Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity of functional foods

• Functional foods with bioactivity against oxidation and chronic inflammation.
• Curcumin, EGCG, astaxanthin, and lutein are antioxidants on the rise.
• Curcumin and EGCG are considered to exert wide biological actions.
• Carotenoids (astaxanthin and lutein) exhibit major anti-inflammatory impacts.

Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous human diseases, and this response shows no condition-specific benefits for human health. Dietary intake of antioxidant products is a strategy and an emerging trend for combatting the inflammatory responses of chronic diseases and their risk factors. In this paper, we review recent studies that have examined the potential molecular signaling of antioxidants and the anti-inflammatory effects of individual dietary phytochemicals from popular foods and drinks (e.g. curcumin, EGCG, astaxanthin, and lutein). The protective effects of these phytochemicals are explored using in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal models. Therefore, this review is being undertaken to support the health implications and elucidate our understanding of the natural bioactive substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.