I am new to phytochemistry. I need to know what the human uses of Flavanoid and phenols are. I have tested a herbal sample, which contain more Flavanoids and less Phenols (they give Results in MU GRAM)?
Do Phenols have cancer inducing properties?
I suppose you are talking about "flavonoids" instead of "flavanoids", aren't you? "Flavanoids", also known as "flavan-3-ols" or "catechins", is the name of one restrict sub-class of flavonoids which represents non-ketone polyhydroxy polyphenol compounds, whereas "Flavonoids" is a class of secondary metabolites that could be defined as having all polyhydroxy polyphenol compounds. Formerly, flavonoids were assumed to be "Vitamin P" compounds due to the effect they had on the permeability of vascular capillaries, but the use of this term has been discontinued. Flavonoids has been some biological activities important to human healthy, such as antioxidant and anticancer properties, among others. I think you will find more detailed information on this theme and interesting references at the website of wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavonoid.
Phenolics are very useful for human being because they have very good biological activities viz. antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic activity etc. These secondary metabolites can useful in preparation of drugs, nutraceutical capsules etc.
Yes many of the flavonoids are toxic also. Many of can induce cancer that is why you can not generalize that all the flavanoids are effective against cancer. its matter of study for each and every molecule. but ya most of the flava molecules are effective against vast variety of activities.
Secondary metabolites are defensive systems of plants. Generally medicinal values have been attributed to phenolics and flavonoids. They will be having very good antioxidant activity. Thus it will be having beneficial therapeutic effects. So, you are lucky enough, you got rich flavonoid contents in your plant extract.
Good luck
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