Phenolics: From Chemistry to Biology (original) (raw)
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Phenolic compounds and their health benefits: A review
Phenolic compounds, ubiquitous in plants, are essential part of human diet. Major polyphenolic compounds found in plants are flavonoids, catechins, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), flavonones, iso-flavones, flavanols, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, stilbenes, flavonoids, chalcones, lignans etc. These compounds are secondary plant metabolites and possess antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties along with high antioxidative activity. These properties make polyphenols interesting for the treatment of various diseases like inflammation, cancer and also used for anti-ageing purposes in cosmetic formulations as well as have nutraceutical applications. The antioxidative activity of phenolic compounds depends on their structure, in particular the number and position of the hydroxyl groups and the nature of substitutions on the aromatic rings. Fruits, vegetables and beverages are the chief sources of phenolic compounds in the human diet. This review focused on plant polyphenols, taking into consideration aspects relative to their structure, botanical sources, action, bio-availability as well as their potential health benefits.
Plant phenolic compounds for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetiŃs production
Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 2012
The biochemical features and biological function of dietary phenols, which are widespread in the plant kingdom, have been described in the present review. The ways of phenols classification, which were collected from literature based on structural and biochemical characteristics with description of source and possible effects on human, organisms and environment have been presented. The bioactivities of phenolic compounds described in literature are reviewed to illustrate their potential for the development of pharmaceutical and agricultural products.
Phenolic Compounds: Introduction
Natural Products, 2013
Plant phenolics" and "polyphenols" are secondary natural metabolites arising biogenetically from either the shikimate/phenylpropanoid pathway, which directly provides phenylpropanoids, or the "polyketide" acetate/malonate pathway, which can produce simple phenols, or both, thus producing monomeric and polymeric phenols and polyphenols, which fulfill a very broad range of physiological roles in plants. Higher plants synthesize several thousand known different phenolic compounds. The ability to synthesize phenolic compounds has been selected throughout the course of evolution in different plant lineages, thus permitting plants to cope with the constantly changing environmental challenges over evolutionary time. Plant phenolics are considered to have a key role as defense compounds when environmental stresses, such as high light, low temperatures, pathogen infection, herbivores, and nutrient deficiency, can lead to an increased production of free radicals and other oxidative species in plants. Both biotic and abiotic stresses stimulate carbon fluxes from the primary to the secondary metabolic pathways,
Phenolic Compounds - Natural Sources, Importance and Applications
2017
Smilax (Smilacaceae) is a genus of about 350 species, found in temperate, tropical and subtropical zones worldwide. The plants belonging to this genus are found throughout Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas. Species of the genus Smilax commonly called sarsaparilla are characterized as climbers, with long, thin thorny stem. The branches have tendrils which attach to other plants or objects and grow steadily upward. The roots of these plants have been used for centuries in Asia and the Americas as a tonic, diuretic and sudorific. The rhizome, roots, stems and leaves of sarsaparilla are used in traditional medicine. In the scientific literature, there are several reports on immunomodulatory properties, anticonvulsant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. However, there are no reports which explain the antioxidant activity of sarsaparilla extracts as a function of phenolic compound structures, such as flavonoids and phenylpropanoids. In this chapter, the relevance of phenolic chemical structure in antioxidant and anticancer activity of sarsaparilla extracts will be described. Special emphasis is placed on phenylpropanoid glycosides that consist of a sucrose core. These compounds are evidence of chemotaxonomy in the genus Smilax.
Plant phenolic compounds for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics production
Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 2526 - 2539, 2012
The biochemical features and biological function of dietary phenols, which are widespread in the plant kingdom, have been described in the present review. The ways of phenols classification, which were collected from literature based on structural and biochemical characteristics with description of source and possible effects on human, organisms and environment have been presented. The bioactivities of phenolic compounds described in literature are reviewed to illustrate their potential for the development of pharmaceutical and agricultural products.
Polyphenols: Phytochemistry and health benefits
2019
Phenolic compounds are the phytoconstituents from plants with diverse chemical properties and bioactivities. Since the ancient time polyphenols compounds are widely used in Indian medicine system due to their health benefits. The phenolic compounds are subdivided into five major classes, phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, lignans, and coumarins. Phenolic acids are the derivative of esters and glycosides which is associated with flavonoid, alcohols, hydroxy fatty acids, sterols, and glucosides. flavonoids are a group of bioactive compounds which includes flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavonoid glycosides isoflavones, and anthocyanins. Tannins are the secondary metabolites which have an activity to precipitate protein. Lignans and coumarins are one of the most important groups of plant secondary metabolites. The phenolic compounds show various pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory activity (Vanillic acid, and catechin), anti-asthmatic activity (Protocatechuic acids...
Polyphenols: A concise overview on the chemistry, occurrence, and human health
Phytotherapy Research, 2019
This review gives an updated picture of each class of phenolic compounds and their properties. The most common classification implies the subdivision of phenolics in two main groups: flavonoids (e.g., anthocyanins, flavanols, flavanones, flavonols, flavonones, and isoflavones) and non-flavonoids (e.g., phenolic acids, xanthones, stilbens, lignans, and tannins) polyphenols. The great interest in polyphenols is associated with their high potential application for food preservation and for therapeutic beneficial use. The relationship between polyphenol intake and human health has been exploited with special reference to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cancer. The use of current existing databases of bioactive compounds including polyphenols is described as key tools for human health research.
Phenolic compounds as nutraceuticals or functional food ingredients
Current pharmaceutical design, 2016
Nowadays, the functional foods represent one the most promising, interesting and innovative areas in the food industry. Various components are being added to foods in order to render them functional. One example of these components are plant naturally occurring phenolic compounds, which are associated with a high antioxidant capacity and thus with benefits in relation to human health. However, despite the huge number of scientific studies and patents on this topic and their natural presence in foods, namely in the ones from plant origin, there are still few marketable products enriched with these compounds. The commercialization of this type of functional products needs to go through various regulations, proving that they are safe and present the ascribed health benefits, conquering the target audience. In this review the growing interest of industry and consumers' appetence for functional foods and nutraceuticals is highlighted, focusing especially on phenolic compounds. Althou...
Newly Identified Phenolic Compounds from Different Plant Families
Plant Phenolics in Sustainable Agriculture, 2020
In plants among the different phytochemicals, phenolic and polyphenolic compound-based research has gained rapid momentum during the present decade. Even though the phenolic compounds are not required in primary processes such as growth and development of a plant, these compounds which are considered as secondary metabolites have gained a lot of attention of researchers across the world for their role in diversified functions of a plant system. Majorly phenolic compound-based research is being carried out to understand the role of various classes of phenols right from their role in adapting a plant species to different environments which encompasses biotic and abiotic factors to understanding their role in reproduction, in interaction with other biomolecules, and in specified function of every individual phenolic compound. More advanced research is also being carried to know the action of phenolic compounds on the enzymes involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. From the 1970s, the plant phenolic-based research has gained importance, and researchers have started identifying the new phenolic compounds from several plant species. Now, through this book chapter, we put together the newly identified phenolic
Natural Polyphenols: An Overview
International Journal of Food Properties, 2016
Plant-derived functional foods are gaining considerable attention due to their safety and therapeutic potentials. Research on plant-based functional foods presents several challenges ranges from hypercholesterolemia to cancer prevention. In last decade, special attention has been paid to edible plants and especially their phytochemicals. Today, there is an increasing interest in their bioactivities provided by these phytochemicals. Polyphenols are the most numerous and widely distributed group of bioactive molecules. Polyphenols have two general classes, one is flavonoids and other is phenolic acids. Among these, flavonoids are further divided into flavones, flavononse, flavonols, flavanols, isoflavones, and phenolic acids are generally classified into hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids. Fruit peel is one of the dense sources for flavonoids and their content may vary from species to species and due to exposure of light. Polyphenols have wide range of molecules and different set of biological activities that are mainly attributed to their structure. Investigations have revealed that polyphenols play a key role to prevent various diseases, like hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and cancer insurgence. The current review article summarizes the literature pertaining to polyphenols and its allied health benefits.