The potential of polyphenol compounds in grapes to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation after exercise: systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Mechanical stress and inflammation contribute to exercise-induced muscle damage. Objective: This research analyzed the potential of polyphenolic compounds in grapes to prevent inflammation and lower oxidative stress after exercise. Methodology: This research employed a systematic review to guide the researchers in achieving the objectives. It involved a thorough search of global databases, such as Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Pubmed. The inclusion criteria were articles investigating grapes, inflammation, oxidative stress, and physical exercise published within the last five years. On the other hand, articles that were not reputable or indexed by these databases were excluded from the search. The initial search process generated 2947 articles. After undertaking several screening processes, 8 articles were finally selected and analyzed. Results: This research shows that the polyphenol content in grapes has antioxidant and inflammatory properties which can reduce levels of oxidative stress and inflammation. Discussion: The polyphenol content works by reducing ROS, MDA, and TBARS levels and increasing GSH levels. Furthermore, grapes also have anti-inflammatory properties that reduce uncontrolled inflammation as a result of intense exercise. In this case, grapes work by blocking several inflammatory pathways and decreasing inflammatory markers. In vivo studies also confirmed these anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits by stimulating eNOS gene expression and increasing CAT, SOD, and GPx4 levels. Conclusions: The polyphenol content in grapes can potentially reduce oxidative stress due to its antioxidant properties. Besides, the grapes have anti-inflammatory properties, which are responsible for lowering uncontrolled inflammation and alleviating muscle pain fierceness.

Keywords

• Grapes
• Inflammation
• Oxidative stress
• Physical training
• Healthy lifestyle