Abstract:

In recent years, the interest in free-radical chemistry, antioxidants, exogenous phytochemical antioxidants and their safe use has been great. Free radicals, reactive oxygen and nitrogen types that lead to oxidative stress are produced by our body in various endogenous systems. Exposure to different physical and chemical conditions or pathological conditions can also be an oxidative source of stress. In normal conditions, there is a balance and a harmony between free radicals and antioxidants. This is necessary for living. When the body’s antioxidant defense capacity, which keeps the free radicals within reasonable limits, is overcome, it is faced with oxidative stress. Thus, a series of reactions that lead to diseases are triggered by causing damage to lipids, proteins and DNA. Therefore, the use of external sources of antioxidants often comes to us in preventing or dealing with oxidative stress. But, as in the samples of botilized hydroxitoluene (BHT) and botilized hydroxyanisol (BHA), the understanding that some synthetic antioxidants are dangerous for health, researchers have focused on the search for effective, non-toxic, natural, plant compounds with antioxidant activity. In this context, the collection aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the basic characteristics and roles of antioxidant phytochemicals which are considered to be functional against cell damage and diseases through oxidative stress.

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