Phytochemicals in health and disease

328 Pages·2004·3.994 MB·English

by  Yongping Bao, Roger Fenwick

Phytochemicals in Health and Disease
OXIDATIVE STRESS AND DISEASE

Series Editors
LESTER PACKER, PH.D.
ENRIQUE CADENAS, M.D., PH.D.
University of Southern California School of Pharmacy
Los Angeles, California
1. Oxidative Stress in Cancer, AIDS, and Neurodegenerative Diseases, edited by Luc
Montagnier, René Olivier, and Catherine Pasquier
2. Understanding the Process of Aging: The Roles of Mitochondria, Free Radicals, and
Antioxidants, edited by Enrique Cadenas and Lester Packer
3. Redox Regulation of Cell Signaling and Its Clinical Application, edited by Lester
Packer and Junji Yodoi
4. Antioxidants in Diabetes Management, edited by Lester Packer, Peter Rösen, Hans
J.Tritschler, George L.King, and Angelo Azzi
5. Free Radicals in Brain Pathophysiology, edited by Giuseppe Poli, Enrique Cadenas,
and Lester Packer
6. Nutraceuticals in Health and Disease Prevention, edited by KlausKrämer, Peter-Paul
Hoppe, and Lester Packer
7. Environmental Stressors in Health and Disease, edited by Jürgen Fuchs and Lester
Packer
8. Handbook of Antioxidants: Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, edited by Enrique
Cadenas and Lester Packer
9. Flavonolds in Health and Disease: Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, edited by
Catherine A.Rice-Evans and Lester Packer
10. Redox—Genome Interactions in Health and Disease, edited by Jürgen Fuchs,
Maurizio Podda, and Lester Packer
11. Thiamine: Catalytic Mechanisms in Normal and Disease States, edited by Frank
Jordan and Mulchand S.Patel
12. Phytochemicals in Health and Disease, edited by Yongping Bao and Roger Fenwick
Related Volumes
Vitamin E in Health and Disease: Biochemistry and Clinical Applications, edited by
Lester Packer and Jürgen Fuchs
Vitamin A in Health and Disease, edited by Rune Blomhoff
Free Radicals and Oxidation Phenomena in Biological Systems, edited by Marcel
Roberfroid and Pedro Buc Calderon
Biothiols in Health and Disease, edited by Lester Packer and Enrique Cadenas
Handbook of Antioxidants, edited by Enrique Cadenas and Lester Packer
Handbook of Synthetic Antioxidants, edited by Lester Packer and Enrique Cadenas
Vitamin C in Health and Disease, edited by Lester Packer and Jürgen Fuchs
Lipoic Acld in Health and Disease, edited by Jürgen Fuchs, Lester Packer, and Guido
Zimmer
Additional Volumes in Preparation
Carotenoids in Health and Disease, edited by Norman I.Krinsky, Susan T.Mayne, and
Helmut Sies
Herbal Medicine, edited by Lester Packer, Choon Nam Ong, and Barry Halliwell

Phytochemicals in Health and
Disease
edited by
YONGPING BAO
ROGER FENWICK
Institute of Food Research Norwich, England

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Series Introduction

Oxygen is a dangerous friend. Overwhelming evidence indicates that oxidative stress can
lead to cell and tissue injury. However, the same free radicals that are generated during
oxidative stress are produced during normal metabolism and thus are involved in both
human health and disease.
Free radicals are molecules with an odd number of electrons. The odd, or
unpaired, electron is highly reactive as it seeks to pair with another free
electron.
Free radicals are generated during oxidative metabolism and energy
production in the body.
Free radicals are involved in:
Enzyme-catalyzed reactions
Electron transport in mitochondria
Signal transduction and gene expression
Activation of nuclear transcription factors
Oxidative damage to molecules, cells, and tissues
Antimicrobial action of neutrophils and macrophages
Aging and disease
Normal metabolism is dependent on oxygen, a free radical. Through evolution, oxygen
was chosen as the terminal electron acceptor for respiration. The two unpaired electrons
of oxygen spin in the same direction; thus, oxygen is a biradical, but is not a very
dangerous free radical. Other oxygen-derived free radical species, such as superoxide or
hydroxyl radicals, formed during metabolism or by ionizing radiation are stronger
oxidants and are therefore more dangerous.
In addition to research on the biological effects of these reactive oxygen species,
research on reactive nitrogen species has been gathering momentum. NO, or nitrogen
monoxide (nitric oxide), is a free radical generated by NO synthase (NOS). This enzyme
modulates physiological responses such as vasodilation or signaling in the brain.
However, during inflammation, synthesis of NOS (iNOS) is induced. This iNOS can
result in the overproduction of NO, causing damage. More worrisome, however, is the
fact that excess NO can react with superoxide to produce the very toxic product
peroxynitrite. Oxidation of lipids, proteins, and DNA can result, thereby increasing the
likelihood of tissue injury.
Both reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are involved in normal cell regulation in
which oxidants and redox status are important in signal transduction. Oxidative stress is
increasingly seen as a major upstream component in the signaling cascade involved in
inflammatory responses, stimulating adhesion molecule and chemoattractant production.
Hydrogen peroxide, which breaks down to produce hydroxyl radicals, can also activate
NF-(B, a transcription factor involved in stimulating inflammatory responses. Excess
production of these reactive species is toxic, exerting cytostatic effects, causing
membrane damage, and activating pathways of cell death (apoptosis and/or necrosis).
Virtually all diseases thus far examined involve free radicals. In most cases, free
radicals are secondary to the disease process, but in some instances free radicals are
causal. Thus, there is a delicate balance between oxidants and antioxidants in health and
disease. Their proper balance is essential for ensuring healthy aging.
The term oxidative stress indicates that the antioxidant status of cells and tissues is
altered by exposure to oxidants. The redox status is thus dependent on the degree to
which a cell’s components are in the oxidized state. In general, the reducing environment
inside cells helps to prevent oxidative damage. In this reducing environment, disulfide
bonds (S-S) do not spontaneously form because sulfhydryl groups kept in the reduced
state (SH) prevent protein misfolding or aggregation. This reducing environment is
maintained by oxidative metabolism and by the action of antioxidant enzymes and
substances, such as glutathione, thioredoxin, vitamins E and C, and enzymes such as
superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and the selenium-dependent glutathione and
thioredoxin hydroperoxidases, which serve to remove reactive oxygen species.
Changes in the redox status and depletion of antioxidants occur during oxidative
stress. The thiol redox status is a useful index of oxidative stress mainly because
metabolism and NADPH-dependent enzymes maintain cell glutathione (GSH) almost
completely in its reduced state. Oxidized glutathione (glutathione disulfide, GSSG)
accumulates under conditions of oxidant exposure, and this changes the ratio of oxidized
to reduced glutathione; an increased ratio indicates oxidative stress. Many tissues contain
large amounts of glutathione, 2–4 mM in erythrocytes or neural tissues and up to 8 mM
in hepatic tissues. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can directly react with
glutathione to lower the levels of this substance, the cell’s primary preventative
antioxidant.
Current hypotheses favor the idea that lowering oxidative stress can have a clinical
benefit. Free radicals can be overproduced or the natural antioxidant system defenses
weakened, first resulting in oxidative stress, and then leading to oxidative injury and
disease. Examples of this process include heart disease and cancer. Oxidation of human
low-density lipoproteins is considered the first step in the progression and eventual
development of atherosclerosis, leading to cardiovascular disease. Oxidative DNA
damage initiates carcinogenesis.
Compelling support for the involvement of free radicals in disease development comes
from epidemiological studies showing that an enhanced antioxidant status is associated
with reduced risk of several diseases. Vitamin E and prevention of cardiovascular disease
is a notable example. Elevated antioxidant status is also associated with decreased
incidence of cataracts and cancer, and some recent reports have suggested an inverse
correlation between antioxidant status and occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes
mellitus. Indeed, the number of indications in which antioxidants may be useful in the
prevention and/or the treatment of disease is increasing.
Oxidative stress, rather than being the primary cause of disease, is more often a
secondary complication in many disorders. Oxidative stress diseases include
inflammatory bowel diseases, retinal ischemia, cardiovascular disease and restenosis,
AIDS, ARDS, and neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke, Parkin-son’s disease, and
Alzheimer’s disease. Such indications may prove amenable to antioxidant treatment
because there is a clear involvement of oxidative injury in these disorders.
In this series of books, the importance of oxidative stress in diseases associated with
organ systems of the body is highlighted by exploring the scientific evidence and the
medical applications of this knowledge. The series also highlights the major natural
antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant substances such as vitamins E, A, and C, flavonoids,
polyphenols, carotenoids, lipoic acid, and other nutrients present in food and beverages.
Oxidative stress is an underlying factor in health and disease. More and more evidence
indicates that a proper balance between oxidants and antioxidants is involved in
maintaining health and longevity and that altering this balance in favor of oxidants may
result in pathological responses causing functional disorders and disease. This series is
intended for researchers in the basic biomedical sciences and clinicians. The potential for
healthy aging and disease prevention necessitates gaining further knowledge about how
oxidants and antioxidants affect biological systems.
Lester Packer Enrique Cadenas