Muhammad Ishaq1, Muhammad Faisal Maqbool1, Abrar Ul Haq1, Muhammad Khan1*, Muhammad Irfan2, Hafiz Abdullah Shakir1
1Institute of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
2Department of Biotechnology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan
*For Correspondence
mkhan.zool@pu.edu.pk
Publication Date: May 13, 2024Polyphenols, a wide group of secondary
metabolites found in plants and some animals too, have gained significant
attention in recent years due to their outstanding bioactivity and potential
therapeutic applications. This chapter will provide a brief overview of the
bioactivity of polyphenols, highlighting their importance in the treatment of
different disorders. Polyphenols exhibit strong anticancer properties,
demonstrated through multiple in vitro and in vivo studies. Their potential to
inhibit cancer growth, progression, metastasis, induction of apoptosis, and
modulation of multiple signaling pathways involved in cancer make them
effective candidates for the treatment of cancer. Furthermore, polyphenols have
significant antibacterial action, by disrupting cell membranes and inhibiting
the synthesis of different enzymes, making them valuable agents for overcoming
bacterial drug resistance. Moreover, they also possess antiaging properties,
attributed to their strong antioxidant potential. They assist in combating
cellular damage and reducing the aging process by lowering oxidative stress and
scavenging free radicals. In addition to all this, polyphenols exert
antidiabetic effects by modulating the metabolism of glucose, increasing the
sensitivity of insulin, and lowering oxidative stress, offering potential
therapeutic benefits for being effective against diabetes mellitus. Polyphenols
also show cardioprotective effects, with evidence describing their potential to
improve cardiovascular health by lowering inflammation, blood pressure, and
free radicals, and inhibiting aggregation of platelets. Furthermore, recent
studies also highlight antiviral, anti-Alzheimer, antifungal, and antiparasitic
activities. In conclusion, the abundance of literature overwhelmingly
demonstrates the bioactivity of polyphenols against various diseases.
Understanding the primary mechanisms behind the bioactivity of polyphenols
holds great promise for developing innovative therapeutic interventions for
different disease conditions.
Keywords
Bioactive Compounds, Polyphenols, Bioactivities, Signaling Pathways, In Vitor and In Vivo Studies
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