title: Phenolics: prooxidants or antioxidants?
abstract: Both essential and nonessential dietary antioxidants have been suggested to be beneficial for health. However, studies show that many antioxidants can also exhibit prooxidant behavior under certain conditions. The antioxidant/prooxidant activity of phenolics is dependent on such factors as metal-reducing potential, chelating behavior, pH, and solubility characteristics. These factors, in addition to bioavailability and stability in tissues, should be considered when evaluating the potential bioactivity of dietary phenolics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003, USA.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Decker
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001682:Biological Availability; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010636:Phenols