Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Oct 28;13(11):1312.
doi: 10.3390/antiox13111312.

Wine Phenolic Compounds: Chemistry, Functionality and Health Benefits

Youssef El Rayess  1 , Nancy Nehme  2 , Samar Azzi-Achkouty  1 , Sofi G Julien  3
Affiliations
Review

Wine Phenolic Compounds: Chemistry, Functionality and Health Benefits

Youssef El Rayess et al. Antioxidants (Basel). .

Abstract

Wine phenolic compounds, often known as polyphenols, are a diverse group of secondary bioactive compounds derived from grapes. They play a crucial role in defining the sensory characteristics, functionality, and health benefits of wine. This review explores the complex chemistry of these compounds, focusing on key classes such as flavonoids, which include flavanones, flavonols, anthocyanins, and flavan-3-ols, and non-flavonoids, such as hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids, and stilbenes. The health benefits of wine phenolics, particularly their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, are also discussed in relation to preventing and reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and neurodegenerative conditions. Furthermore, this review summarized the most current data from human population-based research that investigated the bioactivity of these red wine phytochemicals with relevant health benefits for NCDs. Finally, this review proposes some perspectives for future research to better understand the bioavailability, metabolism, and long-term health effects of these compounds.

Keywords: antioxidant; bioactivity; flavonoids; human health; in vitro studies; in vivo studies; non-communicable diseases; wine polyphenols.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Basic chemical structure of the subfamily of flavonoids. R1, R2 and R3 represent the substituents on the different wine phenolic flavonoid compounds: Flavonols (A); Flavones, Flavanones and Flavanonols (B); Anthocyanins (C) and Flavan-3-ols (D). Flavanones. General structure of flavnoids consist of benzene rings A and B linked by a heterocyclic pyrane ring.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Basic chemical structure of the subfamily of non-flavonoids. R1, R2, R3 and R4 represent the substituents on the different subfamily non-flavonoid compounds: Hydroxybenzoic acid (A); Hydroxycinnamic acid (B) and Stilbene (C).
Figure 3
Figure 3
The pH-dependent equilibrium of anthocyanin structures that are present in wines.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cycloaddition reactions of free anthocyanins in red wines.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The antioxidant mechanisms of wine phenolic compounds. MAPK = mitogen-activated protein kinase; ERK = extracellular signal-regulated kinase; NF-κB = nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells; Nrf2 is a master regulator of the antioxidant response.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Schematic representation of the variety of biological activities of wine phenolic compounds and their potential effects on cardiovascular diseases. HDL: high-density lipoprotein, LDL: low-density lipoprotein, NF-κB: nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Anticancer mechanisms of wine phenolic compounds during tumor development.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ngowi J.E., Munishi C., Ndumwa H.P., Njiro B.J., Amani D.E., Mboya E.A., Mloka D., Kikula A.I., Balandya E., Ruggajo P., et al. Efforts to Address the Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases Need Local Evidence and Shared Lessons from High-Burden Countries. Ann. Glob. Health. 2023;89:78. doi: 10.5334/aogh.4118. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sharifi-Rad M., Anil Kumar N.V., Zucca P., Varoni E.M., Dini L., Panzarini E., Rajkovic J., Tsouh Fokou P.V., Azzini E., Peluso I., et al. Lifestyle, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Pathophysiology of Chronic Diseases. Front. Physiol. 2020;11:694. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00694. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zujko M.E., Witkowska A.M. Dietary Antioxidants and Chronic Diseases. Antioxidants. 2023;12:362. doi: 10.3390/antiox12020362. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Costa M., Freiría-Gándara J., Losada-Barreiro S., Paiva-Martins F., Aliaga C., Bravo-Díaz C. Interfacial Kinetics in Olive Oil-in-Water Nanoemulsions: Relationships between Rates of Initiation of Lipid Peroxidation, Induction Times and Effective Interfacial Antioxidant Concentrations. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2021;604:248–259. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.06.101. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Salehi B., Azzini E., Zucca P., Maria Varoni E., Anil Kumar N., Dini L., Panzarini E., Rajkovic J., Tsouh Fokou P.V., Peluso I., et al. Plant-Derived Bioactives and Oxidative Stress-Related Disorders: A Key Trend towards Healthy Aging and Longevity Promotion. Appl. Sci. 2020;10:947. doi: 10.3390/app10030947. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources