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Direct and indirect antioxidant properties of α‐lipoic acid and therapeutic potential
Author(s) -
Rochette Luc,
Ghibu Stéliana,
Richard Carole,
Zeller Marianne,
Cottin Yves,
Vergely Catherine
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
molecular nutrition and food research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.495
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1613-4133
pISSN - 1613-4125
DOI - 10.1002/mnfr.201200608
Subject(s) - oxidative stress , antioxidant , alpha lipoic acid , reactive oxygen species , context (archaeology) , lipoic acid , diabetes mellitus , chemistry , biochemistry , pharmacology , inflammation , biology , medicine , endocrinology , paleontology
Diabetes has emerged as a major threat to worldwide health. The exact mechanisms underlying the disease are unknown; however, there is growing evidence that the excess generation of reactive oxygen species ( ROS ) associated with hyperglycemia, causes oxidative stress in a variety of tissues. In this context, various natural compounds with pleiotropic actions like α‐lipoic acid ( LA ) are of interest, especially in metabolic diseases such as diabetes. LA , either as a dietary supplement or a therapeutic agent, modulates redox potential because of its ability to match the redox status between different subcellular compartments as well as extracellularly. Both the oxidized (disulfide) and reduced (di‐thiol: dihydro‐lipoic acid, DHLA ) forms of LA show antioxidant properties. LA exerts antioxidant effects in biological systems through ROS quenching but also via an action on transition metal chelation. Dietary supplementation with LA has been successfully employed in a variety of in vivo models of disease associated with an imbalance of redox status: diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The complex and intimate association between increased oxidative stress and increased inflammation in related disorders such as diabetes, makes it difficult to establish the temporal sequence of the relationship.