Multifaceted Approach to Resveratrol Bioactivity: Focus on Antioxidant Action, Cell Signaling and Safety

Abstract

Resveratrol (RVT) is a naturally occurring trihydroxy stilbene that displays a wide spectrum of physiological activity. Its ability to behave therapeutically as a component of red wine has attracted wide attention. The phenol acts as a protective agent involving various body constituents. Most attention has been given to beneficial effects in insults involving cancer, aging, cardiovascular system, inflammation and the central nervous system. One of the principal modes of action appears to be as antioxidant. Other mechanistic pathways entail cell signaling, apoptosis and gene expression. There is an intriguing dichotomy in relation to pro-oxidant property. Also discussed are metabolism, receptor binding, rationale for safety and suggestions for future work. This is the first comprehensive review of RVT based on a broad, unifying mechanism.

The effects of resveratrol and selected metabolites on the radiation and antioxidant response

“…However, several reports show that trans-RSV is rapidly metabolized to several derivatives with the sulfate and glucuronide forms being the most abundant. 5,33 These possibilities prompted evaluation comparison of RSV and RSV metabolites for antioxidant activity and potential protection against cell killing from a major component of ROS, hydrogen peroxide.…”

“…RSV has been shown to inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 activity, and STAT3 and NF-kB signaling, while activating TRAIL expression. 10,16,33 Under oxidative conditions RSV and PIC were shown to generate phenoxyl radicals (Fig. 4B), which can disproportionate to form quinones ( Fig.…”

Effects of Resveratrol on Oxidative Stress Injury Induced by Rapid-Pacing in Isolated Rabbit Hearts

“…Much recent attention was paid to the "French paradox" which provides evidence for the beneficial effects of red wine. The antioxidant capacities of a wide variety of fruits have been reported by other laboratories [11][12][13]. Resveratrol has been cited in recent investigations for its possible antioxidant role and protective effects against certain forms of oxidant damage.…”

Biofactors in food promote health by enhancing mitochondrial function

“…Moreover, treating mice with resveratrol significantly increases their aerobic capacity, as evidenced by increased treadmill running time and muscle fiber oxygen consumption, and improved mitochondrial function (Baur et al 2006;Murase et al 2009). Mice treated with resveratrol also accommodate better than nontreated mice to oxidative stresses induced by exposure to various chemical agents (Kovacic and Somanathan 2010).…”