The molecular basis of working mechanism of natural polyphenolic antioxidants

In this review, we present a summary of the research work performed so far using high accuracy quantum chemical methods on polyphenolic antioxidant compounds. We have reviewed the different groups of polyphenols, which mostly belong to the Mediterranean food culture, i.e. phenolic acids, flavonoids and stilbenes. The three main proposed mechanisms through which the antioxidants may play their protective role, which is the H atom transfer, the single electron transfer and the metals chelation, have been analysed and discussed in details. This work represents a further important contribution to the elucidation of the beneficial effects on health of these substances.