Abstract
Overproduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can result from exposure to environmental pollutants, such as ionising and nonionising radiation, ultraviolet radiation, elevated concentrations of ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, cigarette smoke, asbestos, particulate matter, pesticides, dioxins and furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and many other compounds present in the environment. It appears that increased oxidative/nitrosative stress is often neglected mechanism by which environmental pollutants affect human health. Oxidation of and oxidative damage to cellular components and biomolecules have been suggested to be involved in the aetiology of several chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and aging. Several studies have demonstrated that the human body can alleviate oxidative stress using exogenous antioxidants. However, not all dietary antioxidant supplements display protective effects, for example, β-carotene for lung cancer prevention in smokers or tocopherols for photooxidative stress. In this review, we explore the increases in oxidative stress caused by exposure to environmental pollutants and the protective effects of antioxidants.
Highlights
Many environmental pollutants are sources of several reactive species (RS)
In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that antioxidant nutrients and related bioactive compounds common in fruits and vegetables can protect against environmental toxic insults
It is important to emphasise that antioxidants as dietary supplements can provide protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced damage under conditions of elevated oxidative stress to the organism
Summary
Many environmental pollutants are sources of several reactive species (RS). RS is a collective term that includes both oxygen radicals and other reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). The term reactive oxygen species (ROS) is often used to include free radicals and the nonradicals (e.g., 1O2, ONOO−, H2O2, O3) [1]. There is strong evidence that RS is involved in oxidative/ nitrosative stress (O/NS) as a common mechanism by which several environmental pollutants induce damage. Environmental pollutants stimulate a variety of mechanisms of toxicity on molecular level and oxidative stress seems to be the common denominator leading to the damage to cellular membrane lipids, DNA, and proteins [2], as well as modulation of antioxidant enzymes. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity by individuals living in polluted areas, or (ii) physiological protection to increase the antioxidative defence of the organism. There is growing scientific evidence that low molecularweight antioxidants are involved in the prevention of or the decrease in the damage caused by certain environmental pollutants. The current evidence suggests that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables or certain dietary supplements can substantially enhance the protection against many common types of environmentally induced O/NS
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