ABSTRACT
Trans-resveratrol, or trans-3,4’,5-trihydroxystilbene, is a phytoalexin present in a wide variety of plant species, including mulberries, peanuts, and grapes, and thus is a constituent of the human diet. A primary impetus for research on resveratrol has come from the paradoxical observation that a low incidence of cardiovascular diseases may coexist with intake of a high-fat diet, a phenomenon known as the “French paradox”. Evidence has accumulated that resveratrol is both a free radical scavenger and a potent antioxidant because of its ability to promote the activities of a variety of antioxidative enzymes. Other investigators have indicated that resveratrol can be an effective antioxidant. Resveratrol has also been shown to scavenge peroxyl and hydroxyl radicals in reperfused postischemic isolated rat hearts, to reduce infarct size and to reduce the formation of malondialdehyde. Resveratrol is considered to be one of the major antioxidant constituents in red wine, which contains 6.5 mg/l of resveratrol.
