Polyphenols antioxidant activity

Chemical Antioxidant Systems. The antioxidant activity of tea extracts and tea polyphenols have been determined using in vitro model systems which are based on hydroxyl-, peroxyl-, superoxide-, hydrogen peroxide-, and oxygen-induced oxidation reactions (109—113). The effectiveness of purified tea polyphenols and cmde tea extracts as antioxidants against the autoxidation of fats has been studied using the standard Rancimat system, an assay based on air oxidation of fats or oils. A direct correlation between the antioxidant index of a tea extract and the concentration of epigallocatechin gallate in the extract was found (107). 

The total antioxidant activity of teas and tea polyphenols in aqueous phase oxidation reactions has been deterrnined using an assay based on oxidation of 2,2 -azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-sulfonate) (ABTS) by peroxyl radicals (114—117). Black and green tea extracts (2500 ppm) were found to be 8—12 times more effective antioxidants than a 1-mAf solution of the water-soluble form of vitamin E, Trolox. The most potent antioxidants of the tea flavonoids were found to be epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate. A 1-mAf solution of these flavanols were found respectively to be 4.9 and 4.8 times more potent than a 1-mAf solution of Trolox in scavenging an ABT radical cation. 

WANG s M and zhao j f (1997) Antioxidant activities of tea polyphenol on edible oils . Western Cereal and Oil Technology, 11, 44-6. 

RICHELLE M, TAVAZZi I, OFFORD E (2001) Comparison of the antioxidant activity of commonly consumed polyphenolic beverages (coffee, cocoa, and tea) prepared per cup serving , J Agric Food Chem, 49 (7) 3438-42. 

Paganga, G. et al.. The polyphenolic content of fruit and vegetables and their antioxidant activities what does a serving constitute Free Radical Res., 30, 153, 1999. Maatta, K.R. et al.. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of phenolic compounds in berries with diode array and electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (MS) detection Rihes species, J. Agric. Food Chem., 51, 6736, 2003. 

Fruifs and vegetables also contain ofher bioactive substances such as polyphenols (including well-known pigments anthocyanins, flavonols) and non-provitamin A carotenoids (mainly lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) that may have protective effects on chronic diseases. Polyphenols and carotenoids are known to display antioxidant activities, counteracting oxidative alterations in cells. Besides these antioxidant properties, these colored bioactive substances may exert other actions on cell signaling and gene expression. 

Ruberto, G. et al.. Polyphenol constituents and antioxidant activity of grape pomace extracts from five Sicilian red grape cultivars. Food Chem., 100, 203, 2007. 

Zakharova and co-workers studied a red variety in 1997 to gain a closer insight into its polyphenol oxidase activity. More recently, a study addressing the antioxidant properties of a red colored Swiss chard was published. However, the pigments were erroneously addressed as anthocyanins. 

Phytochemicals present in fruits and vegetables are very diverse, such as ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds (Liu 2004 Percival and others 2006 Syngletary and others 2005 Yahia and others 2001a, 2001b). Plant polyphenols are ubiquitous in the diet, with rich sources being tea, wine, fruits, and vegetables they demonstrate considerable antioxidative activity in vitro, which can have important implications for health (Duthie and others 2000). 

Naturally occurring compounds such as phytochemicals, which possess anticar-cinogenic and other beneficial properties, are referred to as chemopreventers. One of the predominant mechanisms of their protective action is due to their antioxidant activity and the capacity to scavenge free radicals. Among the most investigated chemopreventers are some vitamins, plant polyphenols, and pigments such as carotenoids, chlorophylls, flavonoids, and betalains. Resolution of the potential protective roles of... 

Pineapple fiber showed higher (86.7%) antioxidant activity than orange peel fiber (34.6%), and myricetin was the major polyphenol identified in pineapple fiber (Larrauri and others 1997). 

Alonso AM, Guillen DA, Barroso CG, Puertas B and Gracia A. 2002. Determination of antioxidant activity of wine byproducts and its correlation with polyphenolic content. J Agric Food Chem 50 5832-5836. Al-Saikhan MS, Howard LR and Miller JC Jr. 1995. Antioxidant activity and total phenolics in different genotypes of potato (Solarium tuberosum L). J Food Sci 60 341-343, 7. 

Wojdylo A, Oszmianski J and Laskowski P. 2008. Polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of new and old apple varieties. J Agric Food Chem 56(15) 6520-6530. 

Flavonoids are present in other beverages besides wine and tea. For example, pomegranate and cranberry juice contain high concentrations of polyphenols and a strong antioxidant activity against LDL oxidation. Their antioxidant capacity depends not only on the amount but also on the type of flavonoids present (Aviram and Fuhrman 2003). 

Fruits and vegetables are generally high in water and low in fat, and, in addition to vitamins and minerals, they contain significant amounts of dietary fiber (DF) and phytochemicals—mainly polyphenols and carotenoids—with significant biological properties, including antioxidant activity. 

This method is relatively easy to use for anhydrous systems, but not for emulsions, foods, or biological media where the presence of water is detrimental. The method has been applied for determining antioxidant activity of both individual natural polyphenols and vegetable extracts. Methods based on this one have been used to evaluate the peroxide value in walnuts (Wilson-Kakashita and others 1995), mango seeds (Joseph 1995), almonds (Uthman and others 1998), and coconut cream powder (Yusof and others 2007). 

Sanchez-Morcno (2002) considered that this assay is an easy and accurate method for determining antioxidant capacity in fruit and vegetable samples. The DPPH assay has been used to determine the antioxidant activity of polyphenols (Sanchez-Moreno and others 1998 Bao and others 2004) flavonols (Jimenez and others 1998 1999 Choi and others 2002) anthocyanin-based natural colorants from berries (Espin and others... 

Cervellati R, Renzulli C, Guerra MC and Speroni E. 2002. Evaluation of antioxidant activity of some natural polyphenolic compounds using the Briggs-Rauscher reaction method. J Agric Food Chem 50(26) 7504-7509. 

Heimler D, Isolani L, Vignolini P, Tombelli S and Romani A. 2007. Polyphenol content and antioxidative activity in some species of freshly consumed salads. J Agric Food Chem 55(5) 1724—1729. 

Klimczak I, Malecka M, Szlachta M and Gliszczynska-Swiglo A. 2007. Effect of storage on the content of polyphenols, vitamin C and the antioxidant activity of orange juices. J Food Compos Anal 20(3 1) 313-322. 

Larrauri JA, Ruperez P and Saura-Calixto F. 1997. Effect of drying temperature on the stability of polyphenols and antioxidant activity of red grape pomace peels. J Agric Food Chem 45(4) 1390-1393. 

Paganga G, Miller N and Rice-Evans CA. 1999. The polyphenolic content of fruit and vegetables and their antioxidant activities. What does a serving constitute Free Radic Res 30(2) 153-162. 

Pulido R, Bravo L and Saura-Calixto, F. 2000. Antioxidant activity of dietary polyphenols as determined by a modified ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay. J Agric Food Chem 48(8) 3396-3402. 

Thu NN, Sakurai C, Uto H, Van Chuyen N, Lien DTK, Yamamoto S, Ohmori R and Kondo K. 2004. The polyphenol content and antioxidant activities of the main edible vegetables in northern Vietnam. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol 50(3) 203-210. 

Antioxidant activity of flavonoids has already been shown about 40 years ago [90,91]. (Early data on antioxidant flavonoid activity are cited in Ref. [92].) Flavonoids are polyphenols, and therefore, their antioxidant activity depends on the reactivity of hydroxyl substituents in hydrogen atom abstraction reactions. As in the case of vitamins E and C, the most studied (and most important) reactions are the reactions with peroxyl radicals [14], hydroxyl radicals [15], and superoxide [16]. 

There are numerous other polyphenolic compounds possessing in vitro and in vivo antioxidative activity. Several examples of these compounds are cited below. One of nonflavonoid polyphenols of particular interest is resveratrol (3,5,4 -trihydroxy-Znmv-stilbcne, Figure 29.8), which has been identified as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent and an antimutagen [182]. It has been found that resveratrol is the efficient inhibitor of cyclooxygenase and the inhibitor of free radical-mediated cellular processes. For example, resveratrol is a better free radical scavenger than a-tocopherol or ascorbic acid but has nearly the same activity as... 

There is the often-overlooked group of polyphenols containing the derivatives of hydro-xycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids such as caffeic, chlorogenic, and gallic acids (Figure 29.8), which occur in food and exhibit certain antioxidant activity. For example, some caffeic acid esters isolated from propolis from honeybee hives showed antiinflammatory... 

Polyphenols and flavonoids present in red wine and grape juice, fruits and vegetables, have potent antioxidant activity, which may slow down oxidative modification of LDL, and their subsequent toxicity (Wedworth and Lynch, 1995). Phenolic compounds exert cytoprotection on vascular cultured cells by inhibiting the calcium rise and subsequent oxidized LDL-mediated cell death (Vieira et al, 1998). These compounds may play a role in the relatively low level of coronary heart disease in Prance ( Fnench Paradox ) and other Mediterranean countries (Renaud and Ruf, 1994). 

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