Dietary Antioxidants in Experimental Models of Liver Diseases

Abstract

Oxidative stress is caused by the imbalance between the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant capacity in the body. A balanced diet involving the daily intake of antioxidant-rich foods makes improvements in the total antioxidant capacity of individuals and would therefore reduce the incidence of oxidation-related diseases. It may also regulate the degree of oxidative stress. In fact, dietary micronutrients are either direct antioxidants or components of anti-oxidant enzymes, which may contribute positively to certain indicators of hepatic function. Liver plays an important role in the regulation of various processes such as metabolism, secretion, storage, and the clearance of endogenous and exogenous substances. Once liver is damaged by pursuing a wrong diet and inflammation takes place, most of these physiological functions get altered. Apart from drugs that used to treat the ailments, it is also necessary to determine the pharmaceutical alternatives for the drugs that are used in the treatment of liver diseases. Therefore, this chapter aims to summarize all known information on the effects of dietary nutrients on oxidative stress in experimental liver models.