Flavonoids and inflammation: local and systemic effects

C. G. FRAGA; P. I. OTEIZA

Kobe

Congreso; VII International Conference on Food Factors; 2019

ICOFF

Flavonoids are bioactives claimed to be responsible for some of the health benefits provided by fruit and vegetables. Inflammation is a physiological process by which the body is self-protected from pathological conditions, mostly toxicant-, bacteria- and virus-mediated challenges. However, in many diseases, the body maintains activated chronic inflammatory responses causing damage to cells, organs and tissues. The damage could affect the inflamed organ but also, through the release of inflammatory molecules that extend the damage to other organs and tissues. From a nutritional point of view, it is becoming of relevance that proper diet should provide bioactives (food factors) able to interact with molecules participating in the inflammation process, generating a protection against the silent development of pathologies and consequences, e.g. diabetes, hypertension, dysmetabolism, and renal failure. Dietary (poly)phenols are bioactives that have been thoroughly studied to interfere with the inflammation process at different levels. This presentation will focus on how certain flavonoids, protect rodents from experimental inflammation affecting different parameters in both, target organs and systemically. Integrating our studies with the large amount of research performed in the last decades it is possible to conclude that select flavonoids affect both general and specific pathways modifying inflammation. Through these mechanisms, flavonoids will be positively acting on the onset and development of metabolic diseases, and of their co-morbidities.Support: 20020160100132BA (CGF)Keywords: obesity-diabetes-hypertension-heart-flavan-3-ol-anthocyanins-.