Role of free radicals and certain antioxidants in the management of huntington’s disease: a review

Abstract

Antioxidants are the agents believed to quench the free radicals generation from an individual who start the stages of neurodegeneration. Free radicals are atoms that contain one or more unpaired electrons because of this property which makes them highly reactive. Because of this property these free radicals attached very quickly on the defective cell or that area causes a micro crack in the mitochondrial cell, causes cell damage. Oxidative free radicals are generated by metabolic reactions which can be creating a chain reaction with leading to membrane lipid per-oxidation and DNA damage at the cellular level in the neurons. Free radical has been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington & Alzheimer’s disease. Many endogenous and dietary compounds like vitamin E and C, superoxide dismutase, coenzyme Q10, ferritin, transferring, ceruloplasmin, α tocopherol, β carotene, α lipoate, lycopene and ascorbic acid have antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties that help to quench free radical in HD and delay the oxidative damage. Antioxidant can be used to defense the mitochondrial damage and several mechanisms include removal of O2, scavenging of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species or their precursors, inhibition of ROS formation and binding of metal ions needed for the catalysis of ROS, generation and up-regulation of endogenous antioxidant defenses the tissue damage which can be beneficial in HD. The present review deals with the effect of antioxidants on Huntington disease and certain antioxidants can be prepared by plant dietary fibers, fruits and some type of vegetables. Plants and polyphenols have the great role in the management of the symptoms of Huntington disease.