In the last 10 years, nutraceuticals have grown in interest to researchers, industry, and consumers and are now familiar in the collective imagination as a tool for preventing the onset of a disease. Often nutraceuticals are confused with biologically active phytochemicals/botanicals which can have health benefits. This is a misunderstanding however as the term nutraceutical refers to a product that must have a beneficial effect on health proven by clinical testing. Areas covered: A search has been performed on both recent patents and the literature regarding nutraceuticals focusing on the beneficial and proven health effects on pathological conditions to give an overview of the state-of-the-art developments in this area. Patents and literature data addressing specific pathological conditions are discussed. Expert opinion: Nutraceuticals represent a challenge for the future of drug-based pharmacotherapy, and, at the same time, are a powerful tool for the prevention of chronic disease. They are not proposed as an alternative to drugs, but instead, can be helpful to complement a pharmacological therapy and prevent the onset of chronic diseases in subjects who do not qualify for conventional pharmacological treatment.
Keywords: Patents; botanicals; food; food supplements; ingredients; nutraceuticals; pathological conditions.