OXIDATIVE STRESS RELATED PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND HERBS CONTRIBUTING AGAINST OXIDATIVE STRESS: A REVIEW

Abstract

Oxidative stress is one of the pathogenesis of lifestyle-related diseases related to humans which includes cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and neuro-degenerative disease disorders. The apt definition of oxidative stress is “A state where oxidative forces exceed the antioxidant systems due to imbalance between them”. Oxidative stress is largely induced by the modern lifestyle, which includes eating processed food, being exposed to a variety of pollutants, and not exercising. The use of medicinal plants with antioxidant properties has been used to treat or prevent various human pathological conditions. Herbal medicines are being explored as alternative agents for oxidative stress and its related pathological conditions. These natural compounds have been found to be safe, inexpensive, highly tolerated, and improve patient convenience. Plants have been crucial in healthcare since ancient times, particularly in treating diseases and discovering new drug molecules. However, the active constituents of plant extracts are complex due to their numerous ingredients. Many herbal folk medicines for oxidative stress have not been thoroughly studied, making them an alternative to synthetic sources. Future research should focus on determining the pharmacological activities of these herbal medicines and developing effective formulations. This review summarizes the herbs that are useful in reduction of pathological conditions due to oxidation of tissues. Furthermore the morphology, the active constituents, their mechanism of action against oxidative stress and their therapeutic activities are being discussed.

KEYWORDS: Anti-oxidants, ROS, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neuro-degenerative disorder.