Phenolic compounds : types, effects, and research

Phenolic compounds are a large family of metabolites that result from the secondary metabolism of plants. Novel insights about phenolic chemical structure, analytical methods, therapeutic effects, sensory properties, viticultural practices to modify their content and the use of these compounds found in agro-industrial wastes have been gathered in this book. A comprehensive overview on phenolic compounds and neurodegenerative disorders, highlighting their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties and their effects on Parkinson’s disease have been compiled. In relation to antioxidant properties, the metabolism and bioavailability of several hydroxycinnamic acids present in coffee have been studied in detail, and also the methods to determine antioxidant capacity have been included. Different strategies in order to improve the extraction and determination of phenolic compounds in a complex matrix by analytical techniques are provided, reporting problems and new analytical solutions. The