Plant antioxidants in the prevention of early life programming diseases

Abstract

An unavoidable consequence of aerobic life is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage proteins, fatty acids and nucleotides that make up our cells and lead to organ dysfunction and diseases. Aerobic organisms elicit interrelated antioxidant mechanisms to keep ROS at physiological levels and to ensure cellular redox homeostasis and biological processes during the life cycle of organisms, namely, cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, survival and apoptosis. The delicate balance between ROS production and removal by antioxidants during pregnancy is crucial for the foetus to develop and mature into a healthy neonate, whereas early foetal life ROS-induced oxidative stress alters foetal developmental trajectory that could lead to increased risk of noncommunicable chronic diseases during adult life. Stressful events during the intrauterine life, such as undernutrition, malnutrition, unhealthy lifestyle behaviours and exposure to multiple human-made pollutants, adversely affect prenatal development and may contribute to foetal origin of disease in adulthood partly due to oxidative stress. Antioxidants present in most foods of vegetable origin are widely recommended for health promotion and disease prevention. In this chapter, the risk of adverse prenatal development related to antioxidant deficiencies and the importance of dietary antioxidants in the establishment of healthy pregnancy are highlighted. The potential of medicinal plants and plant-based functional foods and beverages with varied and balanced antioxidants, as well as diet quality and healthy dietary habits, as effective means in the prevention of oxidative stress and prenatal developmental disorders is also discussed.