Editorial Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative and Psychiatric Disorders

摘要

Neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders represent major economic burden more than all cancers and cardiovascular diseases combined with depression alone being the number one cause of disability. A better and clear understanding of pathogenic mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders is required to fulfill the unmet need of new treatments for aforementioned disorders. Free radicals are a common outcome of normal aerobic cellular metabolism. Imbalanced defense mechanism of antioxidants, overproduction or incorporation of free radicals from environment to living system leads to serious penalty leading to neuro-degeneration. Toxicity of free radicals contributes to proteins and DNA injury, inflammation, tissue damage and subsequent cellular apoptosis. Antioxidants are now being looked upon as persuasive therapeutics against solemn neuronal loss, as they have the capability to combat by neutralizing free radicals. Diet is a major source of antioxidants, as well as medicinal herbs are catching attention to be the commercial source of antioxidants at present. Furthermore, antioxidants may help protect against mitochondrial dysfunction, neurotransmitters imbalance and another harmful condition that commonly accompanies aging and disease states.