The physico-chemical properties of polyphenols how do they relate to their roles in plants, foods and human health

Polyphenols are endowed with many functions in plants and are widely considered as beneficial dietary ant/oxidants. Hence, current challenges are: - to preserve them throughout industrial processes aimed at preparing polyphenol-rich foods and extracts. - to unveil the biochemical mechanisms by which polyphenols could exert their protective effects toward human health. These challenges are closely related to the two fundamental physico-chemical properties of polyphenols that are discussed in this article: - their reducing activity, which underlies their antioxidant properties and their sensitivity to oxidation. - their binding properties, in particular their affinity for metal ions and a wide range of proteins, including enzymes, transport proteins and receptors.