Dietary polyphenols and their biological significance

Dietary polyphenols represent a wide variety of compounds that occur in fruits, vegetables, wine, tea, extra virgin olive oil, chocolate and other cocoa products. They are mostly derivatives and/ or isomers of flavones, isoflavones, flavonols, catechins and phenolic acids, and possess diverse biological properties such as antioxidant, antiapoptosis, anti-aging, anticarcinogen, anti-inflammation, anti-atherosclerosis, cardiovascular protection, improvement of the endothelial function, as well as inhibition of angiogenesis and cell proliferation activity. Most of these biological actions have been attributed to their intrinsic reducing capabilities. They may also offer indirect protection by activating endogenous defense systems and by modulating cellular signaling processes such as nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-.B) activation, activator protein-1(AP-1) DNA binding, glutathione biosynthesis, phosphoinositide 3 (PI3)-kinase/ protein kinase B (Akt) pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) proteins [ extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and P38] activation, and the translocation into the nucleus of nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2). This paper covers the most recent literature on the subject, and describes the biological mechanisms of action and protective effects of dietary polyphenols.