What is it about?
This review explains how dietary plant antioxidants do more than neutralize free radicals. At low doses, many phytochemicals act as mild stressors that activate adaptive cellular pathways such as Nrf2/Keap1, NF‑κB, and Sirtuin‑FOXO. The article summarizes how compounds like sulforaphane, resveratrol, curcumin, flavonoids, catechins, and diallyl sulphides induce these hormetic effects.
Featured Image
Photo by Marc Pagliuca on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Because oxidative stress is linked to many chronic conditions, understanding how plant bioactives prime cells for protection helps refine nutritional strategies. Their hormetic properties may contribute to preventive approaches in areas such as neurodegeneration and cancer, as highlighted in the abstract.
Perspectives
Evidence derives largely from mechanistic and pathway‑focused studies, and responses can vary depending on dose and context. High concentrations can be cytotoxic, underscoring the complexity of hormesis. Future work needs to clarify effective dosing windows and evaluate how these adaptive responses function in vivo.
Prof. Antonio Speciale
University of Messina
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Nutritional Antioxidants and Adaptive Cell Responses: An Update, Current Molecular Medicine, December 2011, Bentham Science Publishers,
DOI: 10.2174/156652411798062395.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
