Exploration of Polyphenols Extracted from <i>Cytisus</i> Plants and Their Potential Applications: A Review

oleh: Diana Ferreira-Sousa, Zlatina Genisheva, María Jesús Rodríguez-Yoldi, Beatriz Gullón, Carlos E. Costa, José A. Teixeira, Cláudia M. Botelho, Pedro Ferreira-Santos

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-02-01

Deskripsi

The increasing world population means an increased demand for sustainable processes and products related to foods, particularly those with added health benefits. Plants can be an alternative source of nutritional and biofunctional ingredients. <i>Cytisus</i> plants are an underexploited bioresource, currently prevalent in the Mediterranean Basin and western Asia. This manuscript addresses the processing potential of <i>Cytisus</i> plants for the development of added-value products, including food formulations, food packaging, cosmetics, and therapeutic applications. Most research has reported that <i>Cytisus</i> spp. are a promising source of inexpensive bioactive polyphenol compounds. <i>Cytisus</i> flowers should be considered and exploited as raw materials for the development of new food ingredients (antioxidants, preservatives, additives, etc.), nutraceuticals, or even direct therapeutic agents (anticancer, antibacterial, etc.). In order to evaluate the socioeconomic effect of these underutilized plants, more research is needed to assess their valorization for therapeutic and dietary possibilities, as well as the economic impact.