Dietary polyphenols and their effects on cell biochemistry and pathophysiology 2013

Dietary polyphenols, along with other natural compounds occurring in fruits and vegetables, have been reported to exert beneficial effects in a multitude of disease states, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. Many of the biological actions of polyphenols have been attributed to their antioxidant properties; however, during the last years, a new realization of how nutritional antioxidants may function has been envisaged, and recent findings have suggested that they affect several cellular pathways exerting a pleiotropic effect. This special issue analyzes and expands our knowledge on the new mechanisms of actions of polyphenols and other natural compounds with the aim to better understand what could be defined as “the network” of their different biological effects.