Special Issue "Phenolics and Polyphenolics"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Paula Andrade
REQUIMTE/Serviço de Farmacognosia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Aníbal Cunha, 164, 4050-047 Porto
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Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. José Alberto Pereira
CIMO/Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus Sta Apolónia, Apartado 1 172, 5301-855 Bragança, Portugal
E-Mail:
Interests: bioactive phytochemicals; phenolic compounds; antioxidant and antimicrobial activities; effect of agricultural practices on vegetable composition and quality; olives and olive oil chemistry

Submission

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Type of Paper: Review
Title: Phenolic Compounds in Brassica Vegetables Crops: A Review
Author: Elena Cartea
Affiliation: Misión Biológica de Galicia – CSIC, P.O.Box 28. 36080 Pontevedra, Spain; E-Mail: ecartea@mbg.cesga.es
Abstract: Phenolic compounds are a large group of phytochemicals widespread in plant kingdom. Depending on their structure they can be classified into simple phenols, phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and flavonoids. Phenolic acids have received considerable attention as potentially protective factors against cancer and heart diseases, in part because of their potent antioxidative properties and their ubiquity in a wide range of commonly consumed foods of plant origin. The Brassicaceae family includes a wide range of horticultural crops, some of them with economic significance, extensively used in the diet throughout the world. The phenolic composition of Brassica vegetables has been recently investigated and, nowadays, the profile of different Brassica species is well established. Here, we will review the significance of phenolic compounds as source of beneficial compounds for human health and the influence of environmental conditions and processing mechanisms on the phenolic composition in Brassica vegetables.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Determination of Phenolic Compounds and Triterpenic Acids in Oregano Growing Wild in Greece by Employing ¹³P NMR Spectroscopy
Author: Photis Dais
E-Mail: dais@chemistry.uoc.gr
Abstract: A facile analytical method using ³¹P NMR spectroscopy is described for the determination of phenolic compounds and triterpenic acids in ethanolic extracts of two species of oregano (Origanum onites, and Origanum vulgare) growing wild in Greece. This method based on the derivatization of the hydroxyl groups of the polar constituents with 2-chloro-4, 4, 5, 5-tetramethyldioxaphospholane was successful in the detection and quantitation of nine phenolic compounds (benzyl alcohol, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid, ferulic acid, carvacrol, thymol, apigenin, naringenin.), and two triterpenic acids (ursolic and oleanolic) in a single NMR spectrum without any previous separation.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Anti-Adhesive Activities of Flavan-3-ols and Proanthocyanidins in the Interaction of Group A-Streptococci and Human Epithelial Cells
Authors: Aneta Janecki and Herbert Kolodziej
Affiliation: Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Koenigin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany; E-Mails: JaneckiA@rki.de (A.J.); kolpharm@zedat.fu-berlin.de (H.K.)
Abstract: Bacterialadhesion to epithelial cells is a key step to infections allowing subsequent colonization, invasion and internalization of pathogens into tissues. Tannins are generously recognized as potent antimicrobials, but little data exist on their anti-adherence potency. Using a model for mucosal pathogenesis with labeled group A-streptococci and human HEp-2 cells, a series of flavan-3-ols and highly purified and chemically characterized proanthocyanidin fractions including procyanidins based on epicatechin, catechin or ‘mixed’ constituent flavanyl units, prodelphinidins made up of (epi)gallocatechin monomeric units as well as oligomers possessing A-type units in their molecules was evaluated for anti-adhesive effects. Reduced microbial adherence was exclusively observed for prodelphinidins, suggesting that pyrogallol-type elements are important structural features. This is the first report on structure-activity relationships regarding the anti-adhesive potency of proanthocyanidins.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Anthocyanins in Red Grapes and Wines: A Review
Authors: Fei He, Lin Mu, Qiu-Hong Pan, Jun Wang and Chang-Qing Duan
Affiliation: Centre for Viticulture & Enology, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China; E-Mail: chqduan@yahoo.com.cn (C.-Q.D.)
Abstract: Anthocyanins are a group of phenolic metabolites which are fundamentally responsible for the color of red grapes and the resultant wines. As the most important natural colorants, anthocyanins are also widely studied for their numerous beneficial effects on human health. In recent years, the biosynthetic pathway of anthocyanins in grapes has been investigated thoroughly and the mechanism regulating its biosynthesis has also been further clarified. Besides, the color properties of anthocyanins and their changes in wines are continuously studied, and many new reactions and anthocyanin associated new compounds have been found. In this paper, the most recent advances in the studies of anthocyanins in red grapes and wines are summarized, emphasizing their biosynthesis and regulation, their color properties and further changes.
Keywords: anthocyanin; biosynthesis; copigmentation; grape; reaction; wine