Poder antioxidante dos pequenos frutos e seus efeitos benéficos para a saúde humana

Abstract

The fruits as well as other organs of plants in its constitution have various phytochemicals, including polyphenols, the antioxidant molecules highly abundant in foods. Despite its ubiquity, its benefits to human health only start to be evaluated in 90’s, and it continues to reveal a growing interest, mainly due to epidemiological studies suggesting a link between the consumption of food and beverages rich in polyphenols and the reducing of the incidence and/or initiation of chronic and degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and some cancers. The investigation of its neuroprotective effects have being developed in the past 10 years, and it have been clearly demonstrated their ability to protect the cells either in neuronal models in vitro and their in vivo intracellular effects. A review of the evidences will be presented and in particular the work being conducted in the laboratory of Disease and Stress Biology on the antioxidant power of berries such as wild blackberries, raspberry and strawberry tree fruit as well as their leaves