Critical evaluation of ayurvedic plants for stimulating intrinsic antioxidant response

Oxidative damage caused by free radicals plays an important role in the causation and progression of many diseases, including aging. Free-radical damage is countered by many mechanisms, including both active antioxidant enzymatic activity in our body and passive antioxidants. Antioxidant response of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in neuroscience 2012-01, Vol.6, p.112-112
Main Authors: Shukla, Sunil Dutt, Bhatnagar, Maheep, Khurana, Sukant
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Antioxidants
Brain research
Cancer
Carbohydrates
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Disease
DNA
DNA damage
Enzymatic activity
Enzymes
Fatty acids
Free radicals
Herbal medicine
Lipid peroxidation
Lipids
Membranes
Metabolism
Mitochondrial DNA
Nervous system
Neuroscience
Oxidation
Oxidative stress
Physiology
Proteins
Stimulants
Traditional medicine
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Summary:Oxidative damage caused by free radicals plays an important role in the causation and progression of many diseases, including aging. Free-radical damage is countered by many mechanisms, including both active antioxidant enzymatic activity in our body and passive antioxidants. Antioxidant response of our body can accommodate increased oxidative damage in diseased states to a level but beyond that level, additional antioxidants are required to combat the increased stress. Apart from the regular dietary sources of antioxidants, many traditional herbal medicines demonstrate a potential to boost antioxidant activity. Rasayana chikitsa that deals with rejuvenation and revitalization is a branch of the Indian traditional medical system of ayurveda. We review some select herbs described in rasayana chikitsa that have been assessed by modern means for stimulating intrinsic antioxidant responses in humans. A critical evaluation of rasayana chikitsa will likely provide urgently needed, actual stimulants of our physiological antioxidant responses and not just more passive antioxidants to add to an already large catalog.
ISSN:1662-4548
1662-453X
1662-4548
DOI:10.3389/fnins.2012.00112