SIGNIFICANT EMERGENT ROLE OF FLAVONOIDS AS VALUABLE NUTRACEUTICALS: SYSTEMIC REVIEW

Nutraceuticals are food or food products that render health and medical benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease. Such products may range from isolated nutrients, dietary supplements and specific diets to secondary metabolite foods, herbal products, and processed foods such as cereals, soups, and beverages. One such major class of secondary metabolites is phenolic compounds with various structures involved in organoleptic features of plant-derived foods and beverages. Phenolic compounds contribute in the nutritional values of certain fruits and vegetables. Among these compounds, Flavonoids are considered as the most omnipresent groups of plant phenolics. Due to their significance in organoleptic properties of food and human health, necessitates better understanding of their structures and biological activities. This revealed the potentials of Flavonoids as therapeutic agent that also helps in predicting and controlling food quality. Owing to diversity of pharmacological activities of Flavonoids in the human body, they are referred as important nutraceutical.