ABSTRACT
The fact that phytochemicals occurring in food and natural health products play a significant role in disease prevention and health promotion was first recognized as a result of epidemiological studies using both animal and human subjects. This led to an ever-growing interest in herbs and botanical and nutraceutical products. Bioactives in herbal and nutraceutical products constitute a myriad of chemical compounds, among which phenolic substances often play a primary or a synergistic function. Herbal products are used to enhance immunity, for antiinflammatory, anticancer, and antidepressant effects and for treatment of heart disease, urinary tract infections and prostate conditions, among others. The herbal products of interest include, but are not limited to, echinacea, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, St. John’s wort, valerian, kava kava, saw palmetto, black cohosh, devil’s claw, goldenseal, hawthorn, ginger, licorice, and milk thistle (Blumenthal, 2000; Lawson and Bauer, 1998). These products serve as a source of the phenolic compounds summarized in this chapter.
