Abstract

ANTI-OXIDANTS- NUTRITIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC ATTRIBUTES

Vaibhav Srivastava*, Roopam Kushwaha, Subodh Kumar Dubey and Surendra Lalwani

ABSTRACT

Anti-oxidants are the substances which help the body protect itself against damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). They may act by decreasing oxygen concentration, intercepting singlet oxygen, preventing first chain initiation by scavenging initial radicals, binding metal ion catalysts decomposing primary products to non-radical compounds and chain breaking to prevent continued hydrogen abstraction from substrates. Natural anti-oxidants from dietary sources include Phenolic and Polyphenolic compounds, chelators, anti-oxidants vitamins and enzymes as well as carotenoids and carnosine. Antioxidants are emerging as prophylactic and therapeutic agents. Natural antioxidants have potential to balance the irregulated oxidative stress and to restore the cellular homeostasis. After preclinical and clinical studies of anti-oxidants, most of the plant products have now been shown to act as potential therapeutic agents in preventing various human pathologies. The current change in the healthy lifestyle advocates search for more natural antioxidants with strong therapeutic potential which can eventually replace with synthetic drugs having unwanted side effects. Thus, identification and development of natural antioxidants play an essential role in the prevention or therapy of human diseases.

Keywords: Anti-oxidants, Reactive Oxygen Species, Phenolic compounds, Nutritional attributes, Therapeutic attributes.