Have you ever wondered what is a free radical? A free radical, by definition, is any chemical species possessing one or more unpaired electron(s). It has been shown that free radicals including reactive oxygen species (e.g. oxygen-derived radicals) are constantly formed in the human body by normal metabolism. For example, the superoxide radical (O2- ) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are known to be generated in many organs (e.g. brain and liver). Those species, in turn, can stimulate other radical reactions in the presence of trace metals (e.g. iron) or other enzymes (e.g. peroxidase).
In general free radicals are very reactive and can trigger chain reactions that are capable of causing damage to different biological targets such as cells, proteins, lipids and DNA. Recently free-radical mechanisms have been implicated in the pathology of many human diseases including cancer, stroke, malaria, arthritis, neuro-degenerative diseases as well as in aging and HIV infections. However, not every free radical is bad; for example, nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical which plays a key role in the regulation of mammalian physiology in the cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems.
So, what do free radicals look like? Can one detect or prove the presence of free radicals? Good question! Direct detection of free radicals has become a challenge to scientists in many fields of biological research. Electron spin resonance (ESR) is a spectroscopic technique that detects the unpaired electron present in a free radical. As such it is the only technique that can provide unequivocal evidence for the presence of a free radical. In addition, analysis of the ESR spectrum generally enables determination of the identity of the free radical (the analysis of ESR spectra will be discussed in a future issue). As we have discussed in a previous issue of Connections (December 1997), free radicals are in general short-lived and highly reactive and may not be detectable directly by ESR. In these cases, spin-trapping techniques combined with ESR detection has become the tool of choice for studying free radicals in biological systems.
Recently antioxidants are widely discussed in the clinical and nutritional literature because of their abilities to inactivate free radicals. In our body we have antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase that moderate the harmful effects of free radicals. However, other environmental sources of free radicals such as air pollution, smoke, alcohol, etc. also contribute to oxidative damage in our body. Hence these natural enzymes are not enough to defend against the continuous onslaught of natural and environmental free radicals.
So what can we do? Luckily we get antioxidants from our daily diets of fruits and vegetables or supplements. Recently vitamin E has been demonstrated to have remarkable protections against heart disease and some forms of cancer. However, it has not been proven that antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, taken as dietary supplements, provide the same level of protection as a diet that is in rich in fruits and vegetables. The benefit of natural antioxidants is so clear that you should listen to your mom to EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!
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