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Screening methods for antioxidants-a review
Indu Pal Kaur1, Thiraviam Geetha
1Department of Pharmaceutics, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160014, India. indupalkaur@yahoo.com
Abstract:
Various environmental, physical and chemical stresses on cells may induce either an overproduction of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) or a deficiency of antioxidant enzymes. ROS are responsible for various cellular anomalies like protein damage, deactivation of enzymes, alteration of DNA and lipid peroxidation which in turn leads to pathological conditions like carcinogenesis, reperfusion injury, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes etc. The regular intake of antioxidants seems to limit or prevent the dangerous effects caused by ROS. Thus, to maintain cellular health, it is important to have a specific and effective antioxidant that scavenges multiple types of free radicals so that it can be used in multiple diseases. Different in vitro and in vivo test systems are available in the literature to assess the free radical scavenging activity of various compounds. Based on the efficiency of free radical scavenging, the compounds are classified into strong, moderate and weak antioxidants. The following review explains the brief procedure and the principle behind various methods available in the literature, which can be used to determine the scavenging of different types of free radicals.
Insights
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) cause cellular damage linked to diseases. Antioxidants combat ROS, and various methods assess their free radical scavenging activity to identify effective compounds for health.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cellular stress induces Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) or antioxidant enzyme deficiency.
- ROS cause cellular damage (DNA alteration, lipid peroxidation) leading to diseases like cancer and diabetes.
- Antioxidants mitigate ROS effects, necessitating effective free radical scavengers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review methods for assessing antioxidant free radical scavenging activity.
- To understand the principles behind in vitro and in vivo antioxidant assays.
- To classify compounds based on their antioxidant efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of established in vitro and in vivo antioxidant assays.
- Explanation of principles for detecting free radical scavenging.
- Discussion of compound classification based on antioxidant strength.
Main Results:
- Multiple test systems exist to evaluate antioxidant capacity.
- Compounds can be categorized as strong, moderate, or weak antioxidants.
- Assays measure the ability of compounds to neutralize various free radicals.
Conclusions:
- Effective antioxidants are crucial for cellular health and disease prevention.
- Standardized methods are essential for quantifying antioxidant activity.
- Understanding free radical scavenging mechanisms aids in therapeutic development.
