Project Details:

Plants as sources for nutraceuticals in Latinamerica

Establish the importance of Nutraceuticals in health care in developing societies, with food shortage. Economic opportunity of the Nutraceuticals vs. molecules of natural origin in Latin America. Possibilities of research, development and innovation in Nutraceuticals in Latin America. Possibilities of industrialization and patents of Nutraceuticals in Latin America.

Nutraceuticals: a) Functional foods that have potentially disease - preventing and health promoting properties (American Nutraceuticals Association; b) Healthy foods or food ingredients that provide health benefits beyond the traditional nutrients it contains (American Dietetic Association).

Collect data in Latin American countries. Identification plants, especially those which are natives of the continent, which are used in Latin American societies as Nutraceuticals.Estimate clinical security, related to the consumption of Nutraceuticals used in Latin America as well as for exportation. Consider the possibility of patents and industrialization of Nutraceuticals that are native of the Latin American countries.

A feature article titled 'Functional Foods: Reflections on an Expanding Market' has been published Chem. Int. Sep-Oct 2008, pp 9-13.

Nov 2010 - Update: Plants as sources for nutraceuticals in Latin America is an important objective in the development of societies of Latin America. Culture and tradition offer magnificent examples of the use of plants by these societies in the interest of world health. The history of the Aztecs, Mayas and Incas, among others, of great importance in the region, confirm this proposal. Over time, the search for medicinal agents with plant origin has been initiated and the history is rich in results of great interest using this approach. As a result of the development of societies, a new approach of great interest for both health and the economy that is in the interest of all, and especially in that of the region, now appears on the scene. We are referring to the nutraceuticals and functional foods. The developed societies are seeing the food complements, in the interest of health, as an important approach. On the one hand, the additives to these foods are being taken into consideration and on the other hand, the foods themselves are being considered for their benefits for health. It is in this last approach where the contribution of these Latin American societies, in the interest of all, is especially important. The use of plants with benefits for conserving health and recuperating from disease is identified in their own traditions. In this project the problem in the Latin American societies has been put forth, and specific studies have been developed in different areas of the region.

It is important to point out that, in general terms, the possibility of commercializing plants or their extracts or other formulations is much more accessible to the development of the region than the identification of the individual active molecule in each plant. Naturally, the importance of finding these active ingredients can not be excluded but the possibility of using the properties of these plants of American tradition in the form of functional foods has been studied.

Project Completed - report titled 'Traditional plants as source of functional foods: a review/ Plantas tradicionales como fuente de alimentos funcionales: una revisioacuten' is published in CyTA - Journal of Food, Volume 8, Issue 2 August 2010 , pages 159 - 167 ; doi:10.1080/19476330903322978

• Monge Vega, Antonio

• Barreiro, Eliezer
• Caffini, Néstor
• Ganellin, C.
• Lock, Olga
• Pellón, Rolando
• Pinzón, Roberto