Olive oil's polyphenolic metabolites - from their influence on human health to their chemical synthesis

Abstract: English version of abstract A growing number of scientific researches have been demonstrating that olive oil operates a crucial role on the prevention of cardiovascular and tumoral diseases, being related with low mortality and morbidity in populations that tend to follow a Mediterranean diet. Amongst its minor components, polyphenols have been subject to several clinical trials that have established health benefits associated to their antioxidant, antitumoral and anti-atherosclerotic activity. However the biological activity of polyphenols is dependent not only of their absorption but also of their metabolization. Bioavailability studies have demonstrated that after olive oil intake, not only hydroxytyrosol but also its metabolites can be found in plasma, such as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillyl alcohol and its glucoronides. ----- Portuguese version of abstract Um numero crescente de pesquisas cientificas demonstram que o azeite opera um papel crucial na preven\c{c}ao de doen\c{c}as cardiovasculares e doen\c{c}as tumorais, estando relacionado com a baixa mortalidade e morbilidade em popula\c{c}oes que tradicionalmente seguem uma dieta Mediterranica. De entre os seus componentes minorit\'arios, os polifenois t^em vindo a ser alvo de estudos clinicos que demonstraram o seu benef\'icio para a saude pela atividade antioxidante, anti-tumoral e anti-aterosclerotica que possuem. No entanto a atividade biol\'ogica destes polifenois \'e dependente nao s\'o da sua absor\c{c}ao como poder\'a tambem depender da sua metaboliza\c{c}ao. Estudos de biodisponibilidade demonstraram que ap\'os o consumo de azeite encontram-se no plasma nao s\'o hidroxitirosol, mas igualmente os seus metabolitos, tais como o \'acido 3,4-dihidroxifenilacetico, o 3,4-dihidroxifenilacetaldeido, o \'alcool homovanilico e os respectivos glucoronideos.