Antioxidants and Saliva : A Review

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a devastating disease throughout the world. It has been estimated that the number of peoples affected with diabetes in the world will increase to 300 million by 2025 (1). Diabetes is associated with several mechanisms, one of which is oxidative stress. Increased oxidative stress is a widely accepted participant in the development and progression of diabetes and its complications (2,3). Oxidative stress is a general term used to describe the imbalance between the production and manifestation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system’s ability to ready detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage (4). Oxidative stress occurs when free radical production exceeds the body’s ability to neutralize them. The imbalance may be due to either: decrease production of antioxidants; or excessive production of free radicals. In diabetes, free radicals are formed disproportionately by glucose oxidation, non-enzymatic glycation of proteins and the subsequent oxidative degradation of glycated proteins (5). Abnormally high levels of free radicals and the simultaneous decline of antioxidant defense mechanisms can lead to damage of cellular organelles and enzymes, increased lipid peroxidation and development of insulin resistance (6). These consequences of oxidative stress can promote the development of complications of diabetes mellitus.