Xanthones: Powerful Antioxidants for Disease Prevention and Anti-Aging

Xanthones are a group of polyphenolic compounds renowned for their strong antioxidant capabilities. They are particularly effective in preventing oxidation during metabolism, a process that can generate free radicals. These unstable molecules have the potential to damage cell membranes and DNA, contributing to various diseases like cancer, cardiovascular conditions, and aging.

The antioxidant properties of xanthones are key in neutralizing free radicals, thus preventing the cellular damage they might cause. This protective function is crucial because free radicals can trigger a chain reaction of oxidative stress, leading to chronic inflammation and tissue damage. By scavenging these harmful molecules, xanthones help preserve cellular integrity and function.

One of the richest sources of xanthones is the mangosteen fruit, which is known for its high concentration of these compounds. Research has shown that xanthones from mangosteen can inhibit the growth of cancer cells and lower the risk of metastasis. Additionally, they contribute to cardiovascular health by reducing oxidative stress in blood vessels, thereby preventing atherosclerosis and other heart-related issues.

Furthermore, xanthones play a significant role in anti-aging by shielding skin cells from oxidative damage. This protection helps maintain skin elasticity and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Their anti-inflammatory properties also enhance their anti-aging effects, as chronic inflammation is a major contributor to the aging process.

In conclusion, xanthones are potent antioxidants that are essential in protecting the body from oxidative stress and related diseases. Their ability to neutralize free radicals makes them a valuable asset in the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and aging. Including xanthone-rich foods in your diet can therefore provide substantial health benefits.
Xanthones: Powerful Antioxidants for Disease Prevention and Anti-Aging

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Phenolic acids

Phenolic phytochemicals can be categorized into three groups: phenolic acids, flavonoids, and stilbenes/lignans.

Phenolic acids refer to phenolic compounds that contain a single carboxylic acid group. They are a primary class of plant phenolic compounds and are found in various plant-based foods, including seeds, fruit skins, and vegetable leaves, with the highest concentrations. Plants produce these compounds to protect themselves from UV radiation, insects, viruses, and bacteria. Some plant species even produce phenolic compounds to hinder the growth of competing plants.

Strawberries primarily contain p-hydroxybenzoic acid and p-coumaric acid as their main phenolic acids, which are significant components of the berries. Chokeberries, on the other hand, are abundant in hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, particularly chlorogenic acid and neochlorogenic acid.

Phenolic acids are also plentiful in cereals such as bread wheat, durum wheat, rye, hulless barley, and hull-less oat.

Based on their structure, phenolic acids can be classified into two distinct classes: derivatives of benzoic acid and derivatives of cinnamic acid. These compounds consist of a benzene ring bonded to either a carboxylic group (benzoic acids) or propenoic acid (cinnamic acids).

Examples of benzoic acid derivatives include p-hydroxybenzoic acid, salicylic acid, gallic acid, and ellagic acid. Common cinnamic acid derivatives include p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid.

Phenolic acids have been linked to the color, sensory qualities, and nutritional and antioxidant properties of foods. They are easily absorbed through the intestinal tract walls and offer health benefits to humans as antioxidants, aiding in the prevention of cell damage caused by free-radical oxidation reactions. Phenolic acids exhibit significantly higher in vitro antioxidant activity compared to well-known antioxidant vitamins. Although multiple mechanisms are involved, the primary mode of antioxidant activity is believed to be radical scavenging through hydrogen atom donation.
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Natural antioxidants

Antioxidants are compounds or systems that can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. They are important in prevention of plants pollution damage, disease prevention in both plants and animals and play an important role in the body defense system.

Antioxidants are categorized in two groups of synthetic and natural, which most of them are poly-substituted phenolic compounds. Natural antioxidants, easily obtained from natural sources, possess great potential to be used as preservatives, replacing the synthetic ones.

The use of plant extracts as natural antioxidants has received increased interest due to the concerns on negative health effects developed by the use of synthetic antioxidants. The factors that encourage the use of natural antioxidants are its low cost, compatibility with diet and less harmful effect in the human body.

A variety of plant materials are known to be natural sources of antioxidants, such as herbs, spices, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Also, due to toxicological concerns of synthetic antioxidants, phenolic compounds in plants were used to minimize or retard lipid oxidation in lipid-based food products. Fruits, vegetables and medicinal herbs are the richest sources of antioxidant compounds such as Vitamin A, C, E, β-carotene and important minerals.

Plant phenolics are multifunctional and can act as reducing agents, free radical terminators, metal chelators and singlet oxygen quenchers.

Some peptides with antioxidant activity occur naturally in food. Both glutathione (-Glu-Cys-Gly) and carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) are antioxidants that are naturally present in muscle tissues. They have been found to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and quench singlet oxygen and inhibit lipid peroxidation.

Natural antioxidants from plants may be classified into three main classes: phenolic compounds, vitamins and carotenoids. Some phenolic compounds, in addition to being the major plant-compounds with antioxidant activity, also present antimicrobial and antifungal activities, and have important effects on the flavors and textures of food products.
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Additives in food: Antioxidant

Oxidation is a not a process exclusive to the human body. It occurs in every living organism and biological system, such as food products. Food oxidation may result in altered flavor, color, nutritional value, and texture, as well as create toxic compounds.

Therefore, antioxidant compounds are one of the most important conservation technologies used by the food industry with their main function being the prevention of oxidative induced degradation of foods.

Antioxidant is a molecule stable enough to donate an electron to a rampaging free radical and neutralize it, thus reducing its capacity to damage. These antioxidants delay or inhibit cellular damage mainly through their free radical scavenging property. The applications of antioxidants have been widespread in the food industry for decades; and are in use in preventing lipids from oxidative degradation. Antioxidants protect cells against the effects of harmful free radicals.

Retarding autoxidation delays the appearance of such undesirable qualities as rancidity in foods, loss of elasticity in rubbers, and formation of gums in gasolines. Antioxidants most commonly used are such organic compounds as aromatic amines, phenols, and aminophenols.

Phenolic compounds, besides being associated with antimicrobial activity, are known for their high antioxidant capacity. They are ubiquitous to plants and therefore present one interesting class of antioxidant compounds to be exploited, although other compounds with a strong antioxidant capacity can also be found, such as some vitamins (vitamin C, E, and A), bioactive peptides, polysaccharides, some minerals, and enzymes.
Additives in food: Antioxidant

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Primary antioxidants

An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals which leads the cell to damage or death.

Primary-antioxidants are the chain breaking antioxidants which react with lipid radicals and convert them into more stable products. Primary-antioxidants are essential antioxidant enzymes naturally produced by human body. These internal antioxidant enzymes serve as human body's most potent defense against free radicals and harmful inflammatory reactions.

Primary antioxidant can accept free radicals and further delay the initiation step or interrupt the propagation step of auto-oxidation. Primary antioxidants (AH) can react with lipid and peroxyl radicals converting them into more stable radicals or non-radical products (R• + AH→RH + A•) (RO• + AH→ROH + A•) (ROO• + AH→ROOH + A•).

Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) and Catalase (CAT) are the only known as primary antioxidant enzymes and each one performs reduction of particular ROS. Superoxide radicals are reduced by SOD so that H2O2 and O2 are formed. GPx is the next player in which has a role to reduce H2O2 or organic hydro-peroxides to water and alcohol respectively.
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Antioxidant activities of carotenoids in mangoes

A mango’s rich, yellow-orange flesh color contributes more than just a beautiful hue to the tropical fruit. Colour pigments, termed Carotenoids, are responsible for the characteristic colour of mango.

Carotenoids have very diverse roles in biological functions of animals and plants including provitamin A activity, antioxidant activity, cell communication, immune function enhancement, UV skin protection, accessory pigments for light harvesting, and protection against photo-oxidative damage.

Carotenoids, which impart yellow, orange, and/or red colors to many fruits, have antioxidant health properties which it can help in preventing the free radical damage. Thus, carotenoids have been noted as being the most abundant micronutrients found in cancer-preventative foods. Antioxidants help to repair damage to the body caused by free radicals, which can contribute to a range of health problems including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

The action of carotenoids against diseases has been attributed to antioxidant properties, especially their ability to quench singlet oxygen and interact with free radicals which take part in modulation of carcinogen metabolism, inhibition of cell proliferation, enhancement of cell differentiation, stimulation of cell to cell communication.

Carotenoids comprise the colorful pigments of many fruits. Some of these, such as beta carotene, alpha carotene, and beta cryptoxanthin, are precursors of vitamin A. Vitamin A is needed for eyesight and nerve health.

Antioxidant activities of carotenoids in mangoes

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Lycopene: the powerful antioxidant

Lycopene is an antioxidant carotenoid compound occurring in plants. Lycopene, from the New Latin word lycopersicum is a carotenoid which is found in different fruits and vegetables, which includes: tomatoes, pawpaw, mangoes , watermelon and processed vegetable juices.

It is a fat soluble substance. Epidemiological research studies have demonstrated positive health benefits in consuming food high in lycopene. Lycopene and its analogues may have potent antioxidant properties to protect cells and tissues from oxidative stress and free radicals, and thus contribute to enhancement of immune functions of the body. These antioxidants may also prevent damage to cells and DNA, as well as stimulate the repair of oxidative damage to DNA.

Diets rich in these phytochemicals appear in some studies to lower risk of certain types of cancer, especially cancers of the prostate, lung and stomach, as well as cardiovascular diseases and age-related eye disorders. Lycopene is an acyclic carotenoid with eleven conjugated double bonds and two un-conjugated double bonds.

Lycopene has no provitamin A activity due to the lack of terminal β-ionic ring as the basic structure for vitamin A. Most of the lycopene occurs naturally in all-trans form. The red color of lycopene is mainly due to many conjugated carbon double bonds, as it absorbs more visible spectrum compared to other carotenes.
Lycopene: the powerful antioxidant

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Health benefits of xanthones in mangosteen

The mangosteen is one of the world’s most delicious fruits. The mangosteen is an exotic fruit that comes from Asia. The fruit has many health benefits and has been nicknamed "the queen of fruits" due to its delicious taste.

Not content with its culinary virtues, many retailers are touting it as a ‘miracle fruit’, useful for treating major diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke diabetes and arthritis and having antiviral, anti-aging, antihistamine, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Mangosteen pericarp consists of an array of polyphenols including mostly xanthones and tannins which create astringency. Mangosteen contains an abundant amount of xanthones, which are very powerful antioxidants. There is a whole family of this antioxidant, and the most dynamic of these are found in the mangosteen.

Xanthones are found in a few rain forest plants, but they are for the most part found in the mangosteen fruit, and over 40 have been identified.

The important xanthones in mangosteen are α-mangostin, β-mangostin, 3-isomangostin, 9-hydroxycalabaxanthone, gartanin and 8-desoxygartanin. These xanthones have been shown to have a variety of benefits, by supporting the immune system and are a natural antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral, antiallergic, and perhaps most importantly, anti-inflammatory.
Health benefits of xanthones in mangosteen

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Antioxidants: definitions and food sources

A biological antioxidant is a compound that protects biological systems against the potentially harmful effects of processes or reactions that cause excessive oxidation.

Although oxidation is an important process for sustaining life, it produces free radicals (‘hydroxyl radical’ or ‘superoxide anion’ or ‘hydrogen peroxide’), which cause chain reactions in the body that eventually damage the cells.

Antioxidant can prevent this destructive oxidation of other molecules in the body. Antioxidants stop the chain reaction by removing the free radicals and by stopping other oxidation reactions.

Antioxidants are found naturally in many foods, primarily fruits and vegetables. They are also available as supplements.

Hydrophilic compounds, such as vitamin C, thiols, and flavonoids, as well as lipophilic compounds such as vitamin E, vitamin A, carotenoids, and ubiquinols, are the best-known natural antioxidants.

Some minerals, such as selenium are also considered to have antioxidant properties. Many studies report benefits of antioxidants in preventing heart disease, neurological diseases, macular degeneration and even some cancers.
Antioxidants: definitions and food sources

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Antioxidants properties in dragon fruit

Dragon fruit poses medicinal properties. This fruit is a natural source of antioxidants.

Antioxidant prevents colon cancer and diabetes, neutralizes toxic substances like heavy metals, reduces cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

It control high sugar levels, prevents cancer and bleeding and promotes dental health. Phenolic compounds, namely hydroycinnamates, have been reported in the pulp of dragon fruit.

The total phenolic contents of flesh (42.4 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g of flesh fresh weight and peel (39.7 mg of GAE/100 g of peel fresh weight) of dragon fruit were similar.

The flavonoid contents of flesh and peel did not vary much (7.21 mg vs. 8.33 mg of catechin equivalents/100 g of flesh and peel matters).

The betacyanin content in red-fleshed dragon fruit juice is 525.3 mg/L, while betaxanthins of 5.3 mg/L has been reported in the juice of fed-flesh dragon fruit. Betacyanin protect against oxidative stress-related disorders.
Antioxidants properties in dragon fruit 

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Antioxidants in fruits

Fruits and vegetables have historically been considered rich sources of some essential dietary micronutrients and fiber, and more recently they have been recognized as important sources of natural antioxidants and contain thousands of phytonutrients.

There are many biologically plausible reasons for this potentially protective association, including the fact that many of the phytochemicals act as antioxidants. Fruits contain many diverse antioxidants.

The main antioxidants in fruits are vitamin C, which is colorless and the carotenoid and flavonoids families of antioxidants that provide fruits with their orange, yellow, pink, red and purple colors.

Daily consumption of fruits increased the oxygen radical absorption capacity of blood, indicating superior antioxidant defense of the body.

Many epidemiological studies show lower risk of various diseases in those who have a plant rich diet or who have higher levels of plant-derived antioxidants in their plasma.

The eating pattern, food composition and matrix and colonic microflora and biotransformation affect the bioaccessibility of dietary antioxidants.
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Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Cancer

Cancer is believed to be the result of external factors combined with a hereditary disposition for cancer.

Research evidence has demonstrated that free radicals frequently have a role in the process of cancer initiation and promotion. If free radical damage occurs in the nucleus cell and damages DNA, it can cause mutations. If certain segments of the DNA are affected it may initiate malignant change, potentially leading to caner.

Free radicals and antioxidants are among the important discoveries of the past 100 years. All the major diseases confronting people today are caused by or aggravated by free radicals.

Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals might otherwise cause.
Based on the results of cell culture and animal research, it appears that vitamin E and other antioxidants may alter cancer incidence and growth through their actions as anticarcinogens, quenching free radicals or reacting with their products.

Antioxidants are powerful free radical scavengers in the body, while free radicals are highly reactive chemicals substance such as superoxide, hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen etc. Too many free radicals and too few antioxidants lead to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a situation when there is a serious imbalance in the ration of free radicals to antioxidants.

At the high levels, reactive oxygen species can be damaging to cells and may contributes to cellular dysfunctional disease.

Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamin C, E and A and other substances.
Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Cancer

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Antioxidants in tea

Tea, a beverage originating from a single species of plant, Camellia sinensis, is widely cultivated around the world in both tropical and subtropical regions.

Tea us a natural source of antioxidants.  The actual concentration of antioxidants in tea varies according to the type of tea and its manufacture.

Some of the research that has been done with tea and its antioxidants have given some proof that it may help to guard against certain types of cancer, weight loss and it may even help protect against the onset of Alzheimer's, along with other diseases.

Antioxidants prevent cell damage due to oxidation by intercepting free radicals and have been credited with reducing the impact of such diseases as macular degeneration.

In addition to this, various research studies appear to indicate that tea may even reduce the relative risk for diabetes as well as improve insulin sensitivity.

From biological point of view, the largest and most important groups of tea leaf components are polyphenols. There are three major polyphenols in teas: catechins, theaflavins and thearubigins. Catechins are major constituents of green tea leaves and are also present in Oolong and black tea, whereas thearubigins and theaflavins are found only in black tea and Oolong teas.

The most important catechins contained in tea leaves are epigallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and epicatechin.

Tea catechins lower blood sugar levels by inhibiting the action of amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starches such as carbohydrates and coverts them into glucose.

There is research on tea and its possibility of lowering the incidence of skin cancers plus the ability to aid smokers in recovering and repairing damaged cell structure.

Current evidence would suggest that antioxidants retard deterioration caused by oxidation especially of fats, oils and foods and thus provide a defense mechanisms against the threat posed by unstable free radicals.

The result of epidemiological study stated that one of the health benefits of drinking tea is that it can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in men and women by up to 60%.

Another wonderful benefit from drinking tea is it is rich in natural fluoride and prevents tooth decay. It is important to avoid using sugar in tea for these benefits to be maximized. Tea catechins prevent growth of bacteria that also cause tooth decay and the formation of plaque.
Antioxidants in tea

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Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that exists in eight different forms. Each form has its own biological activity, the measure of potency or functional use in the body.

It is actually two sets of four compounds each, the tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) and the chemically related tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta).

Alpha-tocopherol is the most active form of vitamin E in humans, and is a powerful biological antioxidant. It is the major lipid soluble found in cells.

The alpha-tocopherol form is the one found in the largest quantities in human blood and tissue. Small amounts of the gamma from are also found.

Antioxidants such as vitamin E act to protect body cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body's metabolism. Vitamin E serves as one of the body’s chief defenses against damage by free radicals.

Most notably, vitamin E prevents the oxidation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, but is protects other lipids and related components (e.g. vitamin A) as well.

Research and the clinical experiences of physician show beyond a doubt that vitamin E is good for the heart. The role of vitamin E as a heart protector has been building for decades.

However, of low vitamin E intake may enhance the effect of selenium deficiency, which is associated with increased risk of fatal cancer.
Vitamin E

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