What is the role of phenolic compounds in plants?

Plant phenolic compounds can act as antioxidants, structural polymers (lignin), attractants (flavonoids and carotenoids), UV screens (flavonoids), signal compounds (salicylic acid and flavonoids) and defense response chemicals (tannins and phytoalexins).

What plants have phenolic compounds?

Cocoa, potato, yam, tomato, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and others dark green leafy and brightly-colored vegetables as well as legumes and cereals, in addition to spices and fruits such as cherries and citrus, are particularly rich in phenolic compounds.

What are examples of useful phenolic compounds?

Classification of Phenolic Compounds

Polyphenolic Compounds Example
Phenolic acids Hydroxycinnamic acids Caffeic acid Chlorogenic acid Ferulic acid Sinapic acid Caftaric acids Neochlorogenic acid p-Coumaric acid
Hydroxybenzoic acids Ellagic acid Gallic acid
Flavonoids Flavonols Myricetin Quercetin Kaempferol Isorhamnetin

What is a phenolic group?

Phenols are a group of aromatic carbon compounds derived from alcohol. They are aryl alcohols. Essentially, the phenol group is a hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom in a benzene ring. Phenols occur in nature, plants, and animals.

What are advantages of phenol?

Antioxidants. Plant-based compounds containing phenol are known to be antioxidants. This means that they can stop the reaction of free radicals with other molecules in your body, preventing damage to your DNA as well as long-term health effects. Free radicals are molecules that have lost an electron and become unstable …

What do phenolic compounds prevent?

Plant phenolic compounds are widely known for their antioxidant properties. As already mentioned, the aromatic structure of polyphenols is the significant feature in oxidative stress, namely in preventing the formation and scavenging of reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS).

How many phenolic compounds are there?

More than 8000 phenolic compounds as naturally occurring substances from plants have been reported [1,2]. It is very interesting to note that half of these phenolic compounds are flavonoids presenting as aglycone, glycosides and methylated derivatives [1,2].

What are phenols in pharmacognosy?

Phenols are the cyclic compounds containing the aromatic ring with the phenyl hydroxyl or its substituted radicals (acid, aldehyde, etc.). From: Comprehensive and Molecular Phytopathology, 2007.

How can phenolic compounds be classified?

Phenolic compounds can generally be classified into simple and polyphenolic compounds [9, 10, 11, 12].

What is the disadvantage of phenolics?

DISADVANTAGES:  When used in its pure form, phenol is harmful to tissues  It also has a disagreeable odour.

What is the mechanism of action of phenol compounds on microbial growth?

The mechanisms of action of phenolic compounds on bacterial cell have been partially attributed to damage to the bacterial membrane, inhibition of virulence factors such as enzymes and toxins, and suppression of bacterial biofilm formation.

Why are phenolic compounds good antioxidants?

The antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds is mainly due to their redox properties, which can play an important role in adsorbing and neutralizing free radicals, quenching singlet and triplet oxygen, or decomposing peroxides ( 2).