The Role of Phenolic Compounds in Plants and Foods

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27 Jan 2024

PHENOLİC COMPOUNDS -2

Flavonoids and long-chain phenolic acids absorb visible photons and form chromophores. These chromophores enable the formation of honey's colors from yellow to reddish brown. As can be seen, phenolic compounds are also seen as compounds that add value to plants and foods in terms of their physical appearance.

Phenolic acids constitute an important part of the phenolic components that can be found in foods and herbal products. They are also called secondary metabolites that are necessary for plants to maintain their vital functions. These phenolic acids and compounds have antioxidant properties that inhibit lipid oxidation and additionally serve as molecules that destroy free radicals. When classified according to structure, it is seen that they are hydroxy cinnamic acid and hydroxy benzoic acid.
The compound derived from hydroxy benzoic acid contains vanillic, gallic, salicylic, 2-hydroxy benzoate and ellagic acids. These substances can be preserved in the environment where they are dissolved, in living and non-living environments, and can be found together with the cells to which lignin is linked, as well as in combination with sugar or organic acids. Flavonoids constitute the majority of these phenolic substances and are found in certain parts of trees and plants. These substances in plants and trees undertake the task of protecting these creatures against radiation, herbivores, and attacks by pathogens. Plants and trees can contain a large number of various polyphenolic derivatives with their high structural diversity and complexity. When honey bees collect nectar, they ensure that these bioactive substances pass from plants and trees to the bees and therefore to honey.
The antioxidant capacities of flavonoids may vary depending on various criteria. These criteria depend on the position and number of hydroxyl groups in the content and the glycolysis reactions of flavonoid molecules. While the presence of basic hydroxyl groups in flavonoid rings increases the oxidation inhibitory capacity, glycolysis of flavonoids reduces this property.

Flavonoids are broadly planar molecules and the diversity of their structures varies according to certain rules. These rules are inspired by various substitution designs. Depending on the positions of the C and B domains, these chemicals are divided into specific clusters. These naturally occurring substances can be divided into six groups according to their chemical properties. Flavones are the basis and center in these distributions.

The majority of scientists have studied the phenolic compounds in honey and have created maps and profiles of the phenolic compounds in honey. According to these studies, phenolic compounds; vanillic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, galangin, hesperetin, kaemferol, chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid, chrysin, caffeic acid, β-coumaric acid, quercetin, myricetin, ellagic acid, 4-hydroxy benzoic acid, gallic acid and benzoic acid in honey. are some examples of phenolic compounds found in The main functional group of honey is flavonoids and they play an important role in providing a large part of the total antioxidant activity in honey.

A lot of research has been done to determine the vegetal sources of honey by using the maps of phenolic compounds of honey. It has been determined that lavender, acacia, chestnut and sunflower honeys contain the majority of hydroxycinnamate, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and caffeic acids. It has been determined that quercetin is the determining factor for sunflower honeys and rosmarinic acid is the determining factor for thyme honeys.

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