The University of Macau (UM) today (31 October) held a talk titled ‘Plant Polyphenols, More Than Just Simple Natural Antioxidants’ as the Eighth UM Scholar Research Forum. Dai Yunlu, associate professor in UM’s Faculty of Health Sciences, was the keynote speaker. Combing both online and in-person elements, the talk attracted a full-house audience. Many teachers and students from local secondary schools joined the event online.

Plant polyphenols are a type of compounds with a polyphenolic structure. They are widely found in plants and protect them against predators. As of today, more than 8,000 types of plant polyphenols have been discovered, and they are used for various purposes based on their anti-tumour, anti-oxidant, anti-radiation, and anti-thrombotic properties. During the talk, Prof Dai discussed the interaction between phenolic hydroxyl groups, which are widely present in polyphenol molecules, and metal ions of different valence. He also shared his research team’s exploration of the use of metal-polyphenolic biomaterials in cancer treatment.