Įarly research on the role of antioxidants in biology focused on their use in preventing the oxidation of unsaturated fats, which is the cause of rancidity. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, extensive study concentrated on the use of antioxidants in important industrial processes, such as the prevention of metal corrosion, the vulcanization of rubber, and the polymerization of fuels in the fouling of internal combustion engines. Originally, the term antioxidant specifically referred to a chemical that prevented the consumption of oxygen. The evolution of angiosperm plants between 50 and 200 million years ago resulted in the development of many antioxidant pigments – particularly during the Jurassic period – as chemical defences against reactive oxygen species that are byproducts of photosynthesis. History Īs part of their adaptation from marine life, terrestrial plants began producing non-marine antioxidants such as ascorbic acid ( vitamin C), polyphenols and tocopherols. Dietary supplements marketed as antioxidants have not been shown to maintain health or prevent disease in humans. The only dietary antioxidants are vitamins A, C, and E, but the term antioxidant has also been applied to numerous other dietary compounds that only have antioxidant properties in vitro, with little evidence for antioxidant properties in vivo. In cells, antioxidants such as glutathione, mycothiol or bacillithiol, and enzyme systems like superoxide dismutase, can prevent damage from oxidative stress. Food are also treated with antioxidants to forestall spoilage, in particular the rancidification of oils and fats. Antioxidants are frequently added to industrial products, such as polymers, fuels, and lubricants, to extend their useable lifetimes. Autoxidation leads to degradation of organic compounds, including living matter. Structure of the antioxidant, glutathioneĪntioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation (usually occurring as autoxidation), a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals.
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