Krzysztof Dwiecki, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Food Biochemistry and Analysis at the Poznań University of Life Sciences (Poznań, Poland). His research focuses on food analysis, with particular emphasis on the interactions of phenolic compounds with food constituents and structural assemblies. The studies are aimed at elucidating the relationships between these phenomena and the processes occurring in foods, particularly lipid autoxidation, and at developing novel analytical methods that exploit these interactions for analytical purposes. His most recent research projects investigate the role of association colloids in modulating the antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds in vegetable oils, with particular emphasis on olive-derived lipophenols. These studies are carried out in collaboration with the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), UMR QualiSud (Montpellier, France), and with the University of Calabria (Rende, Italy), the latter collaboration being conducted within the framework of the Polish-Italian research project funded by the NAWA Canaletto 2024 programme.
Summary
Matrix Matters: Polyphenol Interactions with Food Components and Structures and Their Consequences
Polyphenols are ubiquitous compounds that belong to the group of secondary plant metabolites. Owing to their antioxidant properties, they can inhibit lipid oxidation in food, thereby preventing undesirable processes such as rancidity, loss of nutritional value, and the formation of compounds potentially harmful to human health. In the human body, polyphenols help reduce oxidative stress, which may play a key role in the development of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, as well as cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders and many other pathological conditions.
Although the properties of polyphenols have been extensively studied, their interactions with other food constituents can significantly modify their behavior. In particular, such interactions may affect their antioxidant activity and mechanisms of action, as well as their solubility, bioavailability, and susceptibility to oxidation and other physicochemical transformations. Simultaneously, phenolic compounds can affect the physicochemical and functional properties of food components (e.g. proteins) and may alter the structure of complex food matrices.
This presentation will discuss the interactions of polyphenols with selected food structures, including association colloids (reverse micelles, liposomes), as well as specific types of molecules (proteins, cyclodextrins), and the consequences of these interactions. Potential applications of observed phenomena in food technology and food analysis will also be presented. Furthermore, analytical techniques employed to investigate occurring interactions will be addressed.