A BIOCHEMICAL VIEW OF ANTIOXIDANTS presents research on medicinal plants and organic chemistry and relates to pharmacological applications. This book discusses antioxidants, derived from fruits and vegetables, that play a vital role in maintaining health. It forms a bridge between biology and chemistry of fruits and vegetables by studying the complex nature of antioxidants. The Biochemical View of Antioxidants consists of 45 chapters. The chapters show that food constitutes a source of many biologically active antioxidants important for health and disease prevention. The antioxidant properties of fruits and vegetables have to do with the presence of tissues with natural antioxidant compounds that protect plants from free radical damage caused by oxygen in the environment or exposure to ultraviolet radiation. According to nutritionists, the most valuable source of antioxidants are fresh fruit and vegetables and natural preparations made from them, such as juices, preserves, marmalades, jams and silage.