Functional importance of bioactive compounds of foods with Potential Health Benefits: A review on recent trends

Abstract Researchers are nowadays focused on the importance of bioactive compounds (BACs) of natural origin, which are secondary metabolites derived from seeds, food and fermentation-based metabolic products. Several factors such as food matrix, molecule's size, environmental factors and association with gastrointestinal (GI) material, can impede the bioavailability and absorption of these BACs in host cell systems and target sites. Natural BACs like flavonoids, carotenoids, phenolic acids, etc. are particularly important for the production of functional foods and medicinal products, which may have industrial relevance also. Thus the isolation of such natural BACs can be promising multifunctional extracts that can be used in food applications to aid health-promoting effects in host cell systems. Sufficient evidences are however required to make a health claim and to promote functional foods in international markets. This review focuses primarily on recent developments and modulatory roles of potential health-promoting food BACs. Analyses on the techno-chemical and physiological features of functional food components are addressed besides discussing their analytical methods, bioavailability and bioaccessibility. The current study also considers the health potential of BACs and their rising demand in form of functional foods in the world.