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Antioxidants, nature and chemistry
Submitted by Dr. Tamer Fouad, M.D.
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Antioxidants are substances that
protect other chemicals of the body from damaging oxidation
reactions |
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The catalase enzyme:
This enzyme is a
protein enzyme present in most aerobic cells in animal tissues. Catalase is
present in all body organs being especially concentrated in the liver &
erythrocytes. The brain, heart,
skeletal muscle contains only low amounts.
Catalase and glutathione peroxidase seek
out hydrogen peroxide and convert it to water and diatomic oxygen. An increase
in the production of SOD without a subsequent elevation of catalase or
glutathione peroxidase leads to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, which
gets converted into the hydroxyl radical. Indeed research in the pathogenesis of
Down’s syndrome has revealed that the existence of trisomy 21 leads to the
overproduction of SOD, the gene for which is located also on chromosome 21. This
finding is intriguing in that it reveals the possibility of a genetic link to
the increased activity of free radicals.
2 H2O2 ®
2 H2O + O2
(Krinsky, 1992)
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