Resistant Properties: Medicinal Plants And Anti-Oxidant Properties
Medicinal Plants and Anti-oxidant Properties.
An antioxidant can be defined as “any substance that, when present in low concentrations compared to that of an oxidisable substrate, significantly delays or inhibits the oxidation of that substrate” (Young and Woodside, 2001). It is well known that oxidant by-products of normal metabolism such as free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in excess can cause extensive damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids. Under stress, the body produces more ROS, such as superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical, which are highly reactive and potentially damaging transient chemical species.
These are continuously produced in the human body, as they are essential for energy supply, detoxification, chemical signaling, …show more content…
Some of the in vivo free radicals play a positive role in phagocytosis, energy production, and regulation of cell growth etc., however, free radicals may also be damaging. Free radicals, produced in the body, react with various biological molecules namely lipids, proteins, and deoxyribonucleic acids resulting in the imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants. Even though our body is safeguarded by natural antioxidant defense, there is always a demand for antioxidants from natural sources (Rimbach et al., 2005; Narayanaswamy and Balakrishnan, 2011).
Antioxidants stabilize or deactivate free radicals, often before they attack targets in biological cells (Nunes et al., 2012), also, reduce the oxidative stress in cells and are therefore useful in the treatment of many human diseases. There are various endogenous and exogenous sources of antioxidants. The endogenous sources include antioxidant enzymes “superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, low-molecular weight antioxidants” and exogenous sources such as food sources and medicinal plants (Krishnaiah et al., 2011; Kotebagilu et al., …show more content…
Since ancient times, spices added to different types of food to improve flavors are also well known for their antioxidant capacities. In recent decades, there has been great interest in screening essential oils and various plant extracts for natural antioxidants because of their good antioxidant properties.
Large number of medicinal plants has been investigated for their antioxidant compounds which protects the cells against the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species. Natural antioxidants either in the form of raw extracts or their chemical constituents are very effective to prevent the destructive processes caused by oxidative stress (Zengin et al., 2011).
Studies on herbal plants, vegetables, and fruits have indicated the presence of antioxidants such as phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and proanthocyanidins which may help to protect the cells against the oxidative damage caused by free-radicals. They are well known as radical scavengers, metal chelators, reducing agents, hydrogen donors and singlet oxygen quenchers (Proestos et al., 2006; Narayanaswamy and Balakrishnan, 2011; Moustafa et al., 2014
An antioxidant can be defined as “any substance that, when present in low concentrations compared to that of an oxidisable substrate, significantly delays or inhibits the oxidation of that substrate” (Young and Woodside, 2001). It is well known that oxidant by-products of normal metabolism such as free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in excess can cause extensive damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids. Under stress, the body produces more ROS, such as superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical, which are highly reactive and potentially damaging transient chemical species.
These are continuously produced in the human body, as they are essential for energy supply, detoxification, chemical signaling, …show more content…
Some of the in vivo free radicals play a positive role in phagocytosis, energy production, and regulation of cell growth etc., however, free radicals may also be damaging. Free radicals, produced in the body, react with various biological molecules namely lipids, proteins, and deoxyribonucleic acids resulting in the imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants. Even though our body is safeguarded by natural antioxidant defense, there is always a demand for antioxidants from natural sources (Rimbach et al., 2005; Narayanaswamy and Balakrishnan, 2011).
Antioxidants stabilize or deactivate free radicals, often before they attack targets in biological cells (Nunes et al., 2012), also, reduce the oxidative stress in cells and are therefore useful in the treatment of many human diseases. There are various endogenous and exogenous sources of antioxidants. The endogenous sources include antioxidant enzymes “superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, low-molecular weight antioxidants” and exogenous sources such as food sources and medicinal plants (Krishnaiah et al., 2011; Kotebagilu et al., …show more content…
Since ancient times, spices added to different types of food to improve flavors are also well known for their antioxidant capacities. In recent decades, there has been great interest in screening essential oils and various plant extracts for natural antioxidants because of their good antioxidant properties.
Large number of medicinal plants has been investigated for their antioxidant compounds which protects the cells against the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species. Natural antioxidants either in the form of raw extracts or their chemical constituents are very effective to prevent the destructive processes caused by oxidative stress (Zengin et al., 2011).
Studies on herbal plants, vegetables, and fruits have indicated the presence of antioxidants such as phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and proanthocyanidins which may help to protect the cells against the oxidative damage caused by free-radicals. They are well known as radical scavengers, metal chelators, reducing agents, hydrogen donors and singlet oxygen quenchers (Proestos et al., 2006; Narayanaswamy and Balakrishnan, 2011; Moustafa et al., 2014