Journal of Food and Nutrition Research, 2018, Vol. 6, No. 3, 176-181 Available online at http://pubs.sciepub.com/jfnr/6/3/6 ©Science and Education Publishing DOI:10.12691/jfnr-6-3-6 Polyphenols and Flavonoids in Colombian Fruit and Vegetables - Applications and Benefits: A Review Juan Carlos Carmona-Hernandez 1,2,* , Laura Mariana Ceballos-López 2 , Clara Helena González-Correa 3 1 Grupo de Investigación Médica, Universidad de Manizales, Manizales (Caldas) Colombia 2 Grupo de Investigación Bioimpedancia Eléctrica, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales (Caldas) Colombia 3 Grupo de investigación en Nutrición, Metabolismo y Seguridad Alimentaria, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales (Caldas) Colombia *Corresponding author: jucaca@umanizales.edu.co Abstract Fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutritional and therapeutic compounds. Polyphenols and flavonoids are plant secondary metabolites with several biological functions and multiple benefits for humans. Their general chemical characteristics, such as their structures and functional groups, are key to explain their variability and functionality. This review covers 21 Colombian fruits and vegetables containing different amount of polyphenols and flavonoids. They have several applications and offer various benefits, such as antioxidant, bactericidal, and anti-inflammatory activities. Nutritional contributions and therapeutic applications of polyphenols and flavonoids have been reported in multiple studies, and these phytochemicals can be incorporated into dietary products. It is feasible that further beneficial effects of these natural compounds may be discovered in fruits and vegetables found in several regions of Colombia. Keywords: chemical characteristics, biological action, nutritional benefits Cite This Article: Juan Carlos Carmona-Hernandez, Laura Mariana Ceballos-López, and Clara Helena González-Correa, “Polyphenols and Flavonoids in Colombian Fruit and Vegetables - Applications and Benefits: A Review.” Journal of Food and Nutrition Research, vol. 6, no. 3 (2018): 176-181. doi: 10.12691/jfnr-6-3-6. 1. Introduction Flavonoids are the most numerous types of polyphenolic phytochemicals. They are found in different parts of the plant and display different biological functions, as well as contributing to the colour of the plant [1]. Polyphenol molecules comprise several classes, and flavonoids are the most studied. The subgroups of flavonoids include stilbenes for example resveratrol, anthocyanins such as apigeninidin, and phenolic acids like caffeic acid. Polyphenols and flavonoids have different biochemical actions [2]. Flavonoids are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and fat reducing agents [3,4]. Although these phytochemicals have multiple health benefits, their mechanisms of action are not completely clear, mainly due to their structural variability [5]. Health effects of polyphenols have attracted the attention of nutritionists and health professionals. In 1995, it was rare to see the term “flavonoids” in non-specialist books [5]. The first International Conference on Polyphenols and Health took place late in 2004, with the participation of researchers from more than 30 countries. It focused on advances in the understanding of polyphenol intake, and its effects on disease and health [5]. This review aims to survey polyphenols and flavonoids in Tropical and Amazonian dietary products found in Colombia. One fruitful research direction is the comparison of polyphenols and flavonoids in well-studied dietary products such as strawberries, red wine, nuts, grapes, olive oil, and apples. 1.1. General Aspects Polyphenols are a heterogeneous group of molecules that share structural characteristics — they all have substituted benzene groups with hydroxyl and other functional groups. Flavonoids are the best defined polyphenolic subgroup found in human diet [1]. Flavonoids are aromatic heterocyclic compounds containing oxygen pigments and are widely distributed in plants. Flavonoids are constituents of most yellow, red and blue colours in plants and fruits [6]. Their structures comprise two phenyl groups labelled as A and B, joined by a pyran group represented by the letter C. This cyclic structure forms a diphenylpyrane core expressed as C6-C3-C6 that is common to most flavonoids [1]. Figure 1 shows a general representation of a polyphenol with its functional groups. Figure 1. General chemical representation of a polyphenol Oxygen functional groups provide polarity to aromatic rings, the water solubility increasing as the number of