The term “Nutraceutical” was coined from
“Nutrition” & “Pharmaceutical” in 1989 by

Stephen De Felice,

MD, Founder and Chairman of the Foundation for

Innovation in Medicine (FIM).

Other words used in the context:

Dietary supplementation, Functional, Multi-
functional Foods, etc.
 Nutraceuticals: TORs.

The term nutraceutical refers to products for oral use

containing high concentrations of active principles derived from
food, and provide health benefits from a preventive and/or
therapeutic point of view.

They are not considered drugs, there is lack of controlled

studies stating their real efficacy.

There is lack of a regulation assessment.

Nutraceuticals:
Nutraceuticals: classification.
Nutraceuticals: classification.
Nutraceuticals: classification.
Nutraceuticals: where can be found.

An approximate number of about 30,000 phyto components have

been identified in plants.

• Approximately 5,000-10,000 are present in plant foods of

common use/consumption.

• Assuming 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, you ensure

the intake of about 1.5 g / day of nutraceuticals
phytocomponents.
Nutraceuticals: where can be found.
Nutraceuticals: where can be found.
Nutraceuticals: where can be found.
Nutraceuticals: where can be found.
Nutraceuticals: therapeutic uses.

Prevention/Therapy using nutraceuticals.

- Hypercholesterolemia
- Hypertension
- Type II diabetes
- Hypertryglyceridemia
- ………..

Metabolic syndrome

A nutraceutical pro active

approach is possible?
GLUCOASMINE
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
 Glucosamine, a key component of cartilage and synovial fluid,
is an aminomonosaccharide utilized as the primary substrate in
the synthesis of GAGs and proteoglycans.
 The amine group of Glucosamine is required for metabolic
conversion into Glucosamine-6-phosphate, which is
subsequently converted to galactosamine required for GAG
assembly.
 Glucosamine from food and supplements is incorporated into
the metabolic pathway of proteoglycan and GAG synthesis,
promoting cartilage production and articular function.
GLUCOASMINE
 Glucosamine is a precursor to a molecule called a
glycosaminoglycan-this molecule is used in the formation and repair
of cartilage.
 Glucosamine sulphate is used as first line of treatment for arthritis.
There side effects and contraindications are less but diabetics need to
be careful as glucosamine might have an effect on insulin resistance.
 Glucosamine sulphate stimulates the production of hyaluronic acid
in joint fluid. Hyaluronic acid relieves pain and improves mobility
by repairing damaged cartilage. In vitro experiment of Glucosamine
has shown a dose dependent increase in proteoglycan after
administering.
Clinical effectiveness.
 Virtually all clinical research on glucosamine has
addressed its effectiveness in degenerative joint
conditions, primarily osteoarthritis of the knee.

 Numerous controlled studies have reported that oral

GS improves knee osteoarthritis symptoms
significantly better than placebo or comparably to
the effects of moderate doses of NSAIDs.
OCTACOSANOL
 1-Octacosanol is found in apple. 1-Octacosanol (also
known as n-octacosanol, octacosyl alcohol, cluytyl
alcohol, montanyl alcohol) is a straight-chain aliphatic
28-carbon primary fatty alcohol that is common in the
waxes of plants, including the leaves of many species of
Eucalyptus, of most forage and cereal grasses, of
Acacia, Trifolium, Pisum and many other legume genera
among many others, sometimes as the major wax
constituent. 
 Octacosanol also occurs in wheat germ.
 Octacosanol is the main component in the
mixture policosanol.
 Octacosanol has been subject to preliminary study
for its potential benefit for patients with Parkinson's
disease.
 Studies have also found that octacosanol may inhibit
the production of cholesterol.
 In mice, octacosanol reduces stress and restores
stress-affected sleep back to normal.
 Octacosanol is being investigated as a herpes
antiviral and as a treatment for inflammatory
diseases of the skin.
 Octacosanol administration also has conferred
enhanced physical endurance in some studies.
 Octacosanol (policosanol) has been studied at
doses from 10 to 20 mg daily in cholesterol
reduction and heart disease.
LYCOPENE
 A member of the carotenoid family of pigments,
lycopene is a potent antioxidant.
 Carotenoids are a group of vitamin A-like
substances that give colour to fruits and
vegetables and protect against various types of
cancer, heart disease and blindness by destroying
harmful free radicals in the body.
 Lycopene is what gives tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon,
and guava their red color

 It has been estimated that 80% of the lycopene in the US diet

comes from tomatoes and tomato products like tomato sauce,
tomato paste, and catsup

 Unlike Alpha-carotene, Beta-carotene, and Beta-

cryptoxanthin, lycopene is not a provitamin A carotenoid,
meaning that the body cannot convert lycopene into Vitamin A
LYCOPENE FUNCTION
 Far from being inert, by virtue of its unique chemical properties, studies
have shown lycopene to possess superior antioxidant abilities in
comparison to other carotenoids

 It has the ability to quench singlet oxygen and prevent oxidative damage
to other molecules and cellular structures because of its unique
structure of: 11 conjugated double bonds and no cyclic groups

 Because of this role, many researchers now believe that lycopene may
profoundly influence the evolution of several chronic diseases in a
tissue-specific manner
 Lycopene intake can be seen as a preventive
measure and non pharmacological therapy for
different types of diseases.
 Serum and tissue lycopene levels have been
found to be inversely related to the incidence of
several types of cancer, including breast cancer
and prostate cancer.
 Lycopene helps fight degenerative diseases:
 lycopene may lower the risk of heart disease and macular
degenerative disease, an age-related illness that can lead to
blindness
Anti-inflammatory
may lower the risk of lipid oxidation, “the damage to
normal fat molecules that can cause inflammation and
disease”
Increased protective effect
“Said to lower LDL levels, enhance the body’s
defenses, and protect enzymes, DNA, and cellular
fats”
Lycopene found to reduce risks of various
cancers:
– prostate
– digestive tract
– bladder
– skin
– lung
– breast
– cervical
– cardiovascular disease
– asthma
ALPHA LIPOIC ACID

 Alpha lipoic acid, or just lipoic acid (LA), is a unique and

potent antioxidant. It can deliver antioxidant activity in both
fat- and water-soluble mediums, and it is capable of having an
antioxidant effect in both its oxidized (LA) and reduced
(DHLA [dihydrolipoic acid]) forms.
 This effectively allows LA to deliver its antioxidant effect to
any cell or tissue type, as well as to any subcellular
compartment, in the body.
 It appears to be particularly effective in recharging enzymes in
the mitochondria, the “energy centers” of the cells.
 While vitamin C and glutathione are absolutely essential to good
health, LA can be considered a master antioxidant orchestrator,
facilitating the optimal interactions among the other antioxidants.
 DHLA directly recharges vitamin C and indirectly recharges
vitamin E. LA also increases intracellular glutathione levels and
coenzyme Q10 levels.
 LA administration has been documented to increase intracellular
glutathione levels by as much as 70%, and this bolstering of
glutathione has been seen both in vivo and in vitro.
 Reduced LA (DHLA) can regenerate glutathione from its
oxidized counterpart, and LA can also help provide the cysteine
needed for the synthesis of glutathione.
 DHLA, the reduced form of LA, is capable of
exerting an antioxidant effect directly by donating
electrons to a pro-oxidant or an oxidized molecule.
 It can regenerate reduced vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
from dehydroascorbic acid (oxidized ascorbic acid),
and it can indirectly regenerate vitamin E back from
its oxidized state.
 As well, LA metabolites have been shown to have
antiinflammatory (antioxidant) effects.
FUNCTIONS OF LIPOIC ACID
OMEGA FATTY ACID
 The term “omega-3” or “n-3” indicates that the first double
bond is located at the third carbon from the methyl end of the
fatty acid chain.
 The long-chain omega-3s from marine sources are EPA and
DHA, with 20 and 22 carbons.  There are also plant sources
of omega3 fatty acids with 18 carbons.
 An abundance of evidence strongly suggests that increased
intakes of long chain omega-3 fatty acids can markedly reduce
the risk of heart disease.  The omega-3 fatty acids believed
to be largely responsible for these effects include EPA and
DHA.
Ѡ – 3 FATTY ACIDS
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA):
18 carbons and three double bonds
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA):
22 carbons and six double bonds
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA):
20 carbons and five double bonds
 The researchers suggest that omega-3 fatty acids
mayVprotect against death from heart disease by
decreasing the heart’s tendency to arrhythmia.
 The most important finding is of a reduction in sudden
death from ventricular fibrillation and tachycardia.
 Omega-3 fatty acids also reduce the tendency to
thrombosis (formation of blood clots), and thus help
prevent myocardial infarction.
 EPA and DHA also have several actions that
inhibit the development of atherosclerosis.
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID
OMEGA-6 FATTY ACID