Recent Progress in Medicinal Plants (Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods‪)‬

Functional foods/Nutraceutical [medicinal plants] have nowadays witnessed a tremendous increase in the interest among the consumers due to their potential of providing health benefits. This volume is a compilation of phytochemicals and biological characterization of functional foods and nutraceuticals in 25 chapters from the elements of different sources like medicinal plants, wild plants, Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW), Marine bio-resources, Topics on latest research carried out on nutrigenomics, resistant starch, wild plants are also included in this volume. Investigates the safety of phytosterols and phytosterol esters and associated health risk including impact on cholesterol levels and cancer development. Chapter on nano-formulated food additives or supplement and their delivery system is also included. The volume highlights on Nutrigenomics that assesses how nutrients affect genes and how genes affect nutrients. In one of the chapter the three major omic technologies viz., genomics, proteomics and metabolomics contribute to nutraceutical and functional food research for studies of effectiveness and safety. The discovery of resistance starch is considered as one of the importance of carbohydrates and covers here the intrinsic and extrinsic sources of resistant starch in foods and compares different methods of measuring resistant starch and their strengths and limitations. The biological activities of phenolic compounds from OMW has shown the potential of its extract for inclusion into food and beverages. One of the chapter is focused on role of plant lactins and showed defense mechanism against micro-organisms, pests and insects. Similarly, other chapter describes Tocotrienols naturally occurring in grains and palm oils appeared to inhibit cholesterol affects. This volume aims to describe many other nutraceuticals and functional foods in a comprehensive and organized manner. Its contributors are from 14 countries namely Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Poland, Spain, Sri Lanka and Uganda. This special volume is designed for professionals of interdisciplinary health sciences, food technology, pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacognosy, pharmacology, agriculture, botany, medicine, therapeutics, traditional medicine, complementary and alternative medicine, aromatherapy, herbalism, medical and public health sciences, marketing and economic strategies. It is addressed to undergraduates, post graduates, teachers and researchers.