Food-derived nutraceuticals for hypercholesterolemia management, mode of action and active ingredients

Nutraceuticals and functional foods are considered useful tools in the management of moderate plasmatic cholesterol levels. Natural compounds derived from plant, animal, or bacterial foods sources can influence cholesterol levels acting with different mechanisms and literature revealed their mode of action, and their potential usefulness in hypercholesterolemia. This review summarizes the upgrade in the field of nutraceuticals and functional foods claimed with hypocholesterolemic properties considering relevant literature published in the years 2009 to present. Ingredients with these properties will be described considering their molecular targets, their occurrence, and effects. Food derived compounds will be discussed for their potentiality to became active ingredients of food or food supplements with hypo-cholesterolemic properties, with a specific action on a biological target. The information's obtained underline the new challenges for the nutraceuticals in hypercholesterolemia management indicating the most promising ingredients to be developed as new useful tools for the implementation of the human health.