Talk:Polyphenol

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[edit] toxic?

If the Wikipedia entry for Phenol shows it to be rather toxic, why are Polyphenols so beneficial?

Well, in terms of organic chemistry, just because a certain substance may be toxic to humans, it doesn't necessarily mean that other substances that maybe incorporate it as one of their components will likewise have a similar toxicity. To use benzene as an example, benzene on it's own is a powerful toxin, but when it is found as part of some other synthesized molecules, such as phenylalanine, a component of the sweetener aspartame, it is not inherently toxic. Sorry about the vagueness of my response, but I am not an organic chemist by training, and as a result, am not able to conclusively answer your question. =P wongabird 23:23, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] polymer?

Polyphenols are not polymers. Why is it listed as polymer-related, and how do you get rid of it? --137.132.3.12 19:30, 13 April 2006 (UTC)

As the "poly" in "polyphenols" suggests, polyphenols typically occur as polymers of multiple modified or unmodified phenol monomers, although chemical moieties other than phenol can also contribute to their polymeric nature. Yet not all phytochemicals referred to as polyphenols by scientists strictly qualify as "large" molecules, or macromolecules, as in the case of the polymers, proteins and DNA, though some do (see: tannins). Indeed, some phytochemicals referred to as polyphenols consist of a single phenolic group with only a few carbons as side-chain (e.g., cinnamic acid, caffeic acid) (see: Croft, KD. The Chemistry and Biological Effects of Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids. Ann NY Acad Sci 1998;854:435-42). In summary, some so-called polyphenols qualify as polymers, others as oligomers--"small" polymers--while others, as relatively simple molecules, hardly qualify even as oligomers. --TonySebas 00:41, 23 June 2006 (UTC)