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Polyphenols (/ ˌ p ɒ l i ˈ f iː n oʊ l,-n ɒ l /) are a large family of naturally occurring phenols. [1] They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. [1] [2] [3] Polyphenols include phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some of which have been used historically as dyes and for tanning garments.
The main source of polyphenols is dietary, since they are found in a wide array of phytochemical-bearing foods.For example, honey; most legumes; fruits such as apples, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pomegranate, cherries, cranberries, grapes, pears, plums, raspberries, aronia berries, and strawberries (berries in general have high polyphenol content [5]) and vegetables such as broccoli ...
Phenolic compounds are classified as simple phenols or polyphenols based on the number of phenol units in the molecule. Phenol – the simplest of the phenols Chemical structure of salicylic acid, the active metabolite of aspirin. Phenols are both synthesized industrially and produced by plants and microorganisms. [2]
Others, such as some polyphenols and flavonoids, may be pro-oxidants in high ingested amounts. [23] Non-digestible dietary fibers from plant foods, often considered as a phytochemical, [24] are now generally regarded as a nutrient group having approved health claims for reducing the risk of some types of cancer [25] and coronary heart disease. [26]
The phenolic unit can be found dimerized or further polymerized, creating a new class of polyphenol. For example, ellagic acid is a dimer of gallic acid and forms the class of ellagitannins, or a catechin and a gallocatechin can combine to form the red compound theaflavin, a process that also results in the large class of brown thearubigins in tea.
Polyphenol oxidase is an enzyme found throughout the plant and animal kingdoms, [31] including most fruits and vegetables. [32] PPO has importance to the food industry because it catalyzes enzymatic browning when tissue is damaged from bruising, compression or indentations, making the produce less marketable and causing economic loss.
Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a stilbenoid, a type of natural phenol or polyphenol and a phytoalexin produced by several plants in response to injury or when the plant is under attack by pathogens, such as bacteria or fungi.
Lamaison and Carnet have designed a test for the determination of the total flavonoid content of a sample (AlCI 3 method). After proper mixing of the sample and the reagent, the mixture is incubated for ten minutes at ambient temperature and the absorbance of the solution is read at 440 nm. Flavonoid content is expressed in mg/g of quercetin.