Assessment of potential prooxidant and antioxidant actions

Suggestions that oxidative stress plays a role in human diseases have led to the proposal that health might be improved by increased dietary intake of antioxidants. Plant-derived antioxidants, such as flavonoids or rosemary extracts, are increasingly proposed as important dietary antioxidant factors, and foods rich in antioxidants are also receiving attention. Before widescale usage of natural and synthetic antioxidants can be suggested, it is necessary to establish the properties of such molecules. Assays for characterizing the potential prooxidant/antioxidant actions of food additives, antioxidant supplements, antioxidant drug molecules, and nutrient components have been developed for this purpose.