Clinical Applications of Antioxidants / 한양의대학술지

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.