Antioxidants: New-generation therapeutic base for treatment of polygenic disorders

Abstract

Hyperphysiological burden of free radicals causes imbalance in homeostatic phenomena between oxidants and antioxidants in the body. This imbalance leads to oxidative stress that is being suggested as the root cause of aging and various human diseases like atherosclerosis, stroke, diabetes, cancer and neuro degenerative diseases such as Al zheimer’s disease and Parkinsonism. Therefore, in modern Western medicine, the balance between antioxidation and oxidation is believed to be a critical concept for maintaining a healthy biological system. Researches in the recent past have accumulated enormous evidence advocating enrichment of body systems with antioxidants to co rrect vitiated homeostasis and prevent the onset as well as treat the disease caused/fostered due to free rad icals and related oxidative stress. This article pr esents current understanding of the role of free radicals and oxidative stress in pathogen esis of various diseases and advancements made in developing antioxidantbased therapeutics and also discuss the opportunities to develop therapeutics from traditional medicinal practice.