Phenolic Substances in Foods and Anticarcinogenic Properties: A Public Health Perspective.

The interest in polyphenols from vegetable sources has been progressively increased because of the demonstrated correlation between their abundance in certain foods or food preparations of traditional importance and heritage, and the answer of anti-inflammatory strategies in hospitalized patients in the presence of polypehnol-rich foods (as a complementary therapy). Consequently, research involving the accessory role of polyphenols as anti-tumoral aids have been carried out with the aim of finding new additional strategies. The purpose of this paper to evaluate the role of phenolic compounds in foods with reference to health effects for human beings. The importance of these molecules has been evaluated by the health and safety perspectives in terms of: fight to cardiovascular diseases; prevention of chronic-degenerative disorders; general antioxidant properties; and anticarcinogenic features. Moreover, the role of polyphenols-rich foods as anticancer agents has been discussed with relation to two distinct "action plans" on the public hygiene level: the promotion of human health on the one side (for non-hospitalized and normal subjects), and reliable contrasting strategies in cancer patients.

Review of the Role of Fluid Dairy in Delivery of Polyphenolic Compounds in the Diet: Chocolate Milk, Coffee Beverages, Matcha Green Tea, and Beyond.

Dairy-based functional beverages have been a growing segment as consumer demands for health foods have shifted focus from simply enhancing lifespan to protecting health. Green tea is often limited in use because of poor bioavailability and disagreeable taste. However, milk is considered an ideal platform for the delivery of active polyphenolic compounds in green tea. Furthermore, the antioxidant enzymatic activity and antioxidant index of polyphenols in green tea have been known to be protected through interaction with dairy proteins inside the unstable intestinal environment. In addition, consumption of green tea infused with milk has been found to have a significant impact on reducing skin wrinkles and roughness in elderly subjects, through a decrease in lipid peroxidation and a concomitant reduction in oxidative stress. A similar affinity has been observed between antioxidants in coffee and milk proteins. Dark chocolate has been known to contain significant phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The activation of protein complex NF-κB, which is responsible for cell survival, was found to be significantly reduced upon consumption of cocoa with water, whereas consuming cocoa with milk had no effect on the bioavailability of the phenolic compounds in cocoa. The popularity of dairy as the source for polyphenol fortified beverages in the diet will be dictated by optimization of the technology for maximizing the bioavailability of the antioxidants.

Natural Polyphenols: Chemical Classification, Definition of Classes, Subcategories, and Structures.

Background: Polyphenols are natural compounds synthesized exclusively by plants with chemical features related to phenolic substances and eliciting strong antioxidants properties. Objective: The aim of this paper is to give a reliable overview of the chemical classification of natural polyphenols. Methods: Literature survey was done through google scholar, pubmed and scopus search engine. Results and Discussion: These molecules or classes of natural substances are characterized by two phenyl rings at least and one or more hydroxyl substituents. This description comprehends a large number of heterogeneous compounds with reference to their complexity. Therefore, polyphenols can be simply classified into flavonoids and non-flavonoids, or be subdivided in many sub-classes depending on the number of phenol units within their molecular structure, substituent groups, and/or the linkage type between phenol units. Polyphenols are widely distributed in plant tissues where they mainly exist in form of glycosides or aglycones. The structural diversity of flavonoid molecules arises from variations in hydroxylation pattern and oxidation state resulting in a wide range of compounds: flavanols, anthocyanidins, anthocyanins, isoflavones, flavones, flavonols, flavanones, and flavanonols.