Nutrients 2010, 2(8), 889-902; doi:10.3390/nu2080889
Review

Flavonoids: Antioxidants Against Atherosclerosis

Davide Grassi 1,2,* email, Giovambattista Desideri 1 email and Claudio Ferri 1 email
1 Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, 67100 Italy 2 University of L’Aquila Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health Viale S. Salvatore, Delta 6 Medicina, 67100 Coppito, L’Aquila, Italy
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 12 July 2010; in revised form: 2 August 2010 / Accepted: 6 August 2010 / Published: 12 August 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Antioxidants)
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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.
Keywords: oxidative stress; endothelial dysfunction; atherosclerosis; antioxidants; flavonoids

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Grassi, D.; Desideri, G.; Ferri, C. Flavonoids: Antioxidants Against Atherosclerosis. Nutrients 2010, 2, 889-902.

AMA Style

Grassi D, Desideri G, Ferri C. Flavonoids: Antioxidants Against Atherosclerosis. Nutrients. 2010; 2(8):889-902.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Grassi, Davide; Desideri, Giovambattista; Ferri, Claudio. 2010. "Flavonoids: Antioxidants Against Atherosclerosis." Nutrients 2, no. 8: 889-902.

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