Abstract
Plants have evolved antioxidant molecules to help them withstand environmental stresses. Humans may also benefit from these defense molecules through their consumption in fruits and vegetables. Dietary antioxidants are indeed believed to play a very important role in the human body defense system, protecting, as in plants, against oxidative damage induced by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of aging and many degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. In this review, we compare the systems involved in ROS production and scavenging in humans and in plants. We focus mainly on the description of the best-known dietary antioxidants: ascorbate (vitamin C), tocopherols (vitamin E), carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. Their redox properties, metabolism and functions are discussed from both a human and a plant perspective.
Keywords: Antioxidant, oxidative stress, vitamin C, vitamin E, phenolic compound, carotenoids
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Bioactive Compounds, Functional Foods, Metabolism, and Health
Nutrition, metabolism, and their intervention strategies have become focal points of interest in the study of metabolic syndrome and health. Bioactive compounds, phytochemicals, and functional foods play crucial roles in modulating metabolic processes and improving human health. Moreover, the composition of the gut microbiome is also believed to be closely ...read more
Harnessing Bioactive Compounds from Food Waste: Sustainable Extraction Strategies and Health Applications
Food waste presents a significant challenge across the postharvest cycle, from agricultural production to distribution. However, within this waste lies a treasure trove of bioactive chemicals that hold immense potential for nutraceuticals, functional foods, and postharvest additives, including antimicrobials. Various extraction methods, such as solvent extraction (SE), supercritical fluid extraction ...read more
Natural Bioactive Compounds Derivatives in Nutraceutical and Food Science
In the last years, plants have been widely used for their numerous properties and now there is growing interest in the study of classes of compounds obtained from plant species or derived from them. The importance of these natural compounds lies in their important therapeutic purposes, and in their capability ...read more
The Core Linkage Between Probiotics Encapsulation by the Natural Phytochemicals as Health and nutritional-related Functional Products: Recent Applications
The exploration of probiotics encapsulation through natural phytochemicals has emerged as a pivotal area of research, particularly in the context of health and nutrition. Probiotics, defined as live microorganisms that confer health benefits to the host, have gained considerable attention for their role in enhancing gut health, boosting the immune ...read more
Related Books
Vitamin D - A Novel Therapy for Chronic Diseases?
Bio-Based Antimicrobial Agents to Improve Agricultural and Food Safety
Functional Foods for Health Maintenance: Understanding their Role in Cancer Prevention
Green Extraction Techniques in Food Analysis
Algal Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: Benefits, Opportunities, and Challenges
Micronutrients: The Key to Good Health
Capillary Electrophoresis in Food Analysis
Nutritional Biochemistry: From the Classroom to the Research Bench
Hypersensitivity to Vitamins
Foods for Special Dietary Regimens
37
