ISHS Acta Horticulturae 381: International Symposium on Natural Phenols in Plant Resistance
PHENOLIC ANTIOXIDANTS |
| Authors: | Erich F. Elstner, W. Oßwald, R. Volpert, H. Schempp |
| Keywords: | detoxification, phenolic antioxidants, oxygen activation, oxygen toxicity, free radicals |
| Abstract:
Phenolic derivatives represent the largest group of the so-called "secondary plant products" synthesized by higher plants exhibiting a broad variety of functions - not only for plants. All organs of higher plants (with some exceptions) almost exclusively perform an aerobic metabolism. Sometimes they are even subjected to oxygen "oversaturation" under high light intensities over longer time periods. As a consequence, antioxidative strategies have been introduced since the development of photosystem II and thus oxygen evolution by the precursors of cyanobacteria some 3.5 x 109 years ago. In this review, the function of phenols as antioxidants will be discussed although prooxidative functions will also have to be mentioned in this context. In order to accurately assess the importance of antioxidants in plant cell life, general mechanisms of oxygen activation and cellular compartmentation of the discussed processes are shortly dealt with in the introduction. | |
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