Third International Conference on Polyphenols On October 26-27 at the Radisson SAS, St. Julian’s, the Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Malta, and the French Antioxidant Society jointly hosted the ‘3 rd International Conference on Polyphenols Applications in Nutrition and Health’. Polyphenols are natural substances that are ubiquitously found in fruits and vegetables as well as in olive oil, tea, and red wine. Polyphenols have recently captured major public interest because they have been linked to a reduced risk of several age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, and osteoporosis. More than 150 attendees from 21 countries participated in the event; around half were university academics, medical doctors and students, while the remainder came from the R&D sections of companies working in the fields of nutraingredients and pharmaceutics. Thus, for the first time, an international event brought together people working in industry with world specialists in order to discuss and exchange about the latest advances in the use of polyphenols in the prevention of the main chronic human diseases. Local members of the organizing committee included Prof. Joseph V. Bannister, Head of the Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, and Dr Neville Vassallo, Lecturer within the same Department.

In his opening address, Prof. Bannister recalled the conference on superoxide dismutase and oxidative stress held in Malta 28 years ago, and welcomed the participation of Prof. Fulvio Ursini ( University of Padova) who had also been present at that conference. After tracing the evolution of the field of antioxidants over the past decades, he emphasized that future studies on polyphenols should investigate their biological effects in an in vivo environment. The sessions that followed focused on polyphenols biochemistry and their application fields. For instance, Dr Ramaroson Andriantsitohaina (University of Medicine, Angers) presented impressive data showing significant therapeutic benefit on reducing blood pressure and end-organ damage in hypertensive animals using Provinol Ô, a red wine extract. In a lively lecture, Dr James Joseph (Boston University, USA) described his studies on the beneficial effects of blueberry supplementation on the brain: mice receiving the supplement were protected against Alzheimer’s disease and performed better in tasks related to learning and memory. It also appears that one of the most striking effects of blueberry supplementation may involve increases in neurogenesis in the adult brain. There were several talks related to polyphenols and cancer; among these, Dr Sandra Ulrich (Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt) demonstrated that the naturally occurring polyphenol resveratrol inhibited growth of colon carcinoma cells by the induction of de novo ceramide biosynthesis. From the Far East, Dr Mizuho Nasu (Ninapharm, Japan) explained the latest trends and consumption of polyphenols in Japanese culture, mentioning as an example uses of Okinawa polyphenols – Okinawa being an island south of mainland Japan which has the highest percentage of centenarians in the world. Also from Japan, Dr Akiro Chikama (KAO Corporation, Tokyo) presented data from double-blind controlled clinical trials showing that daily ingestion of tea catechins reduced body fat (including BMI and waist circumference) and might decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome leading to various life-style diseases.

Ultimately, a consensus emerged that there is great hope that regular intake of dietary polyphenols may play an important role in the prevention and/or delay of age-related decline in body tissues, thus leading not only to increased longevity but, importantly, a better quality of life. On a final note, the success of this conference was readily apparent by the fact that talk already surfaced of another such event being hosted in Malta next year…