Biotechnological Applications and Health-Promoting Properties of Flavonols: An Updated View

Abstract

Flavonols are a subclass of natural flavonoids characterized by a remarkable number of biotechnological applications and health-promoting properties. They attract researchers’ attention due to many epidemiological studies supporting their usage. They are phytochemicals commonly present in our diet, being ubiquitous in the plant kingdom and, in particular, relatively very abundant in fruits and vegetables. All these aspects make flavonols candidates of choice for the valorization of products, based on the presence of a remarkable number of different chemical structures, each one characterized by specific chemical features capable of influencing biological targets inside the living organisms in very different manners. In this review, we analyzed the biochemical and physiological characteristics of flavonols focalizing our attention on the most promising compounds to shed some light on their increasing utilization in biotechnological applications in processing industries, as well as their suitable employment to improve the overall wellness of the humankind.

Naturally Occurring Functional Ingredient from Filamentous Thermophilic Cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. KC45: Phytochemical Characterizations and Their Multiple Bioactivities

“…Table 3 shows the comparison of identified compounds with previous studies [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 ,…”

Implication of COVID-19 on Erythrocytes Functionality: Red Blood Cell Biochemical Implications and Morpho-Functional Aspects

“…In particular, the nanoencapsulation of some polyphenols, including caffeine, quercetin and cocoa flavanols, could provide new ideas to deal with the pandemic [120]. In fact, some flavanols are particularly efficient in counteracting ROS due to the presence of two OH groups on the B ring in catechol-type arrangement, supported also by the presence of a hydroxyl group in the 3-position and a double bond between atom carbon C-2 and C-3 of ring C that play a fundamental role in ROS scavenging [121]. Resveratrol, present in red wine and grapes, has been shown to have antioxidant properties and protective activity from Hb oxidation [122,123].…”

Secondary Metabolites with Biomedical Applications from Plants of the Sarraceniaceae Family

“…Delphinidin acts directly on viral particles of the hepatitis C virus and impairs their attachment to the cell surface [ 81 ]. It was also found to be effective against certain strains of the Zika virus [ 82 ] and to cure Staphylococcus aureus infection [ 83 ].…”