Selected potential pharmaceutical and medical benefits of phenolic compounds: Recent advances

Objective: Phenolic compounds are essential for defense reactions, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-proliferative activity, and anti-aging activity. Coming from the class of phytomedicine, they are widespread in the plant kingdom and are commonly taken as substances in the daily diet. They are mainly found in various types of edible plants, especially fruits, vegetables, and tea. Phenolic compounds have been investigated for their effects on human health due to their beneficial effects against oxidative stress activities. The proposed main mechanism of this protective effect against harmful oxidation processes is related to the radical scavenging activity of the phenolic compounds due to reactive oxygen and nitrogen substances. The review uses up-to-date data via manual screening of the titles and abstracts of retrieved articles using string pharmaceutical and medical benefits of phenolic compounds as keywords to obtain publications from the electronic databases PubMed and Google Scholar using the publish or perish tool. However, priority has been given to the scientific papers, reports, and literature issued within the past 5 years.Several types of research have been conducted on phenolic compounds due to their potential pharmacological activities. Dietary intake of phenolic compounds is also associated with reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, mainly caused by oxidative stress and behavioral risk factors such as alcohol abuse, tobacco use, a high-fat diet, and a sedentary lifestyle. They are effective in fighting against various types of diseases.Conclusion: This review article highlights the currently available information and knowledge on the potential pharmaceutical and health benefits of phenolic compounds.Keywords: Phenolic compounds, flavanoids, Heart disease, Antioxidant, Cancer, Diabetes mellitus