Proceedings from the “Third International Conference on Mechanism of Action of Nutraceuticals”

The “Third International Conference on Mechanisms of Action of Nutraceuticals” (ICMAN 3) was held to bring investigators from around the world together to find answers and share experience relevant to the role of nutraceuticals in health and disease. Dietary supplements are currently receiving recognition as being beneficial in coronary heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and other chronic and degenerative diseases such as diabetes, Parkinsonʹs and Alzheimerʹs diseases. This gave impetus to investigate the mechanisms of action of nutraceuticals and related bioactive compounds in disease pathologies. Many lines of evidence indicate that the mechanistic actions of natural compounds involve a wide array of biological processes, including activation of antioxidant defenses, signal transduction pathways, cell survival-associated gene expression, cell proliferation and differentiation and preservation of mitochondrial integrity. Furthermore, many of these compounds exert anti-inflammatory actions through inhibition of oxidative stress-induced transcription factors (e.g., NF-κB, AP-1), cytotoxic cytokines and cyclooxygenase-2. It appears that these properties play a crucial role in the protection against the pathologies of numerous age-related or chronic diseases. This review summarizes the latest research finding in functional foods and micronutrients in the promotion of health and reduction of risk for major chronic diseases as presented in this symposium.