title: Health benefits of walnut polyphenols: An exploration beyond their lipid profile.
abstract: Walnuts are commonly found in our diet and have been recognized for their nutritious properties for a long time. Traditionally, walnuts have been known for their lipid profile, which has been linked to a wide array of biological properties and health-promoting effects. In addition to essential fatty acids, walnuts contain a variety of other bioactive compounds, such as vitamin E and polyphenols. Among common foods and beverages, walnuts represent one of the most important sources of polyphenols, hence their effect over human health warrants attention. The main polyphenol in walnuts is pedunculagin, an ellagitannin. After consumption, ellagitannins are hydrolyzed to release ellagic acid, which is converted by gut microflora to urolithin A and other derivatives such as urolithins B, C, and D. Ellagitannins possess well known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivity, and several studies have assessed the potential role of ellagitannins against disease initiation and progression, including cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of this review is to summarize current available information relating to the potential effect of walnut polyphenols in health maintenance and disease prevention.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Gastronomy , Facultad de Farmacia y Ciencias de la Alimentación, Universidad de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sánchez-González
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biochemistry Physiology, Facultad de Farmacia y Ciencias de la Alimentación , Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ciudad
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biochemistry Physiology, Facultad de Farmacia y Ciencias de la Alimentación , Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Noé
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Gastronomy , Facultad de Farmacia y Ciencias de la Alimentación, Universidad de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izquierdo-Pulido
mesh_terms: D004610:Ellagic Acid; D006801:Humans; D031324:Juglans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D009754:Nuts / Q000737:chemistry; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D059808:Polyphenols; D004610:Ellagic Acid
keywords: Walnuts; disease prevention; ellagitannins; health; polyphenols