Abstract
Oxidative stress is defined as a biological balance between the amount of reactive oxygen species, especially free oxygen radicals, and the action of antioxidant systems, including the so-called repair mechanisms. Disturbance of this balance causes damages in proteins, fats and nucleic acids in healthy cells. This, in turn, gives rise to many diseases, especially those that are classified as civilization diseases e.g.: diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative processes and many others. Syringic acid (SA) is a naturally occurring phenolic compound. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies on SA have investigated its significant impact on oxidative stress in human. This review focuses on the SA as a potential compound reducing oxidative stress parameters in civilization diseases.