Technological watch

Plant polyphenols are secondary metabolites that constitute one of the most common and widespread groups of natural products. They express a large and diverse panel of biological activities including beneficial effects on both plants and humans. Many polyphenols, from their structurally simplest representatives to their oligo/polymeric versions (also referred to as vegetable tannins) are notably known as phytoestrogens, plant pigments, potent antioxidants, and protein interacting agents. Sponsored by Groupe Polyphénols, this publication, which is the third volume in this highly regarded Recent Advances in Polyphenol Research series, is edited by Véronique Cheynier, Pascale Sarni-Manchado, and Stéphane Quideau (the current President of Groupe Polyphénols). Like their predecessors, they have once again put together an impressive collection of cutting-edge chapters written by expert scientists internationally respected in their respective field of polyphenol sciences. This Volume 3 provides the latest information and opinion on the following major research topics about polyphenols:

• Organic chemistry and physical chemistry
• Biosynthesis, genetics and metabolic engineering
• The role of polyphenols in plants and ecosystems
• Health and nutrition
• Analysis and metabolomics

Chemists, biochemists, plant scientists, pharmacognosists and pharmacologists, biologists, ecologists, food scientists and nutritionists will all find this book an invaluable resource. Libraries in all universities and research institutions where these disciplines are studied and taught should have copies on their bookshelves.

Plant polyphenols are secondary metabolites that constitute one of the most common and widespread groups of natural products. They express a large and diverse panel of biological activities including beneficial effects on both plants and humans. Many polyphenols, from their structurally simplest representatives to their oligo/polymeric versions (also referred to as vegetable tannins) are notably known as phytoestrogens, plant pigments, potent antioxidants, and protein interacting agents. Sponsored by Groupe Polyphénols, this publication, which is the third volume in this highly regarded Recent Advances in Polyphenol Research series, is edited by Véronique Cheynier, Pascale Sarni-Manchado, and Stéphane Quideau (the current President of Groupe Polyphénols). Like their predecessors, they have once again put together an impressive collection of cutting-edge chapters written by expert scientists internationally respected in their respective field of polyphenol sciences. This Volume 3 provides the latest information and opinion on the following major research topics about polyphenols:

• Organic chemistry and physical chemistry
• Biosynthesis, genetics and metabolic engineering
• The role of polyphenols in plants and ecosystems
• Health and nutrition
• Analysis and metabolomics

Chemists, biochemists, plant scientists, pharmacognosists and pharmacologists, biologists, ecologists, food scientists and nutritionists will all find this book an invaluable resource. Libraries in all universities and research institutions where these disciplines are studied and taught should have copies on their bookshelves.

SummaryOlive oil, the primary oil source of the Mediterranean diet, differs significantly in composition from dietary lipids that are consumed by other populations. In particular, extra?virgin olive oil is rich in phenolic compounds that provide aroma and taste. As of now, the cardioprotective activities of olive phenols are quite established: approximately 20 human trials describe the superiority of phenol?rich olive oil to other vegetable oils or sources of fat. Two major fields remain to be investigated, namely, the neurodegenerative disease and the cancer. This article critically reviews the available evidence and the additional research that is still needed in this area.