The Antioxidant Activity of Coumarins and Flavonoids

Title:The Antioxidant Activity of Coumarins and Flavonoids

Volume: 13 Issue: 3

Author(s): Guilherme Borges Bubols, Damiana da Rocha Vianna, Alexander Medina-Remon, Gilsane von Poser, Rosa Maria Lamuela-Raventos, Vera Lucia Eifler-Lima and Solange Cristina Garcia

Affiliation:

Keywords: Antioxidant, coumarins, flavonoids, free radicals, polyphenols, structure-activity relationship

Abstract: Coumarins and flavonoids are heterocyclic molecules that have been associated with beneficial effects on human health, such as reducing the risk of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and brain diseases. These effects are thought to be related to the radical scavenging effect, due to their antioxidant activities, along with other possible mechanisms, such as anti-inflammatory properties and interaction with several enzymes. Over the past two decades, there have been an increasing number of publications on coumarins and flavonoids, which demonstrate the importance of understanding the chemistry behind the antioxidant activities of both natural and synthesized compounds, considering the benefits from their dietary ingestion as well as pharmacological use. This work aims to review the antioxidant effects of coumarin and flavonoid molecules in humans and the structural aspects that contribute to these effects.

Cite this article as:

Borges Bubols Guilherme, da Rocha Vianna Damiana, Medina-Remon Alexander, von Poser Gilsane, Maria Lamuela-Raventos Rosa, Lucia Eifler-Lima Vera and Cristina Garcia Solange, The Antioxidant Activity of Coumarins and Flavonoids, Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2013; 13 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389557511313030002