European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

AN OVERVIEW FREE RADICALS AND ANTIOXIDANTS IN THE CONTEXT OF AYURVEDA & CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE

Dr. Trupti Gupta, Dr. Arun Kumar Gupta and Dr. Satej T. Banne

ABSTRACT

In India the Ayurvedicschool of medicine is possibly the first to designate the science of life, its central theme being efforts to shield life from disease and aging. Accordingly Ayurveda situates a considerable thought on the science of Gerontology containing Rasayana Therapy. The prolongation of life is closely related with profound economical vagaries as well as with the changes of social structure. Each of these variations is studies under the special disciplines of Geriatrics and Gerontology. Ayurveda is known to deliberate the phenomenon of aging from entirely a new angle.Free radicals are atoms, ions or molecules that contain an unpaired electron. Thus, they become electrically charged because number of negatively charged electron does not match with positively charged protons. When a molecule loses or gains a single electron in its outer orbit, it becomes free radical. In fact, a free radical is defined as 'a molecule that can exist independently for a period of time with one or more unpaired electrons'. There are mainly two sources of free radicals that is Exogenous & Endogenous. Many types of free radical found in our body that is Superoxide radical, Hydrogen peroxide, Hydroxyl radical, Nitric Oxide (NO) radical, Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and Singlet oxygen. Free radicles can attack vital cell components like polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), proteins, and nucleic acids. To a lesser extent, carbohydrates are also the targets of ROS. These reactions can alter intrinsic membrane properties like fluidity, ion transport, loss of enzyme activity, protein cross linking, inhibition of protein synthesis, DNA damage; ultimately resulting in cell death. Some of the wellknown consequences of generation of the free radicals in vivo are. DNA strand scission, nucleic acid base modification, protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation. In Ayurveda, Rasayana are acting like Antioxidant.

Keywords: Free radicals, Antioxidants, Ayurveda, contemporary.