Food Bioactive Compounds and Emerging Techniques for Their Extraction: Polyphenols as a Case Study

Abstract

Experimental studies have provided convincing evidence that food bioactive compounds (FBCs) have a positive biological impact on human health, exerting protective effects against non-communicable diseases (NCD) including cancer and cardiovascular (CVDs), metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). These benefits have been associated with the presence of secondary metabolites, namely polyphenols, glucosinolates, carotenoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, vitamins, and fibres, among others, derived from their antioxidant, antiatherogenic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antithrombotic, cardioprotective, and vasodilator properties. Polyphenols as one of the most abundant classes of bioactive compounds present in plant-based foods emerge as a promising approach for the development of efficacious preventive agents against NCDs with reduced side effects. The aim of this review is to present comprehensive and deep insights into the potential of polyphenols, from their chemical structure classification and biosynthesis to preventive effects on NCDs, namely cancer, CVDs, and NDDS. The challenge of polyphenols bioavailability and bioaccessibility will be explored in addition to useful industrial and environmental applications. Advanced and emerging extraction techniques will be highlighted and the high-resolution analytical techniques used for FBCs characterization, identification, and quantification will be considered.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Late Season Peach Varieties (Prunus persica L.): Fruit Nutritional Quality and Phytochemicals

“…Hence, they are poorly bioavailable [ 76 ]. In in vitro assays, different solvents have been tested and vast variation of the data exist [ 77 ]. In addition, there is no single solvent that can extract all polyphenols [ 78 ].…”

Specialized Metabolites and Valuable Molecules in Crop and Medicinal Plants: The Evolution of Their Use and Strategies for Their Production

“…For example, plant-derived products are used to improve food quality with healthy ingredients, and they can be used in form of dietary supplements to contribute to a healthy diet by providing vitamins, antioxidants and fibres. It has been proven that the daily consumption of biofortified foods and beverages with healthy ingredients can help prevent several non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes [ 1 ]. The recognition of the importance of food in healthcare, whose benefit goes beyond its nutritional value, has led the global market value of the so-called “functional foods” to reach USD 300 billion in 2020 as estimated by Guiné et al, 2020 [ 2 ].…”

Ripening Changes of the Chemical Composition, Proteolysis, and Lipolysis of a Hair Sheep Milk Mexican Manchego-Style Cheese: Effect of Nano-Emulsified Curcumin

“…These food products are called functional foods, similar in appearance to conventional foods but beyond their basic nutritional functions, have demonstrated physiological benefits and can reduce the risk of chronic disease [ 2 ]. Polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, terpenoids, vitamins, and fibers are some bioactive compounds used to fortify food products to enhance their functionality [ 3 , 4 ].…”

“…Evidence indicates that polyphenols have positive effects on human health by their biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities [ 3 , 5 ]. Moreover, some studies have evidenced that the polyphenol ingestion of more than 1 g/day is correlated with diminished onset and progress of chronic diseases related to oxidative stress, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and several forms of cancer [ 6 , 7 ].…”