Defining the landscape of Polyphenols: from chemistry to biological applications  

Résumé de la présentation:
Polyphenols are a large group of compounds produced by plants, which are characterized by the presence of a mono- or poly-hydroxylated aryl moiety. They can be grouped into 4 major classes: phenolic acids, lignans, flavonoids, and stilbenes. Polyphenols have long been known to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antineoplastic, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory effects. However, several factors limit the use of polyphenolic compounds as drugs: low bioavailability, low solubility, low photostability, and extensive first pass metabolism, hence various strategies have been designed to improve the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of these compounds. Here we present some of the most relevant data we obtained during the past 10 years, in which we characterized and evaluated the biological effects of several polyphenolic molecules, starting from resveratrol to olive oil polyphenols, to mixtures of flavonoids and anthocyanins extracted from plant foods. We developed new green chemistry extraction methods to isolate bioactive compounds from plants and tested their efficacy in different murine models of cognitive impairment. We also characterized phenolic derivatives that are formed in biological systems when polyphenols are allowed to react in physiological conditions. We will also summarize our recent studies in which we have used new formulations as carriers for polyphenols to enhance their aqueous solubility, stability, bioavailability, target specificity, and bioactivities.