Medicinal Plant Research 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 20-31 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 29 for the compounds at the molecular level also need to be elucidated to understand how they modify disease pathways. In addition, studies should establish optimal processing and preparation technologies that have the ability to preserve or enhance bioavailability of bioactive compounds in functional foods. Development of universal guidelines for the ingestion of functional foods and their bioactive ingredients will be vital as evidence-based translation of research results to public health recommendations proceeds. Additionally, investigation of the presumed synergic action of the consumption of a mixture of various bioactive compounds and their interactions with other food molecules can result in more efficient dietetic interventions aimed at preventing chronic diseases. The incorporation of functional foods in customized nutrition programs on the basis of genetic, metabolic, and lifestyle characteristics of the individual can further augment their potential in disease prevention and health promotion. Acknowledgments The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful and constructive comments on the manuscript. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Abuajah C., Ogbonna A., and Osuji C., 2015, Functional components and medicinal properties of food: a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(5): 2522-2529. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-014-1396-5 Adefegha S., 2018, Functional foods and nutraceuticals as dietary intervention in chronic diseases; novel perspectives for health promotion and disease prevention, Journal of Dietary Supplements, 15(8): 977-1009. https://doi.org/10.1080/19390211.2017.1401573 Alkhatib A., Tsang C., Tiss A., Bahorun T., Arefanian H., Barake R., Khadir A., and Tuomilehto J., 2017, Functional foods and lifestyle approaches for diabetes prevention and management, Nutrients, 9(12): 1310. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9121310 Baker M., Lu P., Parrella J., and Leggette H., 2021, Consumer acceptance toward functional foods: a scoping review, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3): 1217. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031217 Banerjee A., Somasundaram I., Das D., Manoj S., Banu H., Suresh P., Paul S., Bişgin A., Zhang H., Sun X., Duttaroy A., and Pathak S., 2023, Functional foods: a promising strategy for restoring gut microbiota diversity impacted by SARS-CoV-2 variants, Nutrients, 15(11): 2631. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15112631 Battino M., Giampieri F., Cianciosi D., Ansary J., Chen X., Zhang D., Gil E., and Forbes-Hernández T., 2020, The roles of strawberry and honey phytochemicals on human health: A possible clue on the molecular mechanisms involved in the prevention of oxidative stress and inflammation, Phytomedicine, 76: 153170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2020.153170 Chen W., and Su H., 2023, Special issue: molecular nutrition and chronic diseases, Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B, 24(6): 549-553. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B2310001 Delzenne N., and Mullin G., 2018, Benefits and risk management of functional foods in the context of chronic diseases, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 21(6): 468-474. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCO.0000000000000517 Díaz L., Fernández-Ruíz V., and Cámara M., 2020, The frontier between nutrition and pharma: The international regulatory framework of functional foods, food supplements and nutraceuticals, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 60(11): 1738-1746. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2019.1592107 Driessche J., Plat J., and Mensink R., 2018, Effects of superfoods on risk factors of metabolic syndrome: a systematic review of human intervention trials, Food & Function, 9(4): 1944-1966. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7FO01792H Essa M., Bishir M., Bhat A., Chidambaram S., Al-Balushi B., Hamdan H., Govindarajan N., Freidland R., and Qoronfleh M., 2021, Functional foods and their impact on health, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 60: 820-834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-021-05193-3 Eussen S., Verhagen H., Klungel O., Garssen J., Loveren H., Kranen H., and Rompelberg C., 2011, Functional foods and dietary supplements: products at the interface between pharma and nutrition, European Journal of Pharmacology, 668(1): 2-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2011.07.008
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