The superoxide anion (O2??), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl clearly radical (OH?) are some of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and can produce (a) damage to cell membranes or other lipid structures mostly by lipid peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, (b) change in proteins by altering the tertiary structure and leading to loss of function, fragmentation, and crosslinking, and (c) changes in DNA which can be rearranged by repair mechanisms or may induce mutations [1, 3]. Currently, there is a great interest in antioxidants mainly due to the findings on the remarkable effects of free radicals in the human body. During an oxidative stress, the excess of free radicals can be counteracted by antioxidants produced endogenously or absorbed through the diet [4].

Considering this perspective, resveratrol or trans-3,5,4��-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene (Figure 1) is a phytoalexin produced by plants in response to exogenous stress factors, such as injury, fungal infections, or UV irradiation. It has been shown to be a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and chemoprotective agent. It is reported that the possible mechanisms for its various pharmacological activities involve modulating lipid metabolism, platelet aggregation, and inflammatory response [5�C9]. The properties of resveratrol are attributed to its ability to inhibit low-density lipoprotein oxidation, while suppressing the activity of cyclooxygenase 2 and induced nitric oxide synthase also contributes to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects [10].

This compound can particularly affect the process of carcinogenesis in its three stages: initiation, promotion, and progression. This drug has proved to be a suppressor of angiogenesis and metastasis of tumors [11�C14].Figure 1Chemical structure of resveratrol. Despite the numerous studies on the in vitro properties of polyphenolic compounds, their suitable effects are often not observed in vivo. This difference can be partially attributed to a low absorption and a high metabolism of these compounds that lead to a reduced in vivo result by oral administration as compared to their great in vitro efficacy [15]. Regarding the resveratrol, its polyphenolic structure shows high hydrophobicity and it is sensitive to some external agents such as air, light, GSK-3 and oxidative enzymes that can induce oxidation and a light-induced conversion from the trans (Z) to the cis (E) isomer and can reduce its viability and bioavailability for clinical use [16�C18].Some recent papers are devoted to investigate resveratrol-loaded micro-/nanoparticles in order to provide a controlled release or to improve its stability and bioavailability.