Plant Polyphenols and Their Potential Benefits on Cardiovascular Health: A Review

Abstract

Fruits, vegetables, and other food items contain phytochemicals or secondary metabolites which may be considered non-essential nutrients but have medicinal importance. These dietary phytochemicals exhibit chemopreventive and therapeutic effects against numerous diseases. Polyphenols are secondary metabolites found in vegetables, fruits, and grains. These compounds exhibit several health benefits such as immune modulators, vasodilators, and antioxidants. This review focuses on recent studies on using dietary polyphenols to treat cardiovascular disorders, atherosclerosis, and vascular endothelium deficits. We focus on exploring the safety of highly effective polyphenols to ensure their maximum impact on cardiac abnormalities and discuss recent epidemiological evidence and intervention trials related to these properties. Kaempferol, quercetin, and resveratrol prevent oxidative stress by regulating proteins that induce oxidation in heart tissues. In addition, polyphenols modulate the tone of the endothelium of vessels by releasing nitric oxide (NO) and reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation to prevent atherosclerosis. In cardiomyocytes, polyphenols suppress the expression of inflammatory markers and inhibit the production of inflammation markers to exert an anti-inflammatory response. Consequently, heart diseases such as strokes, hypertension, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease could be prevented by dietary polyphenols.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; cardiovascular; oxidative stress; polyphenols.

Figure 1

Nutrition can help prevent atherosclerosis, which is a pathophysiological process that contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Figure 2

Scientific Literature analysis for the effect of polyphenols on cardiovascular diseases. This bibliography data were extracted from PubMed with the year range set to 2010–2023.

Figure 3

(A) Classification of polyphenols. (B) Classification and food sources of phenolic acids.

Figure 4

Chemical structures of important phytocompounds.

Figure 5

Comparative bioavailability of some common dietary polyphenols.

Figure 6

A schematic diagram of the route of absorption, metabolism, and excretion of polyphenols.

Figure 7

Normal regulation of vascular homeostasis. Vascular homeostasis is regulated in part by endothelium-derived NO. The endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) enzyme produces NO from L-arginine, exerting a vasodilatory effect. NO can easily diffuse into the cells of vascular smooth muscle, where it triggers guanyl cyclase, thus accumulating cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which ultimately activates the protein kinase G and causes vasorelaxation in endothelial.

Figure 8

Numerous physiological activators on the endothelium surface can boost endothelial NO production to produce vascular protection. Also, polyphenol-rich dietary items, including chocolate, berries, red wine, and green tea, can enhance endothelial NO production. The endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) enzyme produces NO from L-arginine, exerting a vasodilatory effect. NO can easily diffuse into the cells of vascular smooth muscle, where it triggers guanyl cyclase, thus accumulating cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which ultimately activates the protein kinase G and causes vasorelaxation in endothelial.