The term “nutraceutical”, derived from the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical” was coined
in 1989 to describe substances that could be used as foods that possess health benefits. The range of
nutraceutical products is widely diverse and may be divided into three main categories: (i) natural
products, comprising, among others, herbs and spices; (ii) dietary supplements; and (iii) functional
foods. Based on food sources, nutraceuticals can be classified as: (i) dietary fibres of plant origin;
(ii) probiotics, which are live microbial feed supplements; (iii) prebiotics, dietary ingredients that
selectively alter the composition or metabolism of gut microbiota; (iv) polyunsaturated fatty acids,
omega-3 or omega-6 fatty-acids; (v) antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin E and
carotenoids; (vi) biologically active phytochemicals like polyphenols; and (vii) spices, whose main
components are terpenes and other constituents of essential oils.
