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Sweet Cherry Phenolic Compounds: Identification, Characterization, and Health Benefits

2018; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/b978-0-444-64179-3.00002-5

2542-6621

Ana C. Gonçalves, Catarina Bento, Fábio Nascimento de Jesus, Gilberto Alves, Luís R. Silva,

Free Radicals and Antioxidants

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) are good sources of phenolic compounds, the consumption of which is widely associated with a lower incidence of degenerative diseases. Sweet cherries are particularly rich in phenolic acids and flavonoids (mainly anthocyanins), both known for their strong antioxidant activity, and these compounds are considered by many researchers as being primarily responsible for the potential health benefits of cherry intake. Considering the importance of phenolic compounds present in cherries, high-performance analytical methods have been developed to characterize their phenolic profile, being frequently coupled with diode array or mass detectors. Many studies support that the consumption of phenolics by diet can potentially reduce the risk of health problems such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, and Alzheimer's disease. This chapter aims to present an overview about the phenolic composition of sweet cherries and the methods used for the identification and quantification of such compounds, as well as report the beneficial health properties, especially those related to their antioxidant activity.