Abstract

Vascular endothelial dysfunction (VED) is early event leading to morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Common pathophysiological features of VED include greater oxidative stress, impaired vasodilation, platelet aggregation and monocyte adhesion. Mounting evidence suggests that quercetin, a dietary polyphenol having diverse vasoprotective activities, protects against VED and decreases CVD risk. Therefore, the scope of this review is to describe the antioxidant, vasodilatory, anti-platelet, and anti-atherogenic activities of quercetin in relation to its protection against VED.