Editorial

Received: 26 June 2013, Accepted: 26 June 2013 Published online in Wiley Online Library

(wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI 10.1002/pca.2469

Guest Editorial – XXVIth InternationalConference on Polyphenols (ICP 2012)

Florence, one of the most beautiful cities in Italy and consideredthe birthplace of the Renaissance, held the XXVIth InternationalConference on Polyphenols (ICP) from 22 to 26 July 2012. Itwas organised under the auspices of the ‘Groupe Polyphénols’(GP), an international association founded in France in 1972 withthe aim of promoting research on plant polyphenols. The ICPtakes place every 2 years, and since its first appearance in 1970in Narbonne (France) the number of participants has increasedsignificantly. During the past four decades, this meeting hadtaken place in many European countries, and even in Africaand North America. Nowadays, the ICP is recognised as ascientific meeting with a high-quality standard, where the mostpre-eminent groups on polyphenol research and scientists fromall over the world participate and present their recent resultsfrom scientific activities involving polyphenolic compounds.

During this conference in Florence, the ‘Groupe Polyphénols’(GP) awarded the first GP Ragaï Ibrahim Prize to Dr JoanaOliveira from the University of Porto (Portugal). This prize wascreated thanks to a generous donation by Dr Ragaï Ibrahim,Emeritus Professor at the University of Concordia (Canada). It isawarded every two years, during the ICP, to an active graduatestudent or a young postdoctoral fellow who has co-authored,during his/her doctoral studies, a particularly relevant article inthe broad field of polyphenol research. Another prize, the GPScientific Prize, was also awarded during the ICP 2012 to DrRichard Dixon from the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation,Oklahoma (USA) to recognise his great contribution to thepolyphenols research in biosynthesis and genetics.

Around 400 participants from 42 different countriesattended the ICP 2012; over 300 presentations were deliv-ered, including 256 posters, 40 selected oral communicationsand 13 invited lectures. Most presentations were based onhigh-quality original works covering a wide range of topics,and were organised in different sessions: chemistry andphysical–chemistry properties of polyphenols, influence ofpolyphenols on food and beverage properties, chemicalsynthesis and biosynthesis, molecular biology, enzymology,gene expression and regulation of polyphenols, role ofpolyphenols in plants and ecosystems, health properties ofpolyphenols, bioavailability and metabolism, cosmetics andtechnological applications.

Phytochem. Anal. 2013, 24, 423 Copyright © 2013 John

Many of the presentations addressed the biological propertiesof polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods, and some originalresults highlighted the importance of those compounds inslowing down some degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’sand cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the interest on thepotential impact of polyphenols on epigenetic mechanismsreducing cancer-cell survival was reinforced by some studiespresented during the conference. Regarding biosynthesis,genetic and metabolic engineering, significant advances werenoted in understanding the biosynthesis of polyphenols inplants and namely the regulation of the phenylpropanoidpathway and the genes involved. Moreover, progress in theknowledge of the ecological and physiological role of thesecompounds was also illustrated in several communications.In this special issue, a relatively short number of selected and

interesting papers, focusing mainly on the development of newmethodologies for polyphenol analysis, are presented. Theseinclude the study of the polyphenol composition in fruits andplant preparations, the optimisation of a new tool to study theinteraction of polyphenols with proteins, and the susceptibilityof hydrolysable tannins to oxidation. In addition, a few morerelated papers on polyphenols, selected from the recentsubmissions to PCA, have also been added to this issue to makeit more resourceful.The next ICP (in 2014) will be held in Nagoya (Japan). Main

topics will include chemistry, physicochemistry and materialsscience, biosynthesis, genetics and metabolic engineering,plants and ecosystems, lignocellulose biomass, food, nutritionand health, natural medicine and Kampo, and tannins and theirfunctions. Therefore, do not miss the opportunity to join thatmeeting, and to share your expert knowledge on polyphenolswith us!

Victor de FreitasUniversity of Porto

Gilles ComteUniversité de Lyon

Celestino Santos-BuelgaUniversidad de Salamanca

Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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