Abstract

Flavonoids and phenolic acids make up one of the most pervasive groups of plant phenolics. Due to their importance in plants and human health, it would be useful to have a better understanding of flavonoid concentration and biological activities that could indicate their potentials as therapeutic agents, and also for predicting and controlling the quality of medicinal herbs. Plants and herbs consumed by humans may contain thousands of different phenolic acid and flavonoid components. The effect of dietary phenolics is currently of great interest due to their antioxidative and possible anticarcinogenic activities. Phenolic acids and flavonoids also function as reducing agents, free radical scavengers, and quenchers of singlet oxygen formation. In addition, flavonoids and phenolic acids components play important roles in the control of cancer and other human diseases.

Key words: Flavonoids, phenolic acids, biological activities, antioxidative, anticarcinogenic.