Question

Not too long ago "free radicals" and quenching those "free radicals" was a big marketing push. We were told we needed to consume or apply antioxidants (in the marketed mixture of the day) in order to reverse or prevent free radical damage.

Please post a short description of an example of where some free radicals might originate and a potential antioxidant quench to eliminate them. Don't forget to discuss HOW the antioxidant would quench those radicals.

Please post something other than Vitamin C. Thank you

Answer 1

Antioxidant are molecules that inhibit or quench the free radical reactions or inhibit cellular damage. In biochemical reactions, the generation of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species are responsible for the oxidative stress in different pathophysiological conditions.

Antioxidant can be categorised as enzymatic or non enzymatic antioxidant. Enzymatic antioxidant breakdown and removes free radicals by converting hazardous oxidative products into H2O2 and water in the presence of cofactor such as copper, zinc, magnese and iron whereas NoN-enzymatic antioxidant interrupts free radical chain like vitamin E, carotenoids etc.

Understanding of radical generation and action mechanism of antioxidants is given below: