source of important traditional medicines in both developed and developing
countries. In general, plants are a valuable source of a wide range of secondary
metabolites, which are used as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, flavors, colors,
food additives, and bioinsecticides. More than 100,000 plant secondary metabolites have already been identified, which represent only 10 % of the actual total in
nature and only half the structures have been fully elucidated. In spite of large
growth of chemical industries, plants will continue to provide novel products as
well as chemical models for new drugs in coming centuries. In the USA, where
chemical synthesis dominates the pharmaceutical industries, 25 % of the pharmaceuticals are based on plant-derived chemicals (Sarmidi and Enshasy 2012).
Nutrition research has highlighted the role of several nutrients in regulating the
genome machinery. Many vitamins and micronutrients are substrates and/or
cofactors in the metabolic pathways that regulate DNA synthesis and/or repair and
gene expression (Fenech and Ferguson 2001). Nutrigenomics employs highthroughput genomics technologies to provide a genetic understanding of the
mechanism affecting the balance between health and disease by common dietary
chemicals (i.e., nutrition) that alters the expression and/or structure of an individual’s genetic makeup. The conceptual basis for this branch of genomic research
can best be summarized with the following five tenets: (a) Common dietary
chemicals act on the human genome to alter gene expression or structure directly
or indirectly; (b) Under certain circumstances and in some individuals, improper
diet can be a serious risk factor for several diseases; (c) Some diet-regulated genes
(and their normal, common variants) are likely to play a role in the onset, incidence, progression, and/or severity of chronic diseases; (d) The degree to which
diet influences the balance between healthy and disease states may depend on an
individual’s genetic makeup; (e) Dietary intervention based on knowledge of
nutritional requirement, status, and genotype (i.e., ‘‘individualized nutrition’’) can
be used to prevent, mitigate, or cure chronic disease (Kaput and Rodriguez 2004).
Dietary chemicals can affect gene expression directly or indirectly. At the cellular
level, nutrients may act as ligands for transcription factor receptors (Dauncey et al.
2001; Jacobs and Lewis 2002); can be metabolized by primary or secondary
metabolic pathways, thereby altering concentrations of substrates or intermediates;
or, positively or negatively affect signal pathways (Clarke 1999; Eastwood 2001).
Currently, nutrition-related health issues remain commonplace and account for
many of the leading causes of death around the world. Reciprocally, a reasonable
good fraction of cancer deaths maybe prevented, by modifying the diet composition (i.e., content of fiber, polyphenols, fat/oil, protein, spices, cereals, etc.) and
regular physical exercise (Vanden Berghe 2012). The relationship between
nutrition and health–economic outcomes is important at both the individual and
the societal level. While personal nutritional choices affect an individual’s health
condition, thus influencing productivity and economic contribution to society,
nutrition interventions carried out by the state also have the potential to affect
economic output in significant ways (Gyles et al. 2012).
10 Natural Foods as Biosystems to Face Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases
291
countries. In general, plants are a valuable source of a wide range of secondary
metabolites, which are used as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, flavors, colors,
food additives, and bioinsecticides. More than 100,000 plant secondary metabolites have already been identified, which represent only 10 % of the actual total in
nature and only half the structures have been fully elucidated. In spite of large
growth of chemical industries, plants will continue to provide novel products as
well as chemical models for new drugs in coming centuries. In the USA, where
chemical synthesis dominates the pharmaceutical industries, 25 % of the pharmaceuticals are based on plant-derived chemicals (Sarmidi and Enshasy 2012).
Nutrition research has highlighted the role of several nutrients in regulating the
genome machinery. Many vitamins and micronutrients are substrates and/or
cofactors in the metabolic pathways that regulate DNA synthesis and/or repair and
gene expression (Fenech and Ferguson 2001). Nutrigenomics employs highthroughput genomics technologies to provide a genetic understanding of the
mechanism affecting the balance between health and disease by common dietary
chemicals (i.e., nutrition) that alters the expression and/or structure of an individual’s genetic makeup. The conceptual basis for this branch of genomic research
can best be summarized with the following five tenets: (a) Common dietary
chemicals act on the human genome to alter gene expression or structure directly
or indirectly; (b) Under certain circumstances and in some individuals, improper
diet can be a serious risk factor for several diseases; (c) Some diet-regulated genes
(and their normal, common variants) are likely to play a role in the onset, incidence, progression, and/or severity of chronic diseases; (d) The degree to which
diet influences the balance between healthy and disease states may depend on an
individual’s genetic makeup; (e) Dietary intervention based on knowledge of
nutritional requirement, status, and genotype (i.e., ‘‘individualized nutrition’’) can
be used to prevent, mitigate, or cure chronic disease (Kaput and Rodriguez 2004).
Dietary chemicals can affect gene expression directly or indirectly. At the cellular
level, nutrients may act as ligands for transcription factor receptors (Dauncey et al.
2001; Jacobs and Lewis 2002); can be metabolized by primary or secondary
metabolic pathways, thereby altering concentrations of substrates or intermediates;
or, positively or negatively affect signal pathways (Clarke 1999; Eastwood 2001).
Currently, nutrition-related health issues remain commonplace and account for
many of the leading causes of death around the world. Reciprocally, a reasonable
good fraction of cancer deaths maybe prevented, by modifying the diet composition (i.e., content of fiber, polyphenols, fat/oil, protein, spices, cereals, etc.) and
regular physical exercise (Vanden Berghe 2012). The relationship between
nutrition and health–economic outcomes is important at both the individual and
the societal level. While personal nutritional choices affect an individual’s health
condition, thus influencing productivity and economic contribution to society,
nutrition interventions carried out by the state also have the potential to affect
economic output in significant ways (Gyles et al. 2012).
10 Natural Foods as Biosystems to Face Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases
291