INTRODUCTION compounds of plants that are benefits beyond the traditional elfective in reducing cancer risk. nutrients it contains"(Thomas and In the recent years, rapid Nutraceuticals was also introduced Earl, 1994). The American Dieletic urbanization, industrialization, in 1989 bv the US Foundation for Association (ADA) in 1999 issued a increase in per capita income etc. lnnovation in Medicine to refer to similar statementto define tunctional in developing countries like India" anv substance that is a food or a foods as whole, fortilied, enriched or have resulted in dramatic lifestyle oai of a food and provides medical enhanced foods, which have a changes leading to lifestyle related or health benefits including the beneficial effect on health, would diseases like coronary heart Drevention and treatment ol have to be consumed as part of a disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer disease"(De Felice, 1995). varied diet on a regular basis at and hypertension. The transition effective levels. The Junctional foods f rom a traditional to modern lifestyle, FUNCTIONAL FOODS comprised of (i) conventional foods consumption of diets rich in fat and

- containing naturally occurring calories combined with a high level Thd.^ n^. ni