Al-Madhagi Haitham, Masoud Anwar
Biochemical Technology Program, Dhamar University, Dhamar, Yemen.
Phytother Res. 2024 Dec;38(12):5549-5566. doi: 10.1002/ptr.8335. Epub 2024 Sep 11.
Our bodies are constantly exposed to or producing free radicals nearly on a daily basis. These highly reactive molecules are generated through a variety of internal and external processes and pathways within the body. If these free radicals are not neutralized by antioxidants, they can lead to a state of oxidative stress, which has been linked to a wide range of severe and debilitating disorders affecting various systems in the human body. This involves neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, atherosclerosis, fatty liver, inflammation, and aging. Thankfully, the human body is armed with a repertoire of powerful antioxidants with different natures and modes of action. The recent decades witnessed the publication of enormous papers proving antioxidant activity of a novel synthesized compound, plant extract, or a purified drug in vitro, in vivo, and even on human beings. However, the efficacy of antioxidant therapies in clinical trials, including selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A, has been notably inconsistent. This inconsistency can be primarily ascribed to different factors related to the nature of free radical generation, purpose and the specific type of therapy employed, and the intricate oxidative stress connected network, among others. Collectively, these factors will be explored in this review article to decipher the observed shortcomings in the application of antioxidant therapies within clinical settings.
我们的身体几乎每天都在持续接触或产生自由基。这些高反应性分子通过体内各种内部和外部过程及途径产生。如果这些自由基未被抗氧化剂中和，它们会导致氧化应激状态，而氧化应激与影响人体各个系统的一系列严重且使人衰弱的疾病有关。这包括神经退行性疾病、糖尿病、动脉粥样硬化、脂肪肝、炎症和衰老。幸运的是，人体拥有一系列具有不同性质和作用方式的强大抗氧化剂。近几十年来，大量论文发表，证明了一种新型合成化合物、植物提取物或纯化药物在体外、体内甚至在人体上的抗氧化活性。然而，抗氧化剂疗法在临床试验中的疗效，包括硒、维生素C、维生素E和维生素A，一直明显不一致。这种不一致主要可归因于与自由基产生的性质、治疗目的和所采用的具体治疗类型以及复杂的氧化应激关联网络等相关的不同因素。总体而言，本文将探讨这些因素，以解读在临床环境中抗氧化剂疗法应用中观察到的不足之处。
