Abstract
Oxidative stress has a relevant part in the etiology of several diseases and metabolic disorders, being reasonable to expect that antioxidant compounds might have beneficial effects in health maintenance or disease prevention. Antioxidant compounds might be isolated and characterized from different plant constituents, such as roots, stems, bark, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds, using proper extraction methods. The Asteraceae family has a worldwide distribution, with special relevance in the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and Asia Minor, being acknowledged about 25 000 species integrated in approximately 1000 genera. In addition to the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic potential of some of these species, their high antioxidant power, as proven in research works with extracts (of roots, stems, bark, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds) should be highlighted. Herein, the Asteraceae species with highest potential as sources of natural antioxidants with potential uses in medicine and in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries were identified. The species were selected based on their botanical representativeness, being identified the 9 most relevant species: Achillea millefolium L., Acmella oleraceae Murr., Artemisia absinthium L., Bidens pilosa L., Carthamus tinctorius L., Inula crithmoides L., Matricaria recutita L., Otanthus maritimus L. and Parthenium hysterophorus L.. With the obtained information, it could be concluded that the bioactivity of the selected Asteraceae species lacks a complete characterization, constituting a research scope with great potential to be exploited in the development of dietary supplements, bioactive food ingredients or pharmaceutical based products with application in food industry, dermocosmetics or medicine.
Highlights
In recent research, the central role of oxidative stress in the development of different pathophysiological conditions has been widely discussed (Flora, 2009; López-Alarcón and Denicola, 2013)
The Asteraceae family has a worldwide distribution with high representation in the Portuguese territory
The scientific community, food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries have shown an increasing interest in the study and application of plants extracts, in the development of new and improved functional, preventive or curative products, especially those dedicated to solve the specific demands of recurrent illnesses
Summary
The central role of oxidative stress in the development of different pathophysiological conditions has been widely discussed (Flora, 2009; López-Alarcón and Denicola, 2013). The human body produces more reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) than enzymatic antioxidants and non-enzymatic antioxidants, which might lead to cell damage and several health problems (Carocho and Ferreira, 2013; Krishnaiah et al, 2011). This physiological imbalance (oxidative stress) is a key factor in the onset of several pathologies like neurodegenerative (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease) and cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, some cancers and even aging (Dasari et al, 2013; Jayasena et al, 2013; Ravishankar et al, 2013). Attention has been dedicated to the antioxidant capacity of natural products, emphasizing those frequently or potentially consumed by people, as well as their botanical representativeness in the Portuguese territory
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