Immunomodulatory properties of nutraceuticals and functional foods

Abstract

The immune system is a complex assembly of coordinated cells to maintain human health. Nowadays, there is a growing interest in maintaining the immune system in proper conditions to counteract noncommunicable chronic dis eases, harmful entities (toxic xenobiotics, allergens, and microbial pathogens), cancer, and emerging infectious and autoimmune diseases that currently affect health systems worldwide. Adequate human nutrition is essential for the maintenance and modulation of the immune system. This is due to the different functional ingredients that can be found in food matrices such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, cereals, and oils. Among these, polyphenolic antioxidants, vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, and peptides can be highlighted. All the above dietary functional ingre dients act as immunomodulators since they have a direct or indirect immunostimulatory response by interacting with immune cells and triggering stim ulating responses for antibodies and anti-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine secretions but also for suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, these immunomodulator compounds have been considered as adjuvants in the prevention and treatment of some infectious diseases and some others related to autoimmunity