title: Antioxidants in health and disease: overview.
abstract: Molecular oxygen is an essential nutrient for higher forms of life. In addition to its normal physiological reactions, oxygen and its partially reduced forms can oxidize a variety of macromolecular and simpler compounds in cells and fluids of the body. Such oxidized and peroxidized compounds have been associated with, and may be causally related to, a variety of chronic diseases. As a protection against excessive oxidation, nature has developed a complex set of interactive antioxidant systems. Selected aspects of antioxidant actions are considered in this symposium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000503:physiopathology; D016897:Respiratory Burst; D012643:Selenium / Q000502:physiology; D013455:Sulfur / Q000502:physiology; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013481:Superoxides; D014810:Vitamin E; D013455:Sulfur; D012643:Selenium