Phenolipids as New Antioxidants: Production, Activity, and Potential Applications

Phenolics are secondary metabolites widely found in plants; they have several biological roles and they contribute to the defense system of the host. Among them, the phenolic acid family is one of the most important classes and is mainly composed of the cinnamic and benzoic acid derivatives. The interest in these compounds from a nutritional point of view has risen due to their potential properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti carcinogenic. As phenolic acids have a rather low solubility in oils, improvement of hydrophopicity of these compounds by chemical or enzymatic lipophilization has been applied extensively to render these functionalized compounds, so-called phenolipids, active in the oil-water interphase. This chapter focuses on the synthesis of phenolipids derived from phenolic acids, their physicochemical and biological activity, and their potential applications. It also discusses the production technology of phenolipids. One of the most reliable methods to improve antioxidant activity of phenolics is to incorporate properly positioned lipophilic groups to obtain phenolipids. Phenolipids show greater miscibility and incorporation into lipid phases and lipocarriers, offering an advantage for their use in drug delivery systems, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, foods, and cosmetic formulations.