ABSTRACT
Polyphenols, found abundantly in many edible plants, have long attracted the interest of biomedical and food chemistry researchers due to the potential of polyphenol-rich foods to signicantly lower the relative risk of developing various cardiovascular and tumoral diseases. The biological basis to explain the health benets of polyphenols relates to their well-established antioxidant properties. In recent years, however, several other remarkable bioactivities have been described for some of these compounds, broadening their application scope and thereby innovation potential. This chapter includes a basic introduction to the chemistry of polyphenols with a brief structural classication and description of the major forms of polyphenols, which occur within plant-derived foodstuffs. We also describe the major direct and indirect mechanisms by which polyphenols exert their antioxidant action, and briey deal with bioactivities that are not necessarily linked to the antioxidant properties of these compounds. Emphasis is also placed on the main methodologies currently employed to assess “polyphenolic richness” and antioxidant capacity, as applicable to edible plants. Finally, a specic portion of this chapter has been devoted to describe some of the currently available major databases on polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of plant foods.
