Chemical characterization of bio-active compounds.

Functional foods are common foods, consumed as part of a varied diet in their naturally-occurring form, that provide beneficial effect on health, beyond the traditional nutrients they contains. The term nutraceutical indicates those functional food components responsible for healthy biological activities. Therefore, nutraceuticals, most of which are natural products that can be obtained from plants and animals, may include both nutrients and non-nutrients, belonging to many different chemical classes, such as lipids (that include plant sterols and stanols, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids), carbohydrates (such as dietary soluble and insoluble fiber), vitamins, minerals and polyphenols. Among chronic diseases whose development can be influenced by the consumption of specific foods, there are oral diseases, such as caries and gingivitis. It is well known that oral pathogens virulence can be strengthened or conversely inhibited by dietary factors (1). For a long time the negative role of diet sucrose in inducing caries formation has been recognized. As regards nutraceuticals with beneficial effect on oral health, many classes of food components can be considered, such as minerals, mainly fluoride, certain dietary sugar alcohols, notably xylitol and sorbitol (2), and different classes of polyphenols, such as catechins, and tannins (3). The aim of this presentation is to point out the main nutraceuticals active in protecting oral health and to describe the most recent analytical methods used for their chemical characterization.