Polyphenols from Root, Tubercles and Grains Cropped in Brazil: Chemical and Nutritional Characterization and Their Effects on Human Health and Diseases

Abstract

Throughout evolution, plants have developed the ability to produce secondary phenolic metabolites, which are important for their interactions with the environment, reproductive strategies and defense mechanisms. These (poly)phenolic compounds are a heterogeneous group of natural antioxidants found in vegetables, cereals and leguminous that exert beneficial and protective actions on human health, playing roles such as enzymatic reaction inhibitors and cofactors, toxic chemicals scavengers and biochemical reaction substrates, increasing the absorption of essential nutrients and selectively inhibiting deleterious intestinal bacteria. Polyphenols present in some commodity grains, such as soy and cocoa beans, as well as in other vegetables considered security foods for developing countries, including cassava, taro and beetroot, all of them cropped in Brazil, have been identified and quantified in order to point out their bioavailability and the adequate dietary intake to promote health. The effects of the flavonoid and non-flavonoid compounds present in these vegetables, their metabolism and their effects on preventing chronic and degenerative disorders like cancers, diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular and neurological diseases are herein discussed based on recent epidemiological studies.

Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Foods on Human Health

“…This Special Issue “Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Foods on Human Health” comprises 64 peer-reviewed papers, including 43 original research papers [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ], one case-report [ 51 ] and 20 literature reviews [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ...…”

“…Importantly, numerous reviews summarized the evidence regarding polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods and their association with NCDs related to oxidative stress and inflammation, including CVDs, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases [ 19 , 45 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 57 , 59 , 60 , 62 , 64 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 ].…”

Beetroot, A Remarkable Vegetable: Its Nitrate and Phytochemical Contents Can be Adjusted in Novel Formulations to Benefit Health and Support Cardiovascular Disease Therapies

“…If they are consumed in a balanced diet, putative health benefits include decreased risk for chronic, i.e., cardiovascular, diseases, even if the physiological targets and mechanism of action of several of these non-nutrients are still not fully understood [ 30 ]. Many bioactive compounds found in fresh vegetables and fruits display antioxidant activity against harmful reactive oxygen species, while others stimulate cellular defense mechanisms, enhancing stress responses, competing for active enzymes and receptor binding sites in subcellular structures, modulating the gene expression of proteins/enzymes capable of acting against oxi-degenerative processes that may occur in molecules and cellular structures [ 31 ].…”

Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Foods on Human Health

“…Thus, several molecular mechanisms have been suggested, however, one of the most investigated biological activities of polyphenols is their antioxidant activity. This Special Issue "Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Foods on Human Health" comprises 64 peer-reviewed papers, including 43 original research papers , one case-report [51] and 20 literature reviews [52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71]. They report on the most recent evidence regarding the dietary intake of polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods, as well as their effect toward the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases.…”

“…Importantly, numerous reviews summarized the evidence regarding polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods and their association with NCDs related to oxidative stress and inflammation, including CVDs, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases [19,45,[52][53][54][55]57,59,60,62,64,[67][68][69][70][71].…”