New ingredients, sources and benefits set for Malta polyphenols focus

Dr Marvin Edeas, president of the French Society for Antioxidants, told NutraIngredients.com: "During the conference we will discuss about the latest clinical data and highlight the bioavailability of various forms polyphenols.​

"Many new ingredients will be on focus: chlorogenic acid, green tea extracts, rosemary extracts, polyphenols from Okinawa (Japan), olive extracts, and so on."​

In addition to these new ingredients and the more established polyphenols-rich sources, such as grapes, cherries, berries, apples, and citrus fruit, the conference will also give exposure to more exotic sources, like Byrsonima crassifolia​ (Malpighiaceae), a tropical tree largely distributed in tropical America, Inga edulis​ and Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia​), a native plant and fruit from the Amazonian Region, respectively, and Mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum​), an edible tuber cultivated for centuries in the Andean highlands.

Dr. Edeas said that the conference will not only update information on the beneficial health effects of polyphenols but also how these wide range of compounds can also play a preventive role for the main chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, cancer, and all inflammatory diseases. In the context where all specialists agree that a high consumption of polyphenols can decrease and prevent all these diseases.

The conference is divided into six sessions over two days. The first session will focus on highlighting the latest advances in polyphenols, including a presentation by Professor Fulvio Ursini from the University of Padova giving insights of polyphenols for nutraceutical and cosmetic function.

The second session will see researchers from France, the UK and the US delve into the beneficial effects of polyphenols on cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, menopause, and brain ageing, with overviews, mechanistic proposals and future potential uses being discussed.

Session three, which closes the first day of the conference, is dedicated to applications of polyphenols in the cosmetics industry, including the presentation, "Polyphenols, skin ageing and cosmetics: Dream or Reality?"​ by Mr Patrice Andre from Parfums Christian Dior.

The second day kicks off with a look at the application of polyphenols in the food industry with, for example, Dr. Veronique Cheynier from INRA, Montpellier discussing the impacts of polyphenol interactions with other molecules in food.

This is followed by a look at the role of polyphenols in the conservation of seafood, meat, dairy and berry products, with presentations from Dr. Carmen Gomez-Guillen from Spain's Instituto del Frio, and Professor Marina Heinonen from the University of Helsinki.

The final session concerns antioxidant-rich beverages, and looks at the innovation and trends. The end of the meeting sees the focus go east with Dr. Mizuho Nasu from the Japanese Society of Antioxidants looking into the use of polyphenols in Japanese food, drinks and cosmetics products.

The 1st International Symposium on Natural Antioxidants and Polyphenols: Valorisation from Fruit and Vegetables Waste​ will run in parallel to the conference's second day. In Europe alone agro-industrial wastes are estimated to exceed 250 million tons every year, much of this could be tapped as an inexpensive source of polyphenols.

The sources that are receiving the most attention to date include olive mill waste, waste from the wine making process, and from fruit and vegetable processing.

The symposium will explore the environmental and economic issues of using waste, as well as current and emergent methods of extracting these natural antioxidants.

The 3rd International Conference on Polyphenols in Nutrition and Health will be held in Malta, October 26-27, and the 1st International Symposium on Natural Antioxidants and Polyphenols will be held on the 27th.

More information can be found here​.