Phenolics and polyphenolics in foods, beverages and spices: Antioxidant activity and health effects – A review

Polyphenols are the biggest group of phytochemicals, and many of them have been found in plant-based foods. Polyphenol-rich diets have been linked to many health benefits. This paper is intended to review the chemistry and biochemistry of polyphenols as related to classification, extraction, separation and analytical methods, their occurrence and biosynthesis in plants, and the biological activities and implications in human health. The discussions are focused on important and most recent advances in the above aspects, and challenges are identified for future research.

Chemistry and Biochemistry of Dietary Polyphenols

Epidemiological studies have revealed that a diet rich in plant-derived foods has a protective effect on human health. Identifying bioactive dietary constituents is an active area of scientific investigation that may lead to new drug discovery. Kaempferol (3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one) is a flavonoid found in many edible plants (e.g. tea, broccoli, cabbage, kale, beans, endive, leek, tomato, strawberries and grapes) and in plants or botanical products commonly used in traditional medicine (e.g. Ginkgo biloba, Tilia spp, Equisetum spp, Moringa oleifera, Sophora japonica and propolis). Some epidemiological studies have found a positive association between the consumption of foods containing kaempferol and a reduced risk of developing several disorders such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Numerous preclinical studies have shown that kaempferol and some glycosides of kaempferol have a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-osteoporotic, estrogenic/antiestrogenic, anxiolytic, analgesic and antiallergic activities. In this article, the distribution of kaempferol in the plant kingdom and its pharmacological properties are reviewed. The pharmacokinetics (e.g. oral bioavailability, metabolism, plasma levels) and safety of kaempferol are also analyzed. This information may help understand the health benefits of kaempferol-containing plants and may contribute to develop this flavonoid as a possible agent for the prevention and treatment of some diseases.

A review on the dietary flavonoid kaempferol.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that flavonoids may play an important role in the decreased risk of chronic diseases associated with a diet rich in plant-derived foods. Flavonoids are also common constituents of plants used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of diseases. The purpose of this article is to summarize the distribution and biological activities of one of the most common flavonoids: luteolin. This flavonoid and its glycosides are widely distributed in the plant kingdom; they are present in many plant families and have been identified in Bryophyta, Pteridophyta, Pinophyta and Magnoliophyta. Dietary sources of luteolin include, for instance, carrots, peppers, celery, olive oil, peppermint, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Preclinical studies have shown that this flavone possesses a variety of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anticancer activities. The ability of luteolin to inhibit angiogenesis, to induce apoptosis, to prevent carcinogenesis in animal models, to reduce tumor growth in vivo and to sensitize tumor cells to the cytotoxic effects of some anticancer drugs suggests that this flavonoid has cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential. Modulation of ROS levels, inhibition of topoisomerases I and II, reduction of NF-kappaB and AP-1 activity, stabilization of p53, and inhibition of PI3K, STAT3, IGF1R and HER2 are possible mechanisms involved in the biological activities of luteolin.

Distribution and biological activities of the flavonoid luteolin.

https://boa.unimib.it/retrieve/handle/10281/70698/104922/1-s2.0-S0959652613007440-main.pdf

Current options for the valorization of food manufacturing waste: a review

Distribution of steroidal saponins in Tribulus terrestris from different geographical regions

Some species of the genus Trifolium are well-known for their content of isoflavones, which are natural compounds showing health-promoting activities Until recently, only a few species of this genus have been characterized with respect to their composition In the present study, 57 Trifolium species have been analyzed for their contents of isoflavones, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and clovamides The cluster analysis of experimental data allowed us to identify a number of species, which should be of interest as potential sources of these metabolites The isoflavone contents of the three species ( T heldreichianum, T scabrum, and T subterraneum) had extremely high amounts of these compounds, reaching 7–9% of dry matter, and the concentration in a number of other species was higher or at least comparable to the amounts occurring in T pratense, one of the major isoflavone sources for the nutraceutical industry Several species contained high amounts of all four analyzed groups of phenolics (isoflavones, p

Concentration of isoflavones and other phenolics in the aerial parts of Trifolium species

Horse chestnut extracts are widely used in pharmacy and cosmetic industries. The main active constituents are saponins of oleane type, but seeds of horse chestnut also contain flavonoids, being glycosides of quercetin and kaempferol. Their contribution to the overall activity of the extracts was not clear. In the present work, the main flavonoids from horse chestnut seeds were isolated and their structures established with spectral methods. Seven glycosides were isolated, out of which six (2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 13) were previously reported and one (9) was identified as a new tamarixetin 3-O- [β-d-glucopyranosyl(1→3)]-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-β-d-glucopyranoside. The structures of three additional compounds 1, 10, and 12, not previously reported, were deduced on the basis of their LC-ESI/MS/MS fragmentation characteristics. A new ultraperformance liquid chromatographic (UPLC) method has been developed for profiling and quantitation of horse chestnut flavonoids. The method allowed good separation over 4.5 min....

Flavonoids in Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) Seeds and Powdered Waste Water Byproducts

Twenty-three flavonoids have been identified in the aerial parts of barrel medic, and their structures were established by spectrometric and spectroscopic (ESI-MS/MS and NMR) techniques. Eight of the identified compounds, including apigenin 7-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside, apigenin 7-O-[2'-O-sinapoyl-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside], apigenin 7-O-{2-O-feruloyl-[beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside}, chrysoeriol 7-O-[beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside, chrysoeriol 7-O-{2'-O-p-coumaroyl-[beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl(1-->2)-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside}, tricin 7-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-4'-O-glucopyranoside, tricin 7-O-[2'-O-feruloyl-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside], and tricin 7-O-{2'-O-p-coumaroyl-[beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl(1-->2)-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside}, have not been reported before in the plant kingdom. Additionally, the presence of two luteolin, three apigenin, one chrysoeriol, and six tricin glycosides, previously identified in alfalfa (Medicago sativa), was confirmed in M. truncatula. Moreover, besides the above flavones, the aerial parts of this species contained three flavonols including rutin, laricitrin 3,7,5'-triglucoside, and laricitrin 3,5'-diglucoside.

Flavonoids from Barrel Medic (Medicago truncatula) Aerial Parts

Triterpene saponins from aerial parts of Medicago truncatula cv. Jemalong A-17, M. truncatula Gaertn. var. longispina Urb., and M. truncatula Gaertn. var. truncatula were profiled and quantified using reverse-phase liquid chromatography with on-line photodiode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-PDA/ESI/MS/MS). The determination was based on standard curves obtained for the 18 available saponin standards, previously isolated from Jemalong A-17. Aerial parts of all three subspecies contained 17 saponins previously identified and also a substantial amount of astragaloside VIII (3-GlcA-Xyl-Rha soyasapogenol B), not previously reported in M. truncatula. The compositions of saponin mixtures were very similar in the three subspecies with three dominant groups, recognized as zanhic acid, medicagenic acid, and soyasapogenol glycosides. Relative proportions of these three groups were also similar in the three subspecies:  var. longispina had 49.5, 48.1, and 2.4%; var. truncatula, 41.5...

Bogdan Janda

Papers

Distribution of steroidal saponins in Tribulus terrestris from different geographical regions

Concentration of isoflavones and other phenolics in the aerial parts of Trifolium species

Flavonoids in Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) Seeds and Powdered Waste Water Byproducts

Flavonoids from Barrel Medic (Medicago truncatula) Aerial Parts

Determination of saponins in aerial parts of barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry.