The Antioxidant Story

Returning now to antioxidants one of the first, very well-known representatives of the group was /rau5-resveratrol (— 2.10), which is found in red wine. The compound was tested in several preclinical studies and its antioxidant effect was assumed to explain the benefits of moderate wine consumption. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, the compoimd made headlines because, as a journalist wrote, it prolongs life span. Unfortunately, the newspapers neglected to mention that this effect was proved only in yeast cultures. In addition, flavonoids, carotenoids and other antioxidants were in the news, too, without any Imman-related scientific backgrotmd. 

Today s stars are pomegranate with exceptionally high antioxidant activity ( Packed with powerful antioxidants and vitamins, this ruby-red fruit has been shown to be a cttre-all for just about any ailment ), astaxanthin produced by some algae ( tmique anti-oxidant and king of the carotenoids ), green tea ( rejuvenate 

Free radicals participate in a wide variety of chemical reactions. The most significant radicals in the human body are the superoxide radical (O2 ) and the hydroxyl radical (OH ). These radicals cause the oxidative damage of biomolecules. Substances eliminating free radicals can be used to prevent these harmful processes. Free radicals can be decomposed enzymatically superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase enzymes are the major players in this game. Superoxide dismutase catalyzes the following reaction  

Glutathione peroxidase oxidizes glutathione by converting hydrogen peroxide to water  

H2O2 + reduced glutathione IWfi + oxidized glutathione 

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Colgan. M. Antioxidants, The Real Story, Apple Publishing Company. New York, NY, 1999. 

These observations on the pro-oxidant behavior of the antioxidant (normally) a-Toc in micelles and lipid membranes provide some insight into the remarkable pro-oxidant activity of a-Toc in low density lipoprotein, LDL, under in vitro conditions. The radical initiated oxidation of LDL is of great interest because it is implicated in heart disease. The tocopherol-mediated peroxidation (TMP) of LDL was reported on in detail by Bowry and Stocker and is also the subject of timely, detailed reviews . This interesting story will not be reviewed again here, but these articles are highly recommended since they provide important insight into the unique behavior of a-Toc. 

While a striking departure in its own right, this new story leads to a conclusion that dovetails with a great deal of recent medical research, in particular the complexities associated with antioxidant treatments. The continuous strain between external and internal oxygen levels lies at the root of many human ailments — a strain that is ultimately worked out in the antioxidant balance of individual cells. The retention of a primordial antioxidant balance is analogous to the salt composition of fluids in the... 

So what causes this unique effect of red wine Part of the story is the high trace element content in comparison with beer or spirits, but this is not all. White wine and red wine are very similar as far as the main components are concerned. Red wine, however, contains about 20 times more of polyphenol derivatives than white wine. Alcohohc beverages are pro-oxidants, which means that they increase the intensity of oxidation processes. Alcohol itself is responsible for this effect. Red wine, however, is an antioxidant (—>3.31) thanks to its polyphenol content. Antioxidants were very intensely researched in the 1980s and 1990s, which also contributed to the increasing interest in red wine. The presence of polyphenols is required for this effect, but this is still not the whole story. 

Morel et al. (1993) have reported that three flavanoids (catechin, quercetin and diosmetin) are cytoprotective on iron-loaded hepatocyte cultures. Their cytoprotective activity (catechin > quercetin > diosmetin) correlated with their iron-chelating ability (Morel et al., 1993). These compounds should also be good phenolic antioxidants so iron chelation may only be part of the story. 

The evolution of HALS technology to meet the requirements of emerging polyolefin markets and applications is a story of continuous improvement and structure/property optimisation [19-21], Current trends in the industry are toward low-volatility, extraction-resistant, hindered phenolic AOs, such as oligomeric polysiloxane based, high-MW antioxidants... 

It would be better if we could rev up NO production without drugs. We can do just that with four unique antioxidants taken as dietary supplements. So now we turn to the payoff in this story, with four ways to increase NO and protect our arteries while lowering blood pressure dramatically. 

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