[Advances in the research of lipoxygenase inhibitors]

Lipoxygenase is a protein with non-heme iron atom, which has been discovered in many animals and plants. Lipoxygenase which has a close relationship with human tumors, inflammatory diseases, asthma, arteriosclerosis, and toxic action of chemicals could not only di-oxygenate endogenous polyunsaturated fatty acid to yield bioactive factors such as leukotrienes(LTs), but also has co-oxidation activity to activate xenobiotics. Lipoxygenase inhibitors include hydroxamic acid derivatives, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, flavonoids, FLAP inhibitors and so on. All of them can effectively restrain the catalytic action of lipoxygenase. Literatures demonstrate that the inhibitors can block the formation of relevant bioactive factors and toxic products of xenobiotics clinically which are used to prevent and cure the relevant diseases to keep people healthy.