Hanyang Med Rev.  2013 May;33(2):130-136. 10.7599/hmr.2013.33.2.130.

Clinical Applications of Antioxidants

• Park JH
• Kweon GR

• KMID: 2168247
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7599/hmr.2013.33.2.130

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are natural by-products of cellular physiological processes involving metabolism of compounds containing oxygen and nitrogen, respectively. Physiological defense mechanisms against ROS/RNS readily convert them into water or urea, but dysregulation of ROS/RNS production damages cells resulting in abnormal conditions such as uncontrolled growth or cell death. ROS/RNS are closely related to the development of a variety of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurodegeneration, vascular disease and chronic inflammation. Thus, it has been proposed that the removal of ROS/RNS may prevent or treat oxidative stress-induced diseases. Some antioxidant molecules are synthesized in the body, while others are obtained from food in the diet including fruits, vegetables, meat and even in natural water. In addition to the natural antioxidants, synthetic antioxidants have been modified from natural chemicals so as to increase bioavailability to target organs and increase stability in the air. In developing novel antioxidants for therapeutic use, some factors to consider are: 1) improved efficacy; 2) low side effects (comparatively clear mechanism); 3) competitive price and 4) improved convenience of dosing. In this review, we will discuss the issues mentioned above and the use of antioxidants in clinical application.

Keyword

Reactive Oxygen Species; Reactive Nitrogen Species; Antioxidants; Clinical Trial

MeSH Terms

Antioxidants
Biological Availability
Cell Death
Defense Mechanisms
Diet
Fruit
Inflammation
Meat
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Physiological Processes
Reactive Nitrogen Species
Reactive Oxygen Species
Urea
Vascular Diseases
Vegetables
Water
Antioxidants
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Reactive Nitrogen Species
Reactive Oxygen Species
Urea
Water

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Production of ROS/RNS and antioxidant system. NO, nitric oxide; SOD, superoxide dismutase.

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  Fig. 2 Structures of antioxidant molecules. EGCG, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-galate; MitoQ, Mitoquinone.

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