News Alert

A response to quercetin-exposure: dendritic cells iron export as the first step towards tolerance

Doctor Stefania De Santis from ISPA-CNR in Lecce,Italy, will give a talk at the 11th World Congress on Polyphenols Applications.

According to Doctor De Santis, plant polyphenols consumption is encouraged in healthy dietary regimes due to their antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects.
These organic molecules exhibit numerous properties including phytochelation; the ability to create complex with metal ions. Among polyphenols, the team of Doctor De Santis focused their attention on quercetin demonstrating its ability to reduce dendritic cells (DCs) inflammatory cytokine secretion and antigen presentation following LPS exposure in vitro and in vivo.

Recently, they demonstrated that quercetin exerts these functions by affecting DCs iron homeostasis. After quercetin exposure, DCs export iron in the extracellular compartment and, at the same time, induce a genes pathway related with iron homeostasis and inflammatory suppression. Future studies are needed to address if administration of natural bio-chelators can reduce inflammatory cytokine secretion by intestinal resident macrophages and DCs, a crucial step to promote the resolution of inflammation and tissue repair.

For more information www.polyphenols-site.com/

Sirtuins, a promising target in slowing down the ageing process; regulatory role of polyphenols

Dr Anna Bielak-Żmijewska from the Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Ageing, the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland, will give a talk at the 11th World Congress on Polyphenols Applications about the role of sirtuins, called the enzymes of youth, in the regulation of cellular senescence and ageing, and the role of polyphenols in activation of these enzymes.

Aging is an inescapable/unavoidable process. However, the existing data prove that it is malleable and can be effectively slowed down. Ageing is characteristic for almost all living organisms. We are getting older because our cells senesce. Cellular senescence leads to increased low grade inflammation and impairs proper functioning of tissues and organs. One of the promising targets for anti-aging medicine are sirtuins, enzymes strongly involved in DNA repair, telomere maintenance, epigenetic modification of both histones and DNA, and in regulation of many processes involved in homeostasis maintenance in the whole organism. Searching for activators of these enzymes is currently one of the most promising elements of anti-aging strategy and one of the least invasive approaches. It is suggested that some polyphenols are full of promise as activators of sirtuins.

For more information: www.polyphenols-site.com

Curcumin in combination with chemotherapy: Presentation of the CUFOX story

During Vienna Polyphenols World Congress, Dr Lynne Howells from University of Leicester will present the recent study concerning Curcumin in combination with chemotherapy.

According to Dr Howeels: "Combining low toxicity polyphenolic adjuncts with standard-of-care chemotherapy may offer added benefit to patients without increasing side effect burdens. Here, we have taken a bench to bedside approach, examining the effects of curcumin in combination with oxaliplatin-based therapy in colorectal cancer. Promising in vitro and pre-clinical data has led to the work-up of the CUFOX phase I/IIa trial, combining curcumin with FOLFOX-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer."

The results of this study will be presented during Vienna Polyphenols World Congress: www.polyphenols-site.com

What are the risks and benefits of conducting realistic research on polyphenols?

Dr. Pedro Mena, from The Laboratory of Phytochemicals in Physiology, Department of Food & Drug, University of Parma, Italy, will give a talk at the 11th World Congress on Polyphenols Applications about the risks and benefits of conducting realistic research on polyphenols.

Experimental realism refers to adhering to physiological conditions when performing research on polyphenols. This should be kept in mind at all research levels, from cell studies to human interventions. Dosages, molecules, experimental designs, etc., should all be built over physiological assumptions in order to make polyphenol research translatable and really useful. By risking a little more in polyphenol research, we (researchers and humans) will benefit a lot!

For more information: www.polyphenols-site.com

What is the impact of long-term consumption of anthocyanin-rich fruit juice on antioxidative markers and gut microbiome?

One of the strategic topic of Vienna Polyphenols 2017 is to talk about Gut Microbiota & Polyphenols. During this session, Dr David Berry from Unviersity of Vienna, Austria will highlight the impact of a long-term consumption of anthocyanin-rich fruit juice on antioxidative markers and gut microbiome.

As mentioned by Dr Berry, multiple degenerative diseases are associated with oxidative stress and damage, which has raised the question whether an antoxidant-rich diet can improve health. In the study which will be presented during Vienna Congress, Dr Berry's team examined the effect of daily consumption of anthocyanin-rich juice by healthy volunteers over a 2 month period.

The results will be presented during Vienna Polyphenols World Congress: www.polyphenols-site.com

Reaction products of enzymatic and chemical oxidation of polyphenols

Processing of food inevitably encompasses steps which expose the contained polyphenols to oxidative conditions leading to numerous reactions that primarily modifies the genuine polyphenol profile and may eventually end in degradation of the polyphenols. The result of this oxidation can be assessed as a severe loss of quality of the food since polyphenols account for sensory attributes as well as health promoting effects. 

During Vienna Polyphenols World Congress, Dr Fabian Weber from the University of Bonn, Germany will present the different reaction products of enzymatic and chemical oxidation of polyphenols.

For more information: www.polyphenols-site.com

Natural products inducing macrophage cholesterol efflux: Presentation of the recent scientific data

During Vienna Polyphenols World Congress, the scientific committee invited Dr Atanas Georgiev Atanasov from tje University of Vienna, Austria to give a presentation about Natural products inducing macrophage cholesterol  efflux: Presentation of the recent scientific data.

According to Dr Atanasov: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in the world, and therefore the identification of compounds that can combat it is highly relevant. Presented will be the characterization of natural products able to enhance macrophage cholesterol efflux, an anti-atherosclerotic process counteracting the transformation of macrophages into cholesterol-enriched proatherogenic foam cells."

For more information about this strategic talk, come & join Vienna Polyphenols 2017: www.polyphenols-site.com

What are the recent advances in the analysis of polyphenols in physiological samples?

Polyphenols have been associated with various beneficial activities such as antioxidative, anti-inflammatory or antiproliferative effects. Their metabolites appear in very low concentrations in biological fluids like plasma or urine, rarely exceeding nmol/l levels. In view of the complex matrix and the large number of compounds, usually present in low quantities, methods used for the analysis of polyphenols and their metabolites need to be highly selective, sensitive, reliable, and accurate. Appropriate sample preparation is very important and constitutes a prerequisite for the successful analysis of polyphenols. It is essential to ensure the applicability of the analytical methods with a comprehensive validation.

During Vienna Polyphenols World Congress 2017, Dr Maike Passon, from University of Bonn, Germany will present these recent advances in the analysis of polyphenols in physiological samples.

For more information: www.polyphenols-site.com

Welcome to Vienna Polyphenols 2017

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the International Society of Antioxidants in Nutrition and Health (ISANH) and the Scientific Committee, we are pleased to announce the organization of the 11th World Congress on Polyphenols Applications: Vienna Polyphenols 2017 to be held at the University of Vienna, Austria next June 20 & 21, 2017.

The 11th Polyphenols World Congress will bring together experts from academia and industries to discuss the latest scientific advances in the field of polyphenols and their uses to improve human health.

Vienna Polyphenols 2017 two-day conference will highlight the following strategic subjects:

• Analysis, Mechanistic and clinical aspects
• The toxicological aspects of polyphenols
• Interactions between polyphenols and gut microbiota
• Extraction, valorization and analysis of polyphenols from food and by-products
• Applications of polyphenols in foods, beverages and cosmetics
• Innovations with polyphenols

A general discussion will be held at the end of the second day about Polyphenols 2017: What’s next?

We look forward to welcoming you in lovely Vienna for this special event. Please visit the website of Visit Vienna to enjoy an extraordinary moment where sightseeing, gastronomy, art, history meet.

Doris Marko

Local Organizing Committee

 Andreas Schieber

President of Vienna Polyphenols 2017

Porto Polyphenols 2016: Concluding Remarks by Pr Andreas Schieber

The 10th International Conference on Polyphenols Applications took place in Porto, Portugal, from June 29 to July 1, 2016 under the auspices of the International Society for Antioxidants in Nutrition and Health (ISANH).

Dr. Andreas Schieber, President of Porto Polyphenols 2016, Dr. Marvin Edeas, President of ISANH, Dr. Fernanda Borges and Dr. Jorge Garrido, the local organizers from the University of Porto welcomed more than 300 academics and industry representatives from 27 countries at Porto Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto.

Taking into consideration recent advances in research on polyphenols, Porto Polyphenols 2016 covered as oral and poster presentations topics of utmost interest, for example, bioavailability and metabolism, extraction of polyphenols from by-products, role of polyphenols in health and disease, and polyphenols applications in foods and beverages. Short oral presentations greatly enriched the congress by addressing additional topics.

The 2016 Poster Award was bestowed upon Dr Eva Anzenbacherova and Dr Pavel Anzenbacherov, from Palacky University, Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Republic for their presentation about Gut microbiome species richness differ after intake of green tea and cranberry extracts by lean and obese mice.

The scientific committee and the local organizers expressed their appreciation to all participants for their excellent contributions, which made also the 2016 edition of the International Conference on Polyphenols Application a success.

Please click here to visit the 3-days Porto Polyphenols Congress photos.

Please click here to access to the final program of Porto Polyphenols Congress.

We look forward welcoming for the 2017 world congress.

Porto Polyphenols Secretariat

Come & network with academics and industrial stakeholders during Porto Polyphenols Congress

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we are pleased to inform you about the updated list of universities & companies who will attend Porto Polyphenols World Congress 2016:

Cara Partners, Centro Ricerche per la Chimica Fine Srl, FDT Consulting Engineers & Project Managers, GBT Spain, Herbalife, MIAVIT...

Read more...

Influence of coffee consumption on DNA integrity in humans

Pr. Elke Richling from the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany, will speak about the Influence of coffee consumption on DNA integrity in humans at Porto Polyphenols Congress 2016.

Pr. Richling concludes the following about her topic: Epidemiologic evidence suggests coffee consumption to be associated with reduced risk due to certain diseases, including diabetes type 2, Parkinson, and cardiovascular disease or various types of cancer. In human interventions studies we investigated effects of regular coffee consumption on DNA integrity in peripheral white blood cells (WBC) by the comet assay. During four weeks, volunteers daily ingested three large cups (250 ml) of a specific coffee blend, rich in both, green bean constituents and roast products. Controls received the same volume of water. The results allow the conclusion that regular coffee consumption is associated with markedly reduced DNA strand breaks, reflecting total as well as background DNA damage. In a recently performed short term study, when volunteers consumed four cups of coffee (200 ml) every two hours the results showed a significant reduction of background DNA strand breaks in comparison to baseline. Interestingly, this DNA protective effect was detected already two hours after the first coffee consumption.Taken together, our studies clearly showed that consumption of coffee reduces DNA damage in white blood cells of humans.

Rosemary extract: Recent advances and perspectives - Carnosic acid stimulates skeletal muscle cell glucose uptake via AMPK activation

At Porto Polyphenols Congress 2016, Pr. Evangelia Litsa Tsiani from the Department of Health Sciences at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, will speak about Rosemary extract: Recent advances and perspectives - Carnosic acid stimulates skeletal muscle cell glucose uptake via AMPK activation.

In her recent studies, Pr. Tsiani concludes the following: Compounds that increase the activity of the energy sensor AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) have the potential to regulate blood glucose levels. Rosemary extract (RE) has been reported to activate AMPK and reduce blood glucose levels in vivo.
In the present study, we measured the levels of the polyphenol carnosic acid (CA) in RE and examined the effects and the mechanism of action of CA on glucose transport system in muscle cells.
High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure the levels of CA in RE. Parental and GLUT4myc or GLUT1myc overexpressing L6 rat myotubes were used. Glucose uptake was assessed using [3H]-2-deoxy-D-glucose. Total and phosphorylated levels of Akt and AMPK were measured by immunoblotting.  Plasma membrane GLUT4myc and GLUT1myc levels were examined using a GLUT translocation assay.
At concentrations found in rosemary extract, CA stimulated glucose uptake in L6 myotubes. At 2.0 µM CA a response (226±9.62% of control, p<0.001), similar to maximum insulin (201±7.86%, p<0.001) and metformin (213±10.74%, p<0.001) was seen. Insulin sensitivity was increase by CA. Akt phosphorylation was not affected by CA while AMPK phosphorylation was increased and the CA-stimulated glucose uptake was significantly reduced by the AMPK inhibitor compound C. Plasma membrane GLUT4 or GLUT1 glucose transporter levels were not affected by CA.
Our study is the first to show increased muscle cell glucose uptake and AMPK activation by low CA concentrations, found in rosemary extract, indicating that CA may be responsible for the anti-hyperglycemic properties of rosemary extract seen in vivo.

Mediterranean diet, dietary polyphenols and low-grade inflammation

At Porto Polyphenols World Congress, Dr. George Pounis from IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, Italy will talk about Mediterranean diet, dietary polyphenols and low-grade inflammation: results from the Moli-sani study.

Dr. Pounis summarizes that dietary polyphenol should be appreciated as an important nutrient component of Mediterranean diet. Data from the Moli-sani Study, a population-based cohort study of 24.325 people living in the Molise region in Italy, support that flavonoid and lignan intake is negatively associated with a range of low-grade inflammation biomarkers. In addition, the elaboration of holistic/multi-dimensional approaches in the evaluation of the overall polyphenol content of diet and the low-grade inflammation status, confirmed these associations in a novel way and in a large epidemiological scale.

Fermentation of bioactive solid lipid nanoparticles by human gut microbiota

Pr. Raquel Madureira, from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Portugal, will highlight the subject Fermentation of bioactive solid lipid nanoparticles by human gut microbiota, in her presentation at Porto Polyphenols 2016.

Pr. Madureira concludes her recent studies as follows: Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) can be used for the oral delivery of phenolic compounds in order to protect them from the harsh conditions of digestion and improve their bioavailability in the intestinal epithelium. Recently, the production and characterization of SLN loaded with rosmarinic acid and herbal extracts was performed for future use as functional food ingredients. On the other hand, a hot topic of the moment is the knowledge that diet components have a huge impact on gut microbiota viability and metabolic activity. Hence, this communication concerns the study of the effect of SLN and released phenolic compounds on gut microbiota. I will make an overview on the results of the fermentations in anaerobic batch cultures using volunteer human faeces during 48 h. The impact of these phenolic compounds free and encapsulated in SLN on the main gut bacterial groups population and metabolic activities will be discussed.

Anthocyanins and cellular redox signaling: Nrf2 and NF-kB as targets

Pr. Francesco Cimino from the University of Messina, Italy, will talk about Anthocyanins and cellular redox signaling: Nrf2 and NF-kB as targets at Porto Polyphenols World Congress.

According to Pr. Cimino, reactive oxygen species (ROS) serve important physiological functions in host defense, and constitute an important second messenger in cell signaling transduction, but several chronic pathological conditions are associated with a status of oxidative stress, that is an unbalance between ROS formation and antioxidant availability. Many plant antioxidants, have been shown able to prevent free radical-related diseases by counteracting cell oxidative stress. However it is now considered that the in vivo beneficial effects of these phytochemicals are unlikely to be explained just by their antioxidant capability.

To register for the conference, please find more information here: http://polyphenols-site.com/registration.

Natural and Bioinspired Polyphenols with Antioxidant Properties for Health and Food Applications

Pr. Alessandra Napolitano from University of Naples "Federico II" of Italy will present on Natural and Bioinspired Polyphenols with Antioxidant Properties for Health and Food Applications.

According to Pr. Napolitano, the search for novel antioxidants to be used to prevent/control food deterioration or as adjuvants in the treatment of oxidative stress based pathologies has recently spurred considerable interest. In this connection natural compounds and particularly polyphenols that can be easily obtained from accessible vegetable sources or even agricultural wastes are nowadays extensively investigated. The chemopreventive action exerted by polyphenols belonging to the hydroxycinnamate, catechol, catechin, and stilbene groups against the cellular damages brought about by reactive oxygen species (ROS), but also by the reactive nitrosating/nitrating species (RNS) generated in the acidic environment of the stomach from dietary and endogenous nitrite ions is largely documented.

Extracting polyphenols: trying to get the best

Professor Patrícia Valentão from Universidade do Porto, Portugal will present Extracting polyphenols: trying to get the best.

According to Pr. Valentão, nature has been a prolific source of interesting compounds for many years. Polyphenols are secondary metabolites found in both terrestrial and marine organisms. They are grouped in several classes resulting from acetate and/or shikimate pathways, being recognized for having a wide array of biological properties. Nevertheless, the exploitation of many plant materials and marine organisms as sources of these compounds is still reduced, due to the lack of popularity or commercial interest. The suitable extraction procedure depends on the class of compounds and on the matrix in which they are contained. Case studies, involving different procedures to obtain bioactive natural extracts enriched in phenolic compounds from distinct classes, will be focused. Terrestrial and marine-derived extracts, containing phlorotannins, flavonoids and cinnamoyl derivatives, and their interference in SNC and gastrointestinal disorders, skin aging and fungal infections will be presented.

For more information about the congress please visit: www.polyphenols-site.com.

Systemic absorption, metabolism, and bioavailability of dietary procyanidins in pigs

Professor Hans-Ulrich Humpf from the Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster of Germany will present Systemic absorption, metabolism, and bioavailability of dietary procyanidins in pigs.

According to Pr. Humpf, procyanidins are oligomers of catechin and epicatechin and they can be found in a large number of foods including various fruits. The daily consumption is estimated to be in the range of approximately 50 mg. Procyanidins are described to exhibit beneficial health effects, however the knowledge about their absorption and meta-bolic fate is rather limited. To study the systemic absorption and metabolism of pro-cyani¬dins a kinetic study with pigs was performed as they have a gastro-intestinal tract very similar to humans. After oral application of a procyanidin extract or a single dose of pure procyanidin B4 to pigs urine and plasma samples were collected and analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS. The results clearly indicate the absorption of low molecular weight procyanidins (dimers and trimers) in the nanomolar range and their metabolism to small phenolic degradation products during the passage of the gastro-intestinal tract.

For mor information about the congress please visit: www.polyphenols-site.com.

Neuroprotective Role of Natural Polyphenols: a Look to the Potentiality of Elderberry Extracts

Dr. Carmela Spagnuolo from the Institute of Food Sciences, National Research Council in Italy will talk about Neuroprotective Role of Natural Polyphenols: a Look to the Potentiality of Elderberry Extracts.

According to Dr. Spagnuolo, neurodegenerative diseases cause a progressive functional alteration of neuronal systems, resulting in a state of dementia which is considered one of the most common psychiatric disorders of the elderly. Polyphenols may behave as potential neuroprotective agents, since their ability to influence and modulate key cellular processes implicated in neurodegeneration. Several studies show the promising neuroprotective effects of herbal compounds (e.g., (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, resveratrol, curcumin, quercetin and others) or extracts (e.g. tea polyphenols). Berries represent a rich source of flavonoids and among them, we showed that Sambucus nigra extract possesses elevated polyphenolic content and antioxidant capacity.

For more information about this congress please visit: www.polyphenols-site.com.