Title

Flavonoids: Potential Therapeutic Agents by Their Antioxidant Capacity

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814774-0.00014-1

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

12-7-2018

Publication Title

Bioactive Compounds: Health Benefits and Potential Applications

Abstract

Phenolic compounds are essential for plant development and play an important role in their defense mechanisms, along with flavonoids, which have important biological activities and are the most abundant secondary metabolites, with more than 8000 known phenolic structures, ranging from simple molecules such as phenolic acids to highly polymerized substances such as tannins (1). Flavonoids have been used in the development of nutraceuticals and drugs because they have biological activities related to antiinflammatory potential, cardioprotective, and anticancer effects, among others (2). Many of the pharmacological effects of flavonoids are due to their action on the mechanisms of antioxidant action related to their ability to inhibit oxidases, whose inhibitory effect varies depending on the concentration because some inhibit at very low concentrations a certain enzyme but requires higher concentrations for the inhibition (3,4). They also increase the availability of endogenous antioxidants and the activity of antioxidant enzymes; however, the most interesting biological function is in maintaining oxidative stress levels below a critical point in the body (5). This activity as free radical scavengers is due to the fact that flavonoids have a stabilized structure that allows attenuation of the highly reactive free radicals, becoming less reactive aroxyl radicals. This suppression of oxidants occurs by donating electrons or a hydrogen atom from the free hydroxyls, thus playing a moderate role in the propagation of radical-induced damage in biological systems, but is more potent than vitamins and carotenoids along with which synergistic effects have been demonstrated (5,6). This antioxidant action of flavonoids favors the excessive control of radicals caused in the inflammatory processes associated with various neurodegenerative, immunological, metabolic, and cardiovascular disorders (7). In addition, flavonoids are considered extremely safe, with low toxicity and structural diversity. They can also chelate metal ions and form different complexes, whose pharmacokinetic characteristics increase in comparison with free flavonoids (6). Taking into account these properties the flavonoids become excellent chemopreventive agents. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to establish the potential of flavonoids as free radical scavengers and as multifunctional molecules useful as therapeutic agents for the prevention and control of diseases related to oxidative stress.

First Page

265

Last Page

288

ISBN

9780128147757,9780128147740

Identifier

SCOPUS_ID:85076467935

Documento original

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