Radioprotective and antioxidant action of caffeine: mechanistic considerations

Caffeine, a major constituent of coffee and other beverages has significant abilities to scavenge highly reactive free radicals and excited states of oxygen and to protect crucial biological molecules against these species. This is one of the possible reasons why caffeine acts as a radioprotector against oxygen-dependent ('oxic') pathway of radiation damage and as an antimutagen/anticarcinogen under certain conditions. The possible physicochemical and molecular mechanisms of caffeine action are briefly reviewed in the light of the recent findings.