Oxidative stress-induced posttranslational modification of proteins as a target of functional food.

In lifestyle-related diseases including metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, and cancer, oxidative stress is indicated by several markers, among which are lipid peroxides, aldehydes, and nitrotyrosine. We hypothesized that identification of proteins that are posttranslationally modified due to oxidative stress would lead to a greater understanding of some of the potential molecular mechanisms involved in degeneration and inflammation in these disorders. Proteomics is an emerging method for identification of proteins and their modification residues, and its application to food factor science is just beginning. Especially, we can obtain several monoclonal antibodies to detect specifically oxidized proteins, which can be applied to analysis by immunostaining or immunoblot. In this review, we present the use of these monoclonal antibodies in several diseases, from which new insights have emerged into mechanisms of metabolism and inflammation in these disorders that are associated with oxidative stress.