Dietary starches are a very important nutrient in food and are also a major source of energy with direct and specific human health contributions. They have gained great attention and been widely explored owing to their functional properties and health benefits. Resistant starch as a functional food is addressed in this study, alongside its newly discovered significance to human health. The potential sources and types of resistant starch are discussed, based on recent developments. The physiological significance of these starches such as their hypoglycemic effect, prebiotic ability, colonic cancer prevention, anti‐hypercholesterolemic effects, fat accumulation reduction, and mineral absorption, as well as the application of resistant starches in the food industry based on current research is further explored.

Allium species are broadly used as a functional food and nutraceutical products because of its recognized nutritive and medicinal properties. It has been used since antiquity in Asia as a traditional medicine for the management and treatment of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, inflammation, gastrointestinal problems as well as microbial infestations. There have been studies over the past decade on the extraction of the bioactive compounds from various Allium species and both in vivo and in vitro experiments suggest that Allium species can be used as an alternative in preventing and managing diseases stated in this paper. This review summarizes the recent developments of Allium species polysaccharides, including their production, extraction and isolation methods, chemical structures, biological and pharmacological properties and mechanism of actions. Despite severe intervention and strategies adopted by World Health Organization (WHO) over the years to curtail the escalated rate of diseases, current statistics rather show a high prevalence of diseases. In 2012, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) accounted for about 38 million death constituting 68% of all death globally. Premature death, which is determined by WHO as a death below the age of 70 years, accounted for 52% due to NCD. In the latest statistics, over three-quarters of the deaths that were as a result of NCDs was cardiovascular disease, Diabetes and Cancer [1]. Cardiovascular disease is a broad term for disorders of the heart and blood vessels of which heart attack and stroke are the common indications. In 2012, 17.5 million deaths which were as a result of cardiovascular disease represented 31% of global death [2]. Cancer which is the second leading cause of death worldwide after cardiovascular disease is expected to be the number one cause of death in this 21 st Century because of increased globalization and industrialization which has also increased exposure to carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from cigarette smoking and fumes from car exhaust and industries, alcohol, harmful chemicals, radiations and infectious agent [3].For a decade now, much attention has been dedicated to the extraction and analysis of polysaccharides from natural sources such as plants, animals, and microorganism due to its essential bioactive compounds which plays an important role in biological activities such as antitumor, antioxidants, anticoagulation, antidiabetic, neuroprotective and immunity enhancer [4]. Given their strong antioxidant, antidiabetic and lipid reducing effect, the effect of dietary polysaccharides from ganoderma lucidum on streptozo-Allium is among the well-known genus which comprises about 900 species with about 140 species known and used in China. It is widespread mostly in mountains of central Asia specifically Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, parts of Serbia and largely produced in China followed by India. The Allium genus can also be found in Eu-

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