OXIDATIVE STRESS: THE SILENT CULPRIT BEHIND MODERN DISEASES

Abstract

The extra production of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the lack of suitable antioxidants to counteract their impact has become the key to the pathogenesis of a broad spectrum of diseases. Finally, being perceived as a biochemical quainter, oxidative stress is currently being viewed as one of the key processes affecting aging, prolonged inflammation, metabolic illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and even cancer ¹. It is also important to the clinician and researchers to understand its implications to come up with preventive and therapeutic approaches. At the cellular level, ROS are very unstable molecules that are mainly produced after the respiration process of the mitochondria, enzyme reactions, and environmental exposures like pollution, radiations, and toxins. Whereas ROS physiological concentrations play a significant role in signaling, immune protection, and cellular homeostasis, their intrusion results into lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, and protein modification. Such molecular dysfunctions add up to tissue malfunction and organ injury, which is a frequently shared feature among disease processes ².