Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Halliwell, Barry

Titel

Reflections of an aging free radical

Ist Teil von

• Free radical biology & medicine, 2020-12, Vol.161, p.234-245

Ort / Verlag

United States: Elsevier Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2020

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Elsevier ScienceDirect Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• In this mini-reflection, I explain how during my doctoral work in a Botany Department I first became interested in H2O2 and later in my career in other reactive oxygen species, especially the role of “catalytic” iron and haem compounds (including leghaemoglobin) in promoting oxidative damage. The important roles that H2O2, other ROS and dietary plants play in respect to humans are discussed. I also review the roles of diet-derived antioxidants in relation to human disease, presenting reasons why clinical trials using high doses of natural antioxidants have generally given disappointing results. Iron chelators and ergothioneine are reviewed as potential cytoprotective agents with antioxidant properties that may be useful therapeutically. The discovery of ferroptosis may also lead to novel agents that can be used to treat certain diseases. •I become interested in H2O2 early in my career when working on plants.•H2O2 and other ROS play key roles in humans and other organisms.•H2O2 is widespread in the environment.•Catalytic iron or haem can catalyse oxidative damage.•As a result, the body tries to sequester them into redox-inactive forms.•Ergothioneine, iron chelators, and ferroptosis inhibitors may be promising therapeutic agents.