Next Week in Málaga: Scientific Highlights of Polyphenols Applications 2026
On October 8 and 9, 2026, the international polyphenol community will meet in Málaga for the 19th World Congress on Polyphenols Applications.
This year, 187 participants, in person and online, will take part in the meeting, representing a broad international community working across nutrition, metabolism, microbiome science, food technology, healthy aging and translational applications.
The scientific program reflects an important evolution in the field. The question is no longer simply which polyphenols are present in foods or extracts. Increasing attention is now being given to their transformation, their metabolites, their biological targets and their relevance in human physiology.
Polyphenols, metabolites and human health
Day 1 will focus on healthy aging and metabolic health.
The program will address mitochondrial competence, diabetic complications, neuroinflammation, vascular responses and the biological activity of polyphenol metabolites. Several presentations will examine whether circulating metabolites can reach target tissues such as the brain and how they may influence inflammatory and metabolic pathways.
A central scientific question will run throughout the meeting:
Should we increasingly consider polyphenols not only as dietary compounds, but as precursors of biologically active metabolites generated through host and microbial metabolism?
Microbiome, metabolism and precision nutrition
The afternoon will focus on polyphenol characterization, metabolism and microbiome interactions.
Presentations will address analytical complexity, isotopically labelled metabolites, microbial transformation of dietary polyphenols, fiber polyphenol interactions and precision nutrition.
Another key topic will be gut taste receptors and satiety. Inge Depoortere, KU Leuven, will discuss gut taste receptors as metabolic sensors, followed by research exploring functional food matrices and fermented pomegranate metabolites in the context of GLP 1 therapy and metabolic health.
The first day will close with Iman Hakim, University of Arizona, who will offer a scientific perspective on ancient Egyptian polyphenol rich remedies and their historical relationship with gastrointestinal health.
Food systems, processing and sustainability
Day 2 will move toward food science, agriculture and sustainability.
The program will examine how oxidation, fermentation, extraction and processing influence polyphenol composition and biological activity. Other presentations will explore applications in animal nutrition, crop productivity, sustainable biorefineries and food by product valorization.
These questions are increasingly important because the biological activity of a polyphenol cannot be separated from its chemical form, food matrix, processing history and bioaccessibility.
From mechanisms to applications
The final session will focus on emerging applications.
Topics will include extracellular vesicles, delivery systems, biomaterials, new functional ingredients, natural product discovery and translational research.
Among the studies presented will be work on resveratrol and lipid driven chemotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer models, illustrating how polyphenol research is increasingly intersecting with cellular metabolism and therapeutic response.
Iprona supports Polyphenols Applications 2026
We are also pleased to welcome Iprona as a supporter of Polyphenols Applications 2026.
Its participation reflects the growing importance of connecting fundamental polyphenol science with ingredient development, standardization and real world applications.
The presence of industry alongside academic and clinical researchers is an important part of the meeting. Translation requires not only identifying biological mechanisms, but also understanding how promising compounds can be characterized, formulated, validated and ultimately developed responsibly.
A broader question for polyphenol science
The scientific challenge is becoming more precise.
Which metabolites are actually generated after polyphenol intake?
Which of them reach biologically relevant tissues?
Which pathways do they regulate?
And which findings are sufficiently robust to move toward nutritional, clinical or industrial applications?
These questions will be at the center of the discussions in Málaga.
The congress is chaired by Prof. Andreas Schieber, University of Bonn, President and Chairman of the Scientific Committee of Polyphenols Applications 2026.
Next week in Málaga, Polyphenols Applications 2026 will bring together 187 participants, in person and online, to connect food chemistry, metabolism, biological function and real world applications.
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