ABSTRACT
Polyphenol-rich foods and extracts are commonly referred to as “nutraceuticals,” a category consisting of food items that significantly and positively affect human health. There is growing interest in the use of polyphenol-rich plant extracts as dietary food supplements because they have a wide spectrum of beneficial activity for human health. The main established feature of polyphenols is their strong antioxidant activity. Recent
in vitro
studies have provided evidence that polyphenols can also affect enzyme activity, cell response, and gene expression, providing a novel mechanistic perspective underlying biological activity of polyphenols.
