# Plant Extracellular Vesicles: Investigating Their Utilization as Beneficial Nutrients in Diet
## 4 P-EV Biological Properties and Therapeutic Applications
#### Antioxidant Functions  
ROS are produced in cells during aerobic respiration, and in response to xenobiotics, cytokines, and bacterial invasion, they have a physiological role in cell survival and proliferation [74]. Oxidative stress occurs in the cells when the balance between free radical concentration and antioxidant defense is altered in favor of the former. The overproduction of ROS may cause oxidative damage to biological molecules such as DNA, proteins and lipids, playing a crucial role in the etiology of many common diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, heart diseases, and diabetes, due to oxidative damage to biomolecules [75]. Natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and vitamins have a variety of biological functions, including anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects [7]. Considering their impact on human health, phytochemicals have become increasingly important in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases in recent years [76]. Polyphenols (flavonoids, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, lignans, stilbenes) and carotenoids (carotenes and xanthophylls) account for the main antioxidant properties of these compounds and can be found in foods and plants [77]. Anthocyanin extracts from _Vaccinium floribundum_ and _Aristotelia chilensis_ have been reported to limit adipogenesis and lipid accumulation in vitro and to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties on Raw 264.7 macrophages [78]. Dietary intake of vitamin C, vitamin E and \(\beta\)-carotene has been associated with a lower risk of gastric cancer and inhibition of breast cancer cell proliferation [79]. Neurological disorders are characterized by the deposition of misfolded proteins in the brain, with evidence of increased oxidative stress in tissue samples from patients, \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Source** & **Therapeutic Activity** & **In Vitro Effect** & **In Vivo Effect** & **Ref.** \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Garlic} & \multirow{4}{*}{Anti-inflammatory} & Downregulation of IFN-\(\gamma\) and IL-6 & \multirow{4}{*}{[70]} \\  & & & proinflammatory factors in LPS-treated & \\  & & & HepG2 cells & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Carrot} & \multirow{4}{*}{Anti-inflammatory} & \multirow{4}{*}{Increment in expression of IL 10} & \multirow{4}{*}{[58]} \\  & & & anti-inflammatory cytokine in Raw & \\  & & & 264.7 macrophages & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Cabbage} & \multirow{4}{*}{Anti-inflammatory} & \multirow{4}{*}{Reduction of pro-inflammatory IL 6 e IL} & \multirow{4}{*}{[71]} \\  & & & 1\(\beta\) cytokines and COX-2 in LPS-treated & \\  & & & Raw 264.7 macrophages & \\  & & & Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome & \\  & & & assembly and activation in primary & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Ginger} & \multirow{4}{*}{Anti-inflammatory} & macrophages from C57 BL/6] mice & \multirow{4}{*}{[72]} \\  & & & Inhibition of NLRP3 & \\  & & & inflammasome-mediated IL-1\(\beta\) and IL-18 & \\  & & & secretion and pyrotosis & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Grape} & \multirow{4}{*}{Anticancer} & \multirow{4}{*}{Induction of apoptosis in colon-26 tumor} & Protection against alcohol-induced \\  & & & liver damage in C57 BL/6] mice & \\  & & & and HT-29 adenocarcinoma cells & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Grape} & \multirow{4}{*}{Anti-inflammatory} & \multirow{4}{*}{Reduction against DSS-induced colitis in female C57 BL/6 mice} & \multirow{4}{*}{[63]} \\  & & & Promotion of intestinal stem cells in \\  & & & DSS-induced colitis in female \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Resenerative} & \multirow{4}{*}{Induction of proliferation and migration} & \multirow{4}{*}{C57 BL/6 mice} \\  & & & \\  & & in HUVEC endothelial and HaCaT & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Wheat} & \multirow{4}{*}{Downregulation of collagen type I gene} & \multirow{4}{*}{[62]} \\  & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & & & Reduction of apoptosis & \\ \cline{1-1}  & & Increment in tube formation capability in & \\ \cline{1-1}  & & HUVEC cells & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: _Cont._leading to direct protein modifications [80]. In a recent study, [PERSON] et al.