Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that is widely used and, unfortunately, often abused. In addition to acute effects such as intoxication, it may cause many chronic pathological conditions. Some of the effects are very well described and explained, but there are still gaps in the explanation of empirically co-founded dysfunction in many alcohol-related conditions. This work focuses on reviewing actual knowledge about the toxic effects of ethanol and its degradation products.

Caffeic acid is a bioactive compound found in a variety of plants including vegetables, fruits, herbs, and drinks. It belongs to the huge group of chemicals called polyphenols and is a major representative of the polyphenol subgroup of hydroxycinnamic acids. In foods, caffeic acid occurs mostly as a quinic acid ester called chlorogenic acid. Caffeic acid, like other polyphenols, is believed to exhibit many health benefits associated with their antioxidant properties, including the prevention of inflammation, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. Nowadays, the use of naturally occurring bioactive substances, including caffeic acid, is becoming a very common phenomenon. Thus, information about their functions and properties is very important.Keywords: caffeic acid, polyphenols, bioactive compound, oxidative stress

SUMMARYCancer chemoprevention is defined as the use of natural, synthetic or biological chemical agents to reverse, suppress or prevent carcinogenic progression of invasive cancer. Carcinogenesis is a complex multi-step process; therefore, it is necessary to attack cell proliferation, stimulate apoptosis and inhibit angiogenesis. There have been more than 60 randomised trials using chemopreventive potential agents.The success of several recent clinical trials in preventing cancer in high-risk populations suggests that chemoprevention is a rational and appealing strategy. In this review, we describe the conceptual basis for the chemoprevention of cancer, proven concepts of efficiency and current trends in the use of chemopreventive agents according to place and mechanism of action. We classify chemopreventive substances into seven groups based on their chemical structure and their effects, namely, deltanoids (paracalcitriol), retinoids (13-cis retinoic acid), non-steroidal anti-rheumatics (Deguelin), antiestrogens (genistein), polyphenols (curcumin), sulphur containing compounds (sulforaphane) and terpenes (lycopene). Chemoprevention is one of several promising strategies for reducing the incidence of malignant tumours or helping to prolong the time before recurrence.

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Phytochemicals represent a large and diverse group of naturally occurring compounds, bioactive nutrients, or phytonutrients produced by plants, widely found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains products, legumes, beans, herbs, seeds, nuts, tea, and dark chocolate. They are classified according to their chemical structures and functional properties. Flavonoids belong to the phenolic class of phytochemicals with potential solid pharmacological effects as modulators of multiple signal transduction pathways. Their beneficial effect on the human body is associated with their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic properties. Flavonoids are also widely used in various nutritional, pharmaceutical, medical, and cosmetic applications. In our review, we discuss the positive effect of flavonoids on chronic skin diseases such as vitiligo, psoriasis, acne, and atopic dermatitis.