Free radical production occurs continuously in all cells as part of normal cellular function. However, excess free radical production originating from endogenous or exogenous sources might responsible for the cell damage in the body and contribute to various kinds of health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, macular degeneration, and cancer. Antioxidants are an inhibitor of the process of oxidation, even at relatively small concentration and thus have diverse physiological role in the body. A variety of free radical scavenging antioxidants is found in dietary sources like fruits, vegetables and tea, etc.
Free oxygen radicals plays cardinal role in the etiology of several diseases like arthritis, cancer, atherosclerosis etc. The oxidative damage to DNA may play vital role in aging2and the presence of intracellular oxygen also can be responsible to initiate a chain of inadvertent reaction at the cellular level and these reaction cause damage to critical cell bio-molecules. These radicals are highly toxic and thus generate oxidative stress in plants.
Based on their solubility, antioxidants are broadly categorized into two groups: water soluble and lipid soluble. In general, water-soluble antioxidants, such as ascorbic acid, glutathione, and uric acid, have functions in the cell cytosol and the blood plasma.
Vitamin C, Vitamin E, α-carotene , Licopein, Selenium, Polyphenol, Glutathione, Proxidase, Cystine are main sources of antioxidants. Fruit juices, beverages and hot drinks contain high amounts of antioxidants, like polyphenols, vitamin C, vitamin E, Maillard reaction products, â-carotene, and lycopene. The consumption of fruit juices, beverages and hot drinks was found to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by degenerative diseases.
What is
antioxidant?
