I. Dementia
About 5-8% of all people over the age of 65 have some
form of dementia, and this number doubles every five years above that
age.
Dementia is the loss of mental ability that is severe enough to
interfere with
people's every life and Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of
dementia
in aging people. American typical diet contains high amount of saturated
and trans fat, artificial ingredients with less fruits and vegetable
which can lead to dementia and other kind of diseases.
II. Antioxidants
Antioxidant is defined as a molecule inhibited the oxidation of other molecules by a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent in preventing the occurrence of oxidation. A free radical is any atom or molecule that has a single unpaired
electron in an outer shell and highly reactive to react with other cell,
which in turn, causes oxidative damage to the enzymes, other protein,
unsaturated fatty acid, phospho-lipids, DNA and RNA, etc., leading to
aging of the organisms, as a result of widespread damage due to set of a
chain reaction auto-catalytically after attacking the lipid bilayers
of the cell walls.
III. Antioxidants and Dementia
A. Antioxidant enzymes
Antioxidant enzymes are chemical substances found in plants that can
protect the body from damage of free radicals by terminating the chain
reactions by removing free radical intermediates and inhibiting other
oxidation reactions.
1. Catalase
Catalase is an enzyme, found in
most living organisms that are exposed to oxygen helped to converse
hydrogen peroxide (free radicals) to water and oxygen as a rate of 40
million molecules of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen each second,
using either an iron or manganese cofactor.
2. Glutathione peroxidase
The
function of glutathione peroxidase is to protect the organism from
oxidative damage by reducing lipid hydroperoxides, an oxidation of lipid
cell membranes which can easily break and form free radicals of the form RO and converting free hydrogen peroxide to oxygen and water.
3. Glutathione reductase
Glutathione
reductase, an enzyme reduces pair of sulfur atoms glutathione to the a
organosulfur compound form of antioxidant (consisting of three amino acids joined by peptide bonds) which helps to prevent damage of important cellular components caused by free radicals and peroxides.
4. Super oxide dismutase (both Cu-Zn and Mn)
Super
oxide dismutase is an important antioxidant defense in nearly all
cells exposed to oxygen by converting superoxide into oxygen and
hydrogen peroxide depending on the metal cofactor such as both Cu-Zn
and Mn.
B. Metals binding proteins
1. Ceruloplasmin
Ceruloplasmin, the major copper-carrying protein in the blood plays a role in iron metabolism. It prevents the oxidation that leads to the forming of oxidation from Fe2+ (ferrous iron) into Fe3+
(ferric iron) by exhibiting a copper-dependent oxidase activity,
causing mutations in the ceruloplasmin gene cause of iron overload in
the brain, liver, pancreas, and retina.
2. Ferritin
Ferritin,
the protein produced by almost all living organisms, acts as a
component to fight against iron deficiency and iron overload, keep in a
soluble and non-toxic form and transport it to the body needs,
including organs. It enhances the immune system in the presence of an
infection or cancer and prevent the infectious agent attempts to bind
iron to become free radicals by migrating from the plasma to within
cells.
3. Lactoferrin
Lactoferrin,
a multifunctional protein of the transferrin family, is one of the
components of the immune system of the body by fighting against foreign
invasion of bacteria and virus and lipid oxidation by inhibiting
oxidation in a concentration-dependent manner even at concentrations
beyond its capacity.
4. Metallotheinein
Metallotheinein, a family of cysteine-rich, low molecular weight proteins helps to bind both physiological heavy metals through the organosulfur compound of
its cysteine residues. It also captures harmful superoxide and
hydroxyl radicals by liberating the metal ions which were bound to
cysteine.
5. Transferrin
Transferrin
is a glycoprotein that binds iron very tightly but reversibly. It
enhance the immune system in fighting against infection, inflammation by
creating an environment low in free iron that impedes bacteria
survival and cell oxidation.
6. Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin
is the protein molecule in red blood cells that enhances the carrying
of oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and return CO2 from the tissues to the lungs.
During oxidate stress, the cell membrane is protected by intraerythrocytic hemoglobin from the forming of free radical.
7. Myoglobin
Myoglobin
is an iron- and oxygen-binding protein found in the muscle tissue of
vertebrates. The binding of oxygen by myoglobin is unaffected by the
oxidation or chain of oxidative reaction in the surrounding tissue, thus
reducing the free radicals damage caused by oxidate stress.
8. Etc.
C. Common Free Radical Scavengers
Bilirubin
Bilirubin is a prosthetic group
which helps to break down molecules into smaller units in releasing
energy, excreted in bile and urine. It is a cellular antioxidant, by
reverting to biliverdin, a green tetrapyrrolic bile pigment, once again
when oxidized that inhibits the effects of mutagens.
2. Carotenoids
Carotenoids
are organic pigments, occurring in the chloroplasts and chromoplasts
of plants and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae, some
bacteria.
a. Beta-carotene
Beta-Carotene, an organic compound and classified as a terpenoid, a strongly-coloured red-orange pigment in plants and fruits.
a.1.
It is not toxic and stored in liver for the production of vitamin A
that inhibits cancer cell in experiment. Beta-carotene also neutralize
singlet oxygen before giving rise of free radicals which can damage of
DNA, leading to improper cell DNA replication, causing cancers.
a.2. Cell communication
Researcher
found that beta-carotene enhances the communication between cell can
reduce the risk of cancer by making cells division more reliable.
a.3. Immune system
Beta-carotene
promotes the immune system in identifying the foreign invasion such as
virus and bacteria by increasing the quality of MHC2 protein in
maintaining optimal function of white cells.
a.4. Polyunsaturated fat
Researchers
found that beta-carotene also inhibits the oxidation of
polyunsaturated fat and lipoprotein in the blood that reduce the risk
of plaques build up onto the arterial walls, causing heart diseases and
stroke.
a.5. There are more benefits of beta-carotene.
3. Flavonoids
Flavonoids also known as Vitamin P and citrin are
a yellow pigments having a structure similar to that of flavones
occurred in varies plants. it has been in human history for over
thousands of years and discovered by A. S. Szent-Gyorgi in 1930. As he
used vitamin C and flavonoids to heal the breakage of capillaries, which
caused swelling and obstruction of blood flow. Most plants have more
than one group or type act as predominate.
Flavonoids process a
property as antioxidants. it helps to neutralize many of reactive oxygen
species (ROS), including singlet oxygen, hydroxyl and superoxide
radicals.
Although nitric oxide is considered a free radical produced
by immune system to destroy bacteria and cancerous cells, but when it
is over produced, it causes the production peroxynitrite which may
attack protein, lipid and DNA, Flavonoids inhibit NO production of
peroxynitrite due to reduction of enzyme expression.
4. Vitamin A, C, E. D.
a. Vitamin A
Vitamin
A occurs in the form retinol and is best known for its function in
maintaining the health of cell membrane, hair, skin, bone, teeth and
eyes. It also plays an important role as an antioxidant as it scavenges
free radicals in the lining of the mouth and lungs; prevents its
depletion in fighting the increased free radicals activity by radiation;
boosts immune system in controlling of free radicals; prevents
oxidation of LDL and enhances the productions of insulin pancreas.
b. Vitamin C
Vitamin
C beside plays an important role in formation and maintenance of body
tissues, it as an antioxidant and water soluble vitamin, vitamin C can
be easily carry in blood, operate in much of the part of body. By
restoring vitamin E, it helps to fight against forming of free radicals.
By enhancing the immune system, it promotes against the microbial and
viral and irregular cell growth causes of infection and inflammation.
Vitamin C also is a scavenger in inhibiting pollution cause of oxidation.
c. Vitamin E
Vitamin
E is used to refer to a group of fat-soluble compounds that include
both tocopherols and tocotrienols discovered by researchers Herbert
Evans and Katherine Bishop. It beside is important in protecting muscle
weakness, repair damage tissues, lower blood pressure and inducing
blood clotting in healing wound, etc, it also is one of powerful
antioxidant, by moving into the fatty medium to prevent lipid
peroxidation, resulting in lessening the risk of chain reactions by
curtailing them before they can starts.
5. Etc.
Alzheimer's Disease - My Story
This Is A Real Case
Study, Written By An Alzheimer's Sufferer
Sharing His Hurts, Frustration And
Desperation.
For the series of Alzheimer's disease, visit http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com/2012/01/alzheimers-disease.html
For
Other Health articles visit http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com/
Sources
No comments:
Post a Comment