Structural implications of polyphenolic antioxidants

Natural polyphenols have been used in foods, cosmetics, and medicines to exploit their functional properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antidepressant, analgesic, anti-mutation, and antitumor activities. Because of their protective property against reactive oxygen species in the human body, which are associated with aging-related chronic diseases, polyphenols have been considered as useful building blocks for biomaterials development. Here, recent studies on common polyphenols are summarized and their structural implications are discussed, providing insights into their molecular structure and related properties and evaluating the effect of structural modifications such as functional rearrangements, substitution reactions, and polymeric conjugations. The fundamental understanding of the chemical structure of polyphenols could diversify the strategy for the development of biomimetic, eco-friendly, and biocompatible materials. (C) 2016 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.