AN INTRODUCTION TO NUTRACEUTICALS AND COSMECEUTICALS

1. Nutraceuticals and
Cosmeceuticals
Samia Ghani
M.Phil Pharmaceutics

2. Introduction
• The term nutraceutical was coined from
“Nutrition”& “Pharmaceuticals” in 1989 by
Stephen De Felice who is chairman and
founder of “Foundation for innovation in
medicine (FIM)
• Other words used in this context are:
• Dietary supplementation, functional, multi-
functional foods etc.

3. Definition
• According to De Felice, nutraceuticals can be
defined as:
“A food (or part of a food) that provides medical
or health benefits including the prevention
and/or treatment of a disease”.

4. Classification
• Nutraceuticals can be classified on the basis
of:
I. Natural source
II. Pharmacological conditions
III. Chemical constitution

5. Classification based on chemical
groups
1. Inorganic mineral
supplements
2. Vitamin supplements
3. Digestive enzymes
4. Probiotics
5. Prebiotics
6. Dietary fibers
7. Cereal and grains
8. Health drinks
9. Antioxidants
10. Phytochemicals
o Polysacchrides
o Isoprenoids
o Flavonoids
o Phenolics
o Fatty acids
o Lipids
o Proteins
11. Herbs as functional
groups

6. Inorganic mineral supplements
• Large number of elements controls variety of physiological and
biochemical functions of human body. Most of these minerals are
provided through the diet but their deficiency in diet may develop
variety of health related problems and diseases. These minerals are:
 Calcium
 Magnesium
 Manganese
 Boron
 Copper
 Zinc
 Phosphorous
 Silicon

7. Vitamins supplements
• Vitamins are the complex substances of
organic origin which in small quantity are
necessary for the maintenance of human and
animal life. Some of the water soluble and
water insoluble vitamins are:

9. Digestive enzymes
• Variety of digestive enzymes can be used as
digestive aid to help and absorb digestive foood
material. These enzymes are:
 Papain
 Pancreatin
 Pancrilipase
 Amylase
 Papain
 Bromelain

10. Probiotics
• Probiotics are live micro-organisms which,
when administered in adequate amounts,
confer a health benefit on host.
 Species of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium
are most commonly used as probiotics.

11. Prebiotics
• Food components that escape digestion by normal human
digestive enzyme and safely in intact form reach the colon
after passage through the stomach and small intestines,
where they selctively promote the growth of probiotics.
Examples include:
 Garlic, onion
 Chicory root
 Asparagus
 Rye, barley
 Breast milk
 Tomatoes
 Berries and bananas.

12. Dietary fibers
• Dietary fibers play crucial role in keeping good
health in human individuals and animals. Fibers
are those parts of the plant, leave, stem and
fruits which can not be digested or absorbed in
the body which are necessary for our body to
function properly.
• Types:
1) Water soluble fibers
2) Water insoluble fibers
Daily recommended intake is 30-40gms

13. Dietary fibers and health
 Helps prevent constipation
 Improvement in digestive health (Diverticular
disease, IBS, Hemorrhoids)
 Reduced risk of developing some cancers.
 Improves glucose tolerance and insulin response
(Diabetes)
 Increased satiety and weight management
 Reduction of hyperlipidemia, hypertension and
other coronary heart diseases risk factors.

14. Health drinks
• Fast developing era of functional foods
• Health drinks are fortified with vitamins A, C, E
and herbal extracts.
• Drinks containing caffeine vitalize body and
mind, increases concentration and reaction
speed.

15. Antioxidants
• Antioxidants are nutraceuticals whose deficiency states
are associated with variety of disease conditions such
as CVD, diabetes, cataract, Rheumatoid arthritis,
Alzheimer’s dx and many others.
• Naturally occurring antioxidants include:
 Vitamin C (Citrus Fruit)
 Lycopene (Tomatoes)
 Beta-carotene (Carrots, green vegetables)
 Catechins (green tea polyphenols)
 Liquirtin (Licorice)
 Naringin (Citrus Fruit)

16. Polyunsaturated fatty acids
• Human body is capable of synthesizing most of the fatty
acids it needs except two major polyunsaturated fatty acids
(PUFA) i.e. omega-3-fatty acid and omega-6-fatty acid
• These fatty acids are required to be supplemented from
diet.
• Functions:
 Regulate blood pressure
 Regulate heart rate
 Blood clotting and imune system
 Sources: cold water fishes, dark green leafy vegetables,
flaxseed oil and certain other vegetables.

17. Herbs as functional foods
• Flax seed (Alsi)
• B.O: Linum usitatissimum
• Family: Linaceae
• Medicinal value:
Prevents mammary, colonal and rectal
cancers, reduces BP in hypertensive patients.
Reduces Diabetes and Coronary Heart
Disease.

18. • Ginko
• B.O.: Ginko biloba
• Family: Ginkoaceae
• Medicinal value:
• To treat impaired memory, and in treating
asthma.

19. • Spirulina
• Blue green algae
• B.O. Spindina platensis
• Family: Oscillatoriaceae
• Medicinal value:
 Immuno-stimulant activity
 Management of HIV and other viral infections such as
Herpes, Influenza, Mumps etc.
 To treat Arthritis.
 Atherosclerosis
 Anit-diabetic activity
 Anti-aging agent

20. • Karela
• B.O.: Momordica charantia
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Medicinal value:
 Hypoglycemic effect
(extract of karela increases rate of glycogen
synthesis in liver by 4-5 folds.

21. • Turmeric (Haldi)
• B.O.: Curcuma longa
• Family: Zingiberaceae
• Medicinal value:
• Hepatoprotective activity
• Inhibitor of integrase enzyme of HIV virus

22. • Fenugreek (Maithi dana)
• B.O.: Trigonella foenum-graceum
• Family: Leguminosae
• Medicinal value:
 In the treatment of Anorexia and Gastritis
 As laxative
 has Expectorant and Demulcent properties.
 Shows Hypoglycemic properties
 Hypocholesterolemic effect.

23. • Ginseng
• B.O.: Panax ginseng
• Family: Araliaceae
• Medicnal value:
 Beats stress
 Boosts immunity
 Enhances memory
 Fight aging
 Increases libido

24. • Black Cohosh
• B.O.: Cimicifuge racemosa
• Family: Ranunculaceae
• Parts used: Roots and rhizome
• Medicnal value:
 Antirheumatic
 Anti-tussive
 Sedatiive
 Emmenagogue

25. Cosmeceuticals
• Definition: “Cosmeceuticals are topical
cosmetic-pharmaceutical hybrids intended to
enhance the beauty through ingredients that
provide additional health related functions
and benefits.
• They are topically applied and cosmetics but
contain ingredients that influence the skin
biological functions.

26. Skin Cosmeceuticals
• Cosmetics and skin care products are integral part of
everybody grooming.
• Protecting and preserving skin also promotes good
health.
• Cosmeceuticals being cosmetic products having
medicnal or drug like benefits are able to affect the
biologicla functioning of skin owing to type of
functional ingredients they possess.
• Skin cosmeceuticals improve the texture of skin by
encouraging collagen growth by combating harmful
effects of free radicals, maintain keratin structure in
good condition and making the skin healthier.

27. • Some of the important pharmaceutical
contents are;
• Vitamins:
• Action: Antioxidant
• Vitamin A, C and E
• α-hydroxy acid (AHAs):
• Action: Exfoliates and improve circulation
• Fruit acids (lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid,
maleic acid)

28. • β-hydroxy acid (BHAs)
• Action; Antibacterial
• Salicylic acid
• Essential fatty acids (EFAs)
• Action: Smoothen, moisturizes and protect skin.
• Linoleic acid, linolenic acid and Arachidonic acid
• Aloe Vera
• Action: soften skin
• Aloe Vera

29. • Arnica
• Action: Astringent and skin soother
• Arnica montana
• Calendula:
• Action: soothes, soften and promotes skin cell
formation.
• Calendula officinalis
• β- Bisabolol
• Action: anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and calms skin
irritation.
• Chamomile flowers.

30. • Green tea extracts:
• Action: antioxidant
• Green tea
• Licorice Extract:
• Action: skin whitening properties, antioxidant,
antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory.
• Glycyrrhiza glabra
• Dry extracts fro Yarrow:
• Action: Treatment of oily hairs
• Achillea melifolium
• Pycnogenol:
• Action: antiging effect
• Grape seed extract

31. Sunscreens
• Sunscreens are used to protect the skin from
harmful effects of sun. they help to prevent
sunburn and pre-mature aging e.g. wrinkles,
leathery skin
• Sunscreens also help to decrease the risk of
skin cancer and also of sunburn-like reaction
(sun sensitivity) caused by some medications
e.g. tetracycline, sulfa drugs, phenothiazines
such as chlorpromazine.

32. • The active ingredient in sunscreens work
either by absorbing the sun’s ultraviolet (UV)
radiations, preventing it by reaching the
deeper layers of skin or by reflecting the
radiation.
• Some commercially available sunscreens are:
i. Benzophenone 8(Block UVB and short wave
UVA)
ii. Neo Heliopan MA(UVA absorber)
iii. Parsol MCX(UVB absorber)

33. Moisturizers
• Functions:
 Smoothens the age lines
 Help brighten up and tone the delicate skin
 Healthy Remedies Balancing lotions has been created
for menupausal women containing ingredients which
diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
and moisturize the dry skin.
 Some of those ingredients include:
i. Black Cohosh
ii. Soya extract
iii. Vitamin A and E

34. Bleaching agents
• Bleaching agents are used to bleach/ fade
various marks and act to block the formation
of skin pigment Melanin.
 Hydroquinone: used to bleach brown marks
and Melasma
 Kojic acid: extracted from mushrooms is less
effective agent and may be compounded with
topical steroids.

35. Hair Cosmeceuticals
• One can modify the length, color and style of hair
according to how one wish to appear. Hair care, color
and style play an important role in people’s physical
appearance and self-perception.
• Cosmetics for the treatment of hair are applied
topically to the scalp and hair.
• Hair cosmeceuticals are used for:
 Treatment of dandruff
 Treatment of oily hairs (Achillea millefolium)
 Alopecia (Minoxidil)
 To treat fungal infections (ketoconazole)