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(Poly)phenols: Metabolism and Health

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioorganic Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 13463

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
The Laboratory of Phytochemicals in Physiology, Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy
Interests: nutrition; polyphenol; bioactive compounds; metabolism; bioavailability; beneficial effects; prevention; mass spectometry
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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, XaRTA, School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: dietary bioactive compounds; phytochemicals; human health; disease prevention; Mediterranean diet; nutritional epidemiology; clinical trials; inflammation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Most polyphenols cannot be absorbed as they are but need some prior structural modification. The absorption of a minimal part of the ingested polyphenols occurs in the first gastro-intestinal tract, whereas the largest part reaches the colon, where polyphenolic compounds are metabolized by the host microbiota. Polyphenol colonic catabolites are possible biologically active molecules, although their production is strictly related to gut composition, responsible for an important interindividual variability.

The understanding of polyphenol–gut microbiota interactions and the gut microbial bioconversion capability could provide more insight into the human metabolism and the bioavailability of bioactive polyphenols and represents an essential step to further investigate the potential health benefits of polyphenols and their derived metabolites. With the support of Molecules, this Special Issue welcomes manuscripts from human, animal, and in vitro studies on the metabolism of polyphenols and their implication in health and disease prevention.

Dr. Letizia Bresciani
Dr. Anna Tresserra-Rimbau
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Plant-based foods
  • Phytochemicals
  • Polyphenols
  • Bioactive compounds
  • Metabolism
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Bioavailability
  • Colonic metabolites
  • Microbiota
  • Interindividual variability
  • Bioactivity
  • Health effects
  • Health benefits
  • Prevention
  • In vitro

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2514 KiB  
Article
Conjugated Metabolites of Hydroxytyrosol and Tyrosol Contribute to the Maintenance of Nitric Oxide Balance in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells at Physiologically Relevant Concentrations
by Gabriele Serreli, Melanie Le Sayec, Camilla Diotallevi, Alice Teissier, Monica Deiana and Giulia Corona
Molecules 2021, 26(24), 7480; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26247480 - 10 Dec 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2529
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule involved in many pathophysiological processes. NO mediates vasodilation and blood flow in the arteries, and its action contributes to maintaining vascular homeostasis by inhibiting vascular smooth muscle contraction and growth, platelet aggregation, and leukocyte adhesion [...] Read more.
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule involved in many pathophysiological processes. NO mediates vasodilation and blood flow in the arteries, and its action contributes to maintaining vascular homeostasis by inhibiting vascular smooth muscle contraction and growth, platelet aggregation, and leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium. Dietary antioxidants and their metabolites have been found to be directly and/or indirectly involved in the modulation of the intracellular signals that lead to the production of NO. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of conjugated metabolites of hydroxytyrosol (HT) and tyrosol (TYR) to the release of NO at the vascular level, and the related mechanism of action, in comparison to their parental forms. Experiments were performed in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) to evaluate the superoxide production, the release of NO and production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), the activation of serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (Akt1), and the activation state of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). It was observed that the tested phenolic compounds enhanced NO and cGMP concentration, inhibiting its depletion caused by superoxide overproduction. Moreover, some of them enhanced the activation of Akt (TYR, HT metabolites) and eNOS (HT, HVA, TYR-S, HT-3S). Overall, the obtained data showed that these compounds promote NO production and availability, suggesting that HT and TYR conjugated metabolites may contribute to the effects of parental extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) phenolics in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Poly)phenols: Metabolism and Health)
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14 pages, 1720 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Tests for a Rapid Evaluation of Antidiabetic Potential of Plant Species Containing Caffeic Acid Derivatives: A Validation by Two Well-Known Antidiabetic Plants, Ocimum gratissimum L. Leaf and Musanga cecropioides R. Br. ex Tedlie (Mu) Stem Bark
by Abdulmomem Awwad, Patrick Poucheret, Yanis A. Idres, Damien S. T. Tshibangu, Adrien Servent, Karine Ferrare, Françoise Lazennec, Luc P. R. Bidel, Guillaume Cazals and Didier Tousch
Molecules 2021, 26(18), 5566; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26185566 - 13 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2217
Abstract
Plant bioactive extracts represent a major resource for identifying drugs and adjuvant therapy for type 2 diabetes. To promote early screening of plants’ antidiabetic potential, we designed a four in vitro tests strategy to anticipate in vivo bioactivity. Two antidiabetic plants were studied: [...] Read more.
Plant bioactive extracts represent a major resource for identifying drugs and adjuvant therapy for type 2 diabetes. To promote early screening of plants’ antidiabetic potential, we designed a four in vitro tests strategy to anticipate in vivo bioactivity. Two antidiabetic plants were studied: Ocimum gratissimum L. (Oc) leaf extract and Musanga cecropoides R. Br. ex Tedlie (Mu) stem bark extract. Chemical compositions were analyzed by LCMS and HPLC. Antidiabetic properties were measured based on (1) INS-1 cells for insulin secretion, (2) L6 myoblast cells for insulin sensitization (Glut-4 translocation), (3) L6 myoblast cells for protection against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidative stress (cell mortality), and (4) liver microsomial fraction for glucose-6-phosphastase activity (G6P). Oc extract increased insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, whereas it decreased oxidative stress-induced cell mortality and G6P activity. Mu extract decreased insulin secretion and had no effect on insulin sensitivity or G6P activity, but it increased oxidative stress-induced cell mortality. Results were compared with NCRAE, an antidiabetic plant extract used as reference, previously characterized and reported with increased insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, protection against oxidative stress, and decreased G6P activity. The proposed set of four in vitro tests combined with chemical analysis provided insight into the interest in rapid early screening of plant extract antidiabetic potential to anticipate pharmaco-toxicological in vivo effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Poly)phenols: Metabolism and Health)
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11 pages, 4891 KiB  
Article
A Study of the Interaction, Morphology, and Structure in Trypsin-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Complexes
by Jiayin Liu, Hossein Ghanizadeh, Xinmao Li, Zhengyuan Han, Youwen Qiu, Yao Zhang, Xiuling Chen and Aoxue Wang
Molecules 2021, 26(15), 4567; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26154567 - 28 Jul 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1987
Abstract
Understanding the interaction between proteins and polyphenols is of significance to food industries. The aim of this research was to investigate the mode of aggregation for trypsin-EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3-gallate) complexes. For this, the complex was characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, small-angel [...] Read more.
Understanding the interaction between proteins and polyphenols is of significance to food industries. The aim of this research was to investigate the mode of aggregation for trypsin-EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3-gallate) complexes. For this, the complex was characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, small-angel X-ray scattering (SAXS), and atomic force microscope (AFM) techniques. The results showed that the fluorescence intensity of trypsin-EGCG complexes decreased with increasing the concentration of EGCG, indicating that the interaction between trypsin and EGCG resulted in changes in the microenvironment around fluorescent amino acid residues. The results of CD analysis showed conformational changes in trypsin after binding with EGCG. The results from SAXS analysis showed that the addition of EGCG results in the formation of aggregates of trypsin-EGCG complexes, and increasing the concentration of EGCG resulted in larger aggregates. AFM images showed that the trypsin-EGCG complex formed aggregates of irregular ellipsoidal shapes with the size of about 200 × 400 × 200 nm, with EGCG interconnecting the trypsin particles. Overall, according to these results, it was concluded that the large aggregates of trypsin-EGCG complexes are formed from several small aggregates that are interconnected. The results of this study shed some light on the interaction between digestive enzymes and EGCG. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Poly)phenols: Metabolism and Health)
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Review

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22 pages, 1146 KiB  
Review
Do Pomegranate Hydrolyzable Tannins and Their Derived Metabolites Provide Relief in Osteoarthritis? Findings from a Scoping Review
by Marco Govoni and Francesca Danesi
Molecules 2022, 27(3), 1033; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27031033 - 3 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3032
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis affecting both the elderly and the middle-aged population. Although various therapeutics have been developed to arrest the structural deterioration of cartilage, the current treatments are limited to delay the progress of OA clinically. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis affecting both the elderly and the middle-aged population. Although various therapeutics have been developed to arrest the structural deterioration of cartilage, the current treatments are limited to delay the progress of OA clinically. Therefore, it is pivotal to study new therapeutic agents for chondroprotection and the prevention of cartilage degeneration. Hydrolyzable tannin (HT)-containing foods aroused considerable interest in recent years for their relevant anti-inflammatory effects. The focus of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the evidence of the therapeutic potential of HTs and their metabolites in preventing or alleviating the course of OA. A broad search of PubMed and Scopus databases on this topic resulted in 156 articles. After the exclusion of reviews and not relevant records, 31 articles were retrieved. Although only some papers did not consider the biotransformation of HTs, most recent studies also have investigated the effect of HT metabolites. Further larger clinical trials, with an in-deep analysis of HT metabolization, are still needed to unravel the potential benefits of these compounds in OA, paving the way towards the development of a dietary strategy for the improvement of pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced chondrocyte dysfunctions and injuries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Poly)phenols: Metabolism and Health)
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14 pages, 1578 KiB  
Review
The Potential Role of Polyphenols in Modulating Mitochondrial Bioenergetics within the Skeletal Muscle: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Models
by Sinenhlanhla X. H. Mthembu, Phiwayinkosi V. Dludla, Khanyisani Ziqubu, Tawanda M. Nyambuya, Abidemi P. Kappo, Evelyn Madoroba, Thembeka A. Nyawo, Bongani B. Nkambule, Sonia Silvestri, Christo J. F. Muller and Sithandiwe E. Mazibuko-Mbeje
Molecules 2021, 26(9), 2791; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092791 - 10 May 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2657
Abstract
Polyphenols are naturally derived compounds that are increasingly being explored for their various health benefits. In fact, foods that are rich in polyphenols have become an attractive source of nutrition and a potential therapeutic strategy to alleviate the untoward effects of metabolic disorders. [...] Read more.
Polyphenols are naturally derived compounds that are increasingly being explored for their various health benefits. In fact, foods that are rich in polyphenols have become an attractive source of nutrition and a potential therapeutic strategy to alleviate the untoward effects of metabolic disorders. The last decade has seen a rapid increase in studies reporting on the bioactive properties of polyphenols against metabolic complications, especially in preclinical models. Various experimental models involving cell cultures exposed to lipid overload and rodents on high fat diet have been used to investigate the ameliorative effects of various polyphenols against metabolic anomalies. Here, we systematically searched and included literature reporting on the impact of polyphenols against metabolic function, particularly through the modulation of mitochondrial bioenergetics within the skeletal muscle. This is of interest since the skeletal muscle is rich in mitochondria and remains one of the main sites of energy homeostasis. Notably, increased substrate availability is consistent with impaired mitochondrial function and enhanced oxidative stress in preclinical models of metabolic disease. This explains the general interest in exploring the antioxidant properties of polyphenols and their ability to improve mitochondrial function. The current review aimed at understanding how these compounds modulate mitochondrial bioenergetics to improve metabolic function in preclinical models on metabolic disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Poly)phenols: Metabolism and Health)
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