Plant-derived polyphenols in human health: biological activity, metabolites and putative molecular targets.

Plant-derived polyphenols in human health: biological activity, metabolites and putative molecular targets. Curr Drug Metab. 2018 Feb 19;: Authors: Olivares-Vicente M, Barrajon-Catalan E, Herranz-Lopez M, Segura-Carretero A, Joven J, Encinar JA, Micol V Abstract Edible plants such as Hibiscus sabdariffa, Lippia citriodora, Rosmarinus officinalis and Olea europaea, are rich in bioactive compounds that represent most of the phenolic compounds families and have exhibited potential benefits in human health. These plants have been commonly used in folk medicine for their potential therapeutic properties in human chronic diseases. Recent evidence on these plants leads to postulate that polyphenols may account for such effects. Nevertheless, the compounds or metabolites that are responsible for reaching the molecular targets are still unknown. Data based on studies that directly use complex extracts on cellular models, without considering metabolic aspects, have limited applicability. In contrast, studies exploring the absorption process, metabolites in the blood circulation and tissues have become essential to identify the intracellular final effectors that are responsible for extracts bioactivity. Once the cellular metabolites are identified, computational molecular docking techniques suppose a unique tool for virtually screening a large number of compounds on selected protein targets in order to elucidate their potential mechanisms. In t...
Source: Current Drug Metabolism - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Curr Drug Metab Source Type: research