Some personal conclusions

Abstract

After a firework display of molecules, biological activities, research, and product development it is now time to conclude, to take stock, and look ahead at the developments we are likely to face in this field in the next decade or two. Here, it is worthwhile to recall the beginnings of this book, and to remember our intention to reflect the various research interests of the EU "RedCat" project consortium. Indeed, when confronted with the idea of a book on this topic, our first thought was "oh no, not yet another book on antioxidants". Luckily, however, one of the editors at the time was-and apparently still is-not just a researcher in this field, but also a passionate practitioner. Rumor has it that this particular editor is actually addicted to such substances, and probably has already tried most of them on himself. Thanks to him, we were therefore literally able to smell the vast and diverse range of redox active secondary metabolites from numerous sources, and with distinct effects on the body. This encouraged us to move ahead with the book project and focus on some of the more exotic products and applications, and to sniff out any emerging compounds, activities, or emerging fields of research (such as nanocrystals) that may ultimately bear considerable promise in research as well as in the form of concrete product development.