2007-03-21 06:40:07 · 3 answers · asked by watford_boy21 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
They can be both. In general as soon as they are put in water they start deprotonating to form the phenolate (negative charge). If they can deprotonate enough to get a sufficient negative charge, they will stay in water, otherwise they will go to the fat--the cell membrane. If they are completely protonated (for example if the water is somewhat acidic) they will definitely go to the fat.
In practice, for example, they have been shown to prevent oxidative damage both to DNA (which is in the water-soluble part of the cell) as well as to cell membranes, indicating that they are naturally present in both places in your body.
2007-03-21 10:19:39 · answer #1 · answered by Some Body 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They are water soluble because the hydroxyl groups, but in some cases, solubility is limited depending upon the size of the ring system that is associated with each polyphenol and the number of hydroxyl groups attached.
For example, phenol (1 hydroxyl attached) has a more limited solubility in water(8.3 g/100 mL) than cathecol (two hydroxyl groups attached) (43 g/100 mL).
2007-03-21 13:53:10 · answer #2 · answered by CHESSLARUS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would think that they are water soluble due to the hydroxyl groups that they posses.
2007-03-21 13:45:59 · answer #3 · answered by drti6 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋