Evolution of antioxidants over times (including current global market and trend)

Oxygen is essential for living beings in order to survive except the anerobics. Beyond immense utilities, reactive oxygen species, the partially reduced forms of molecular oxygen inflict significant damage on the system. All living beings ranging from microbes to the highest plants and animals have devised dedicated methods to cope up with the inevitable and constant hits of external and internal oxidative injury. The antioxidant systems have evolved exclusively in organisms with time with extensive outreach in both enzymatic as well as nonenzymatic arenas. Owing their efficacy against deadly diseases like cancer, diabetes, inflammatory conditions, including ulcers, humans currently intake them as food supplements or medicines. Antioxidants boast of a huge market share on current date. Moreover, relatively easy access and wide availability are two most promising factors signifying cost effectivity of antioxidant therapy. However, in excess, antioxidants can be harmful by disturbing redox equilibrium; thus, proper guidelines are of utmost importance. In this respect, both natural and synthetic antioxidants are focus for extensive research for their vast range of protective and therapeutic properties.