BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF NATURAL PROANTHOCYANIDIN MIXTURES

描述（申请人摘要）： 多酚化合物越来越受到科学界的重视， 社区，基于癌症预防证据的积累， 这些植物化学物质的抗炎、心脏保护和其他作用 从茶、红酒和水果中提取原花青素直到最近 在化学预防中发挥了重要作用。但是，结构性 单个分子的复杂性，化合物的不稳定性， 它们所处的混合物的复杂性严重限制了对这一问题的研究。 一组物质。由于这些生物活性化合物存在于许多 功能性食品和营养分离物，测量特定的 原花色素实体具有高优先级。天然产物的混合物 通常具有与单个分离化合物不同的性质。的 原花色素和 食品和膳食补充剂中的其他植物化学物质仍然具有挑战性， 难以捉摸的研究问题。新的方法来提取，分馏， 原花青素的色谱分离、纯化及性质研究 单体和低聚物现在允许评价化学 鉴定的实体，并与其他植物天然成分重组， 研究相互作用对生物活性的作用。三个实验室 参与这个项目的人在植物化学，体外 技术和生物活性评估，以解决关键问题 关于原花青素的存在，它们与每个 其他和其他植物化学物质，以及它们在复杂混合物中的作用，因为它们 发生在自然界。在这次调查中获得的知识将确定标准 在治疗方案中使用天然混合物，确定最佳方法， 储存和处理材料，并为育种进展铺平道路， 澄清混合物成分的身份，以实现最大效益， 消费者。

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Abstract): The health-protective properties of polyphenolic compounds have been increasingly appreciated by the scientific community, based on the accumulation of evidence for cancer-preventative, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and other roles of these phytochemicals from teas, red wines and fruits. Proanthocyanidins have only recently demonstrated important roles in chemoprevention. However, the structural intricacy of individual molecules, the labile nature of compounds, and the complexity of mixtures in which they occur have severely limited study of this group of substances. Because these bioactive compounds are present in many functional foods and nutraceutical isolates, gauging the potency of specific proanthocyanidin entities is of high priority. Mixtures of natural products often have different properties than individual isolated compounds. The physiological and pharmacological roles of mixtures of proanthocyanidins and other phytochemicals in foods and dietary supplements remain challenging and elusive research problems. Novel approaches to the extraction, fractionation, chromatographic separation, isolation and characterization of proanthocyanidin monomers and oligomers now permit evaluation of bioactivity of chemically identified entities, and recombination with other plant natural components to study the role of interactions on biological activity. The three laboratories involved in this project have unique skills in phytochemistry, in vitro technology, and bioactivity assessment that permit resolution of key questions concerning the presence of proanthocyanidins, their interactions with each other and other phytochomicals, and their roles in complex mixtures, as they occur in nature. Knowledge gained in this investigation will define standards for using natural mixtures in therapeutic regimes, identify optimal methods for storage and handling the materials, and pave the way for breeding advances by clarifying the identity of the mixture components needed for maximum benefit of the consumer.