Antioxidative effects, sulfur amino acids

For a long time, it was considered that, unlike the other vitamins, vitamin E had no specific functions rather it was the major Upid-soluble, radicaltrapping antioxidant in membranes. Many of its functions can be met by synthetic antioxidants however, some of the effects of vitamin E deficiency in experimental animals, including testicular atrophy and necrotizing myopathy, do not respond to synthetic antioxidants. The antioxidant roles of vitamin E and the trace element selenium are closely related and, to a great extent, either can compensate for a deficiency of the other. The sulfur amino acids (methionine and cysteine) also have a vitamin E-sparing effect. 

The occurrence of heat- and chemical-induced transformations of tryptophan and the nutritional and toxicologic consequences suggest a need for additional research to define possible approaches to prevent or minimize the formation of antinutritional and toxic tryptophan condensation and oxidation products in foods. The possible beneficial effects of antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, carotenes, flavonoids, indole derivatives, selenium compounds, and sulfur amino acids in enhancing the stability of tryptophan in foods need to be investigated. 

Sulfur-containing amino acids like cysteine, methionine and tripeptide glutathione are very powerful antioxidants that participate in different stages of free-radical chain reactions of biomolecule oxidation [18]. For example, cysteine participates in the synthesis of taurine, the substance that effectively blocks the peroxide oxidation of lipids by binding hypochlorite anion to form chloramine complex. In any organism, cysteine and glutathione reduces the oxidized form of vitamin C to its initial active form while methionine (being an... 

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