Chapter 3
Armando Zarrelli and Luigi Longobardo*
University of Napoli Federico II, Chemical Sciences, Napoli, Italy
Corresponding author: E-mail: luilongo@unina.it.
Introduction
The Mediterranean diet, primarily followed by populations in southern Europe, is rich in olive oil, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, red wine, and coffee, and is strongly linked to a reduced risk of chronic disease and a significant increase in life expectancy. At the molecular level, the primary factor is its high content of phenolic compounds, including hydroxycinnamic acids and their derivatives. Hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) are a class of phenolic compounds derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway and are widely distributed in plants. They are crucial in plant defense, UV protection, and cell wall structure. Structurally, they consist of a cinnamic acid backbone (C 6–C 3) with hydroxyl and methoxy substitutions on the aromatic ring. The most common HCAs include p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid. HCAs often occur as esters (e.g., chlorogenic acids), glycosides, or amides, and their derivatives exhibit diverse biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties [1–3]. The correlation between the chemical food constituents of the Mediterranean diet and its health benefits is exemplified by the presence of oleuropein in olive oil Fig. 3.1, which has anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective effects. Whole grains contain ferulic and p-coumaric acids bound to arabinoxylan, which have antioxidant properties. Red wine contains caftaric (caffeoyl tartaric) and coutaric acids, which have a vasorelaxation and anti-aging effect.
Tomatoes contain N-coumaroyltyramineandchlorogenicacid, which have....
Studies in Natural Products Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-49148-1.00012-3
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