Antioxidant evaluation of plant-derived compounds in cardiovascular pharmacology

A large number of epidemiological and experimental studies have contributed to the hypothesis that oxidative surface modifications of low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL) are crucial for the initiation of lipid-induced atherogenesis [1]. Production and metabolism of radicals normally are well regulated processes in tissues, but their deregulation can lead to the development of oxidative stress-related disorders and inflammatory-like tissue damages; therefore, inhibition of LDL peroxidation by antioxidants supplementation becomes an attractive strategy to prevent and possibly to treat atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular diseases in human [2]. The aim of this study was to identify several natural compounds endowed with antioxidative properties in order to prevent ox-LDLs generation