Plant-Derived Bioactives and Oxidative Stress-Related Disorders: A Key Trend towards Healthy Aging and Longevity Promotion

Abstract

Plants and their corresponding botanical preparations have been used for centuries due to their remarkable potential in both the treatment and prevention of oxidative stress-related disorders. Aging and aging-related diseases, like cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders, which have increased exponentially, are intrinsically related with redox imbalance and oxidative stress. Hundreds of biologically active constituents are present in each whole plant matrix, providing promissory bioactive effects for human beings. Indeed, the worldwide population has devoted increased attention and preference for the use of medicinal plants for healthy aging and longevity promotion. In fact, plant-derived bioactives present a broad spectrum of biological effects, and their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and, more recently, anti-aging effects, are considered to be a hot topic among the medical and scientific communities. Nonetheless, despite the numerous biological effects, it should not be forgotten that some bioactive molecules are prone to oxidation and can even exert pro-oxidant effects. In this sense, the objective of the present review is to provide a detailed overview of plant-derived bioactives in age-related disorders. Specifically, the role of phytochemicals as antioxidants and pro-oxidant agents is carefully addressed, as is their therapeutic relevance in longevity, aging-related disorders, and healthy-aging promotion. Finally, an eye-opening look into the overall evidence of plant compounds related to longevity is presented.

The value of bioactive compounds of cruciferous vegetables (Brassica) as antimicrobials and antioxidants: A review

“…Flavonoids contain 15 carbon atoms in their basic structure arranged in the form C6-C3-C6 with two aromatic rings (A, B) linked by three carbons, which may or not link to a third ring (C). (Cartea et al, 2011;Falcone Ferreyra, Rius, & Casati, 2012;Salehi et al, 2020;Santos, Maia, Sales, Ferriani, & Dias Teixeira, 2017). The flavonols found are quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and cyaniding, and represent the most popular flavonoids by their diversity in different species (Fusari, Beretta, Locatelli, Nazareno, & Camargo, 2019;Singh et al, 2017).…”

Polyphenol Bioavailability and Plasma Antiradical Capacity in Healthy Subjects after Acute Intake of Pigmented Rice: A Crossover Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

“…Finally, although the conclusions to be drawn from these results in relation to the direct health effects of pigmented rice in healthy individuals need to be further investigated, the increase in plasma antioxidant activity is here demonstrated and could have some pathophysiological significance, oxidative stress being involved in the etiopathogenesis of important chronic-degenerative diseases [ 2 , 3 ]. The limitations of this trial include the short-term intake of rice, not enough to evaluate long-term health effects, and the enrollment of university students as volunteers (selection bias).…”

“…Polyphenols are a large group of bioactive phytochemicals arising from the aromatic amino acid phenylalanine and consisting of flavonoids, stilbenes and proanthocyanidins [ 1 ]. In the last few decades, foods rich in these plant secondary metabolites, including pigmented cereals, have been extensively investigated for their preclinical biological and pharmacological activities, with many studies focusing on the antioxidant capacity [ 2 , 3 ]. In addition, as recently reported, pigmented cereal extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory activity and inhibited pancreatic α-amylase and intestinal α-glucosidase in vitro in a dose-dependent manner [ 4 ].…”

“…Both observational and interventional studies have also emphasized the health-promoting effects of dietary styles rich in plant-based foods, in terms of longevity, healthy ageing and morbidity [ 2 , 3 ]. Acute consumption of pigmented rice varieties increased plasma antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in 24 healthy subjects [ 5 ].…”

Evaluation of the anti‐aging and antioxidant action of Ananas sativa and Moringa oleifera in a fruit fly model organism

“…The mode of action of most phytochemicals are through their antioxidative and anti‐inflammatory properties (Mima et al., 2020; Salehi et al., 2020) as they mediate specific target molecules like the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), histone deacetylases, Nrf2/ARE (nuclear erythroid 2‐related factor 2; key mediators in oxidative stress), forkhead box‐O (FOXO), Sirtuins, adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK), NF‐kB (Nuclear Factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells), and the insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) pathways. The Nrf2 (nuclear erythroid 2‐related factor 2) is a basic region Leucine‐zipper transcription factor which binds to the antioxidant response element (ARE).…”