Question

Why might a patient with a mitochondrial disorder take antioxidants?

Answer 1

Ans-
Mitochondria play an important role in energy metabolism as well as in intermediary metabolism and in many other important functions such as iron-sulfur center assembly, thermogenesis, and heme biosynthesis. The excessive oxidative damage is a major factor because the mitochondrial respiratory chain is responsible for the damaging the reactive oxygen species superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, the mitochondria-targeted antioxidants are used as therapeutic for mitochondrial disorder because it reduces the oxidative damage, as a result, it reduces the levels of reactive oxygen such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide that block the reactions of mitochondrial oxidative damage.