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The Development Prospects and Predicaments of Plant-derived Polyphenols Added in Food and Food Additives

Author(s)

Yuming Sun

Affiliation(s)

Food and Nutrition Science, School of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China

Abstract

Plant polyphenols are a large class of naturally existing phenolic compounds. They can exert effective functions in antioxidation and combating various diseases and chronic diseases in the human body. However, during the process of entering human cells, polyphenols encounter many obstacles, resulting in low bioavailability. In recent years, the academic community has attempted to combine various biological macromolecules with polyphenols to protect polyphenols from being damaged during transportation, and hopes that polyphenols can exist as a common food component or food additive in processed foods. This article introduces various active molecules that can interact with polyphenols and protect polyphenols from entering the human body, and elaborates on their mechanism of action. It also discusses the advantages and current predicaments of polyphenols as food additives and food components, and finally discusses the development prospects of polyphenols as food components. The author believes that although polyphenols have not been widely applied to processed foods at present, their market potential is huge, and they may be fully popularized in the near future.

Keywords

Polyphenols; Plant Polyphenols; Interaction of Polyphenols with Proteins; Interaction of Polyphenols with Lipids; Interaction of Polyphenols with Polysaccharides

References

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