**3. Bioactive molecules and functional food**

The plants whose bioactive molecules are so called phytochemicals, which makes the plant to be said as medicinal plant. The medicinal plants contain some potential biological properties that help the human beings to get rid of some diseases and protect them from hazardous health issues [15]. The application of phytochemicals is in many fields such as food industry, health and nutrition, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals also. Thus, medicinal plants are having ancient origin for the home made treatment and desirable beneficial effects to human health. The bioactive molecules are called so because it is the biologically active compounds which give additional nutritional value than the primary nutrition. Thus the food contains some additional nutritional value because of the bioactive molecules present in it said to be known as functional food. The phytochemicals like alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, terpenes and antioxidants, and polyunsaturated fatty acids like omega 3 fatty acids containing foods are called as functional foods [16].

According to American dietetic association, functional foods are said to be the food and its components which provide some additional nutrition than the basic nutrition. Examples for the functional food are the fortified food, enhanced or enriched foods which are having good health impact for the growth and development [17]. The pharmaceutical compounds than giving as drug form it can be provided as nutritional supplement with added advantage [12]. The functional food is similar to normal conventional food but beyond normal physiological role, it is having additional nutritional content that said to be as enhanced, enriched, or fortified food [18]. The functional properties are added in many food products like bread, biscuits, powders, mixes, decoction, suranams, also as various forms. The addition of nutrient rich food stuff in all the diets like legumes, grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables will eventually result in less glycemic index foods and low fat substances which are good for type 2 DM [19]. Various probiotics, prebiotics, and also combination of both called symbiotic combo of functional foods are utilized [20]. The risk factors of DM and link to food habit are stated in **Figure 4**.
