AO/AOE |
Location/activity |
Discovery |
Key function(s) |
References |
SOD |
Epididymis |
1968 |
important enzyme |
Fridovich [212]; |
GPX |
Tissues |
1957 |
Destroys H2O2 and organic hydroperoxides by catalysing reduction of hydroperoxides. |
Mills [213]. |
CAT |
Peroxisomes |
1900 |
Antioxidant enzyme against hydrogen peroxide |
Loew [214]; Fujii et al. [193]; |
Vitamin C |
Mammalian tissues and plasma. Water soluble. |
Isolated in 1928 |
Body metabolism, antioxidant electron donor |
Burns [215]; Cheeseman et al. [216]; Bendich [141] |
Vitamin E |
Mammalian tissues and plasma. Lipid-soluble |
75 years ago |
Chain-breaking antioxidant; |
Evans and Bishop [125]; Burton et al. [126]; Ingold et al. [127]; Cheeseman et al. [216] |
Carotenoids (e.g. β-carotene) |
Pro-vitamin A |
1929 |
Singlet oxygen quenchers and as antioxidants |
Olson [217] |
Selenium |
In vivo micronutrient required for GPx |
first confirmed in 1933, identified in lab animals, 1957 |
Antioxidant, required for proper functioning of GPx. |
Spallholz [218]; Shor-Posner et al. [182]. |
Vitamin A |
Plasma |
1913 |
Immune function |
Olson [217] |
Lycopene |
Body tissues, testis |
|
potent antioxidant |
|
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) |
In vivo in plasma |
some
50 years ago |
Its effect is based on breaking of the disulphide bridges of the high-molecular-weight glycoproteins
of the mucus, resulting in reduced viscosity. Replenishes intracellular GSH levels |
Aitio [92]; Atkuri et al. [167]. |
Key: SOD is Superoxide dismutase: GPx is Glutathione peroxidase: CAT is Catalase; AO/AOE is antioxidant/antioxidant enzyme