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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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Mode of action of antioxidants
There are four routes:
1.
Chain breaking reactions, e.g. alpha-tocopherol which
acts in lipid phase to trap "ROD" radical.
2.
Reducing the concentration of reactive oxygen species
e.g. glutathione.
3.
Scavenging initiating radicals e.g. superoxide dismutase
which acts in aqueous phase to trap superoxide free radicals.
4.
Chelating the transition metal catalysts: A
group of compounds serves an antioxidant
function by sequestration of transition metals that are well-established
pro-oxidants. In this way, transferrin, lactoferrin, and ferritin
function to keep iron induced oxidant stress in check and ceruloplasmin
and albumin as copper sequestrants.
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