Abstract
Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and/or reactive nitrogen species and limited antioxidant defences. Endothelium and nitric oxide (NO) are key regulators of vascular health. NO bioavailability is modulated by ROS that degrade NO, uncouple NO synthase, and inhibit synthesis. Cardiovascular risk conditions contribute to oxidative stress, causing an imbalance between NO and ROS, with a relative decrease in NO bioavailability. Dietary flavonoids represent a range of polyphenolic compounds naturally occurring in plant foods. Flavonoids are potentially involved in cardiovascular prevention mainly by decreasing oxidative stress and increasing NO bioavailability.
Highlights
Oxidative stress has been considered a mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease and atherogenesis, in cancer and other chronic diseases, and it plays a major role in the aging process [1,2,3]
Recent literature emphasizes the potential therapeutic effects of micronutrients found in natural products, indicating positive applications for controlling the pathogenesis of chronic cardiovascular disease driven by cardiovascular risk factors and oxidative stress [1,4,5]
The reasons seem to be the knowledge about reactive oxygen and nitrogen species metabolism, the definition and clinical role of markers for oxidative damage, the evidence linking cardiovascular diseases and oxidative stress, and the identification of flavonoids and other dietary polyphenol antioxidants able to act as bioactive molecules with health benefits deriving from flavonoid-rich diet
Summary
Oxidative stress has been considered a mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease and atherogenesis, in cancer and other chronic diseases, and it plays a major role in the aging process [1,2,3]. The reasons seem to be the knowledge about reactive oxygen and nitrogen species metabolism, the definition and clinical role of markers for oxidative damage, the evidence linking cardiovascular diseases and oxidative stress, and the identification of flavonoids and other dietary polyphenol antioxidants able to act as bioactive molecules with health benefits deriving from flavonoid-rich diet. In this brief review, the potential role for flavonoids in prevention of oxidative stress by modulating endothelial mechanisms responsible for the atherosclerotic process will be discussed
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