Aging, free radicals and antioxidants
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The article presents aging as a multifactorial, progressive biological process shaped by intersecting theories, with special focus on oxidative stress and free radical involvement. The Free Radical Theory of Aging posits that reactive oxygen species (ROS), produced both endogenously and via environmental exposures, induce cumulative molecular damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA impacting cellular and tissue integrity. This oxidative stress contributes to age-related degenerative diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Although antioxidants (both endogenous enzymes and exogenous dietary compounds) offer protective mechanisms against ROS, empirical evidence on their efficacy in extending lifespan remains inconclusive, largely due to bioavailability challenges and systemic complexity. The article also addresses mitochondrial dysfunction and genomic instability especially mitochondrial DNA mutations as key contributors to aging, proposing a dynamic interaction between genetic regulation, oxidative insults, and physiological decline. Experimental findings from animal models suggest associations between oxidative damage and aging phenotypes, though not always consistent across species. The authors advocate for a comprehensive approach that integrates molecular, genetic, and environmental perspectives, urging evidence based public health strategies to manage the rising aging population. In sum, aging is characterized as a heterogeneous, irreversible process not reducible to a single cause but rather to a complex network of biological mechanisms.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Aluyor, E. O., y Oboh, I. O. (2014). Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology. (Second Edition) Traditional Preservatives – Vegetable Oils Pages 137-140
Alvarado, A. M., y Salazar, Á. M. (2014). Análisis del concepto de envejecimiento. Gerokomos, 25(2), 57-62. https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1134-928X2014000200002
Avello, M., y Suwalsky, M. (2006). Radicales libres, antioxidantes naturales y mecanismos de protección. Atenea, (494), 161-172. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-04622006000200010
Avendaño-Monsalve, M. C., Ponce-Rojas, J. C., y Funes, S. (2021). Viaje al centro de la mitocondria: importación de proteínas, sus alteraciones y enfermedades relacionadas. TIP. Revista especializada en ciencias químico-biológicas, 24, e370. https://doi.org/10.22201/fesz.23958723e.2021.370
Baguer, E. A., y Menéndez-Álvarez, E. (2024). El Mango (Mangifera indica L.) como modelo de estudios de los flavonoides. Revista De Investigaciones De La Universidad Le Cordon Bleu, 11(2), 76-86. https://doi.org/10.36955/RIULCB.2024v11n2.007
Bast, A., Haenen, G. R., & Doelman, C. J. (1991). Oxidants and antioxidants: State of the art. American Journal of Medicine (91) :2S–13S. https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9343(91)90278-6
Biesalski, H. K., Grune, T., Tinz, J., Zöllner, I., & Blumberg, J. B. (2010). Reexamination of a Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Antioxidant Supplementation on Mortality and Health in Randomized Trials. Nutrients, 2(9), 929-949. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu2090929
Bjelakovic, G., Nikolova, D., Gluud, L. L., Simonetti, R. G., & Gluud, C. (2007). Mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of American Medical Association, 297(8), 842–857. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.297.8.842
Bloom, E., y Zucker, L. (2023). El envejecimiento de la población es la principal tendencia demográfica a nivel mundial; la pandemia puede enseñarnos a prepararnos para ella. Finanza y Desarrollo. https://www.imf.org/es/Publications/fandd/issues/Series/Analytical-Series/aging-is-the-real-population-bomb-bloom-zucker
Bonnet-Zamponi, L. (2016). Drug-related readmissions to medical units of older adults discharged from acute geriatric units: results of the optimization of medication in AGEd multicenter randomi. Journal of American Geriatrical Society, 61(1), 113-21. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.12037
Collin, F. (2019). Chemical Basis of Reactive Oxygen Species Reactivity and Involvement in Neurodegenerative Diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(10), 2407. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20102407
Cui, H., Kong, Y., Zhang, H,, (2012). Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Aging, Journal of Signal Transduction, 2012(1), 646354. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/646354
Cutler, R. (1991). Recent progress in testing the longevity determinate and dedifferentiation hypothesis of aging. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 12(2).75-98 https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-4943(91)90021-H
Chrząszcz, M., Krzemińska, B., Celiński, R., & Szewczyk, K. (2021). Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Plants Belonging to the Cephalaria (Caprifoliaceae) Genus. Plants, 10(5), 952. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050952
Demain, A. L. (2014). Importance of microbial natural products and the need to revitalize their discovery. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, 41(1) 185–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-013-1325-z
Esmeraldas, E., Falcones, M., Vásquez, M., y Solórzano, J. (2019). El envejecimiento del adulto mayor y sus principales características. Revista Científica de la Investigación y el Conocimiento, 3(1) 58-74 https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6788154
Finkel, T., & Holbrook, N. J. (2000). Oxidants, oxidative stress and the biology of ageing. Nature, 408(6809), 239–247. https://doi.org/10.1038/35041687
Gladyshev, P. (2015). Thermodynamics of aging and heredity. Natural Science, 7(5) https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=1482869
Goldstein, J., y Cassidy, T. (2010). How slowing senescence changes life expectancy. MPIDR Working paper WP 2010-006. Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/
González, R. (1995). Rehabilitación médica de ancianos: fisiología del envejecimiento. Masson, 1-5 http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1134-928X2007000200005&lng=es&tlng=es
Goodsell, D. S. (2004). Lecciones de la Naturaleza. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Hoboken, Bionanomedicina en acción.
Gutteridge, J. y Halliwell, B. (1999). Reactive oxygen species in biological systems, pp. 189-218, D.L. Gilbert and C.A. Colton, eds.
Halliwell, B. (1990). How to Characterize a Biological Antioxidant. Free Radical Research Communications, 9(1), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.3109/10715769009148569
Hayflik, L. (1983). Theories of againg. Fundamentals of Geriatric Medicine: Raven:43-50.
Hernández, D., y Ligibel, J. A., Schmitz, K. H., & Berger, N. A. (2020). Sarcopenia in aging, obesity, and cancer. Translational cancer research, 9(9), 5760–5771. https://doi.org/10.21037/tcr-2019-eaoc-05
Hong, Y., Boiti, A., Vallone, D., y Foulkes, N. S. (2024). Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling and Oxidative Stress: Transcriptional Regulation and Evolution. Antioxidants, 13(3), 312. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13030312
Hoyl, T. (2016). Teorías actuales de envejecimiento. Revista De Ciencias Médicas, 32(2), 33–38. https://doi.org/10.11565/arsmed.v32i2.258
Korovesis, D., Rubio-Tomás, T., & Tavernarakis, N. (2023). Oxidative Stress in Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases: An Overview of Recent Tools and Findings. Antioxidants, 12(1), 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12010131
Labunskyy, V. M., & Gladyshev, V. N. (2013). Role of reactive oxygen species-mediated signaling in aging. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 19(12), 1362–1372. https://doi.org/10.1089/ars.2012.4891
Ligibel, J. A., Schmitz, K. H., & Berger, N. A. (2020). Sarcopenia in aging, obesity, and cancer. Translational cancer research, 9(9), 5760–5771. https://doi.org/10.21037/tcr-2019-eaoc-05
Llancari, A., y Matos, A. (2011). Valoración de los nutrientes y antioxidantes en la salud humana e industria alimentaria. I Congreso Nacional de Investigación. Perú, Lima, 2-4 noviembre, 2011).
Maldonado, S. O., Jiménez, V. E., Guapillo, V. M., Ceballos, R.G., y Méndez, B. E. (2010). Radicales libres y su papel en las enfermedades crónico-degenerativas. Revista Médica de la Universidad Veracruzana, 10(2) https://www.medigraphic.com/cgi-bin/new/resumen.cgi?IDARTICULO=29254
McCord, J. (2007). Evolución y radicales libres. Revista Médica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social; 45(5). 477-484. https://www.medigraphic.com/cgi-bin/new/resumen.cgi?IDARTICULO=14192
Miquel, J. (2006). Integración de teorías del envejecimiento. Revista Española de Geriatría Gerontología, 41(1), 55-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0211-139X(06)72923-7
Miralles, M., Fusco, M., y Florentin, R. (2022). La vejez no es una enfermedad: críticas a la recategorización de la OMS postpandemia COVID-19, XXXVI Jornada de Investigación y XXVIII Encuentro regional. Secretaría de Investigaciones | FADU | UBA https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/bitstream/123456789/19026/1/vejez-no-es.pdf
Mironczuk-Chodakowska, I., Witkowska, A., & Zujko M (2018). Endogenous non-enzymatic antioxidants in the human body Advanves in Medical Science; 63(1) :68–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advms.2017.05.005
Mittal, C. K., & Murad, F. (1977). Activation of guanylate cyclase by superoxide dismutase and hydroxyl radical: a physiological regulator of guanosine 3’,5’-monophosphate formation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; 74: 4360-64. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.74.10.4360
Okamoto, K., Toyokuni, S., Kim, W. J., Ogawa, O., Kakehi, Y., Arao, S., Hiai, H., & Yoshida, O. (1996). Overexpression of human mutT homologue gene messenger RNA in renal-cell carcinoma: evidence of persistent oxidative stress in cancer. International Journal of Cancer, 65(4), 437–441. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19960208)65:4<437::AID-IJC7>3.0.CO;2-Y
Pauling, L. (1971). Vitamin C and Common Cold. Journal of American Medical Association, 216(2), 332. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1971.03180280086025
Pérez, V. I., Bokov, A., Van Remmen, H., Mele, J., Ran, Q., Ikeno, Y., & Richardson, A. (2009). Is the oxidative stress theory of aging dead?. Biochimica et biophysica acta, 1790(10), 1005–1014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2009.06.003
Pinto, M., & Moraes, C. T. (2015). Mechanisms linking mtDNA damage and aging. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 85 250-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2015.05.005
Piña, M., Olivo, V., Martínez, C., Poblete, M., y Guerra, V. (2022). Envejecimiento, calidad de vida y salud. Desafíos para los roles sociales de las personas mayores. Rumbos TS, 17(28), 7-27. https://dx.doi.org/10.51188/rrts.num28.642
Quintanar, M., y Calderón, J. (2009). La capacidad antioxidante total. Bases y Aplicaciones. Revista de Educación de Bioquímica, 28(3):89-101. https://www.medigraphic.com/cgi-bin/new/resumen.cgi?IDARTICULO=37157
Quintero, F., Garraza, M., Navazo, B., y Cesani, M. (2024). Teorías del envejecimiento biológico: una revisión. Revista Española de Geriatría y Gerontología, 59 (6) 101530 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regg.2024.101530
Rani, A., Saini, K. C., Bast, F., Mehariya, S., Bhatia, S. K., Lavecchia, R., & Zuorro A. (2021). Microorganisms: A Potential Source of Bioactive Molecules for Antioxidant Applications. Molecules, 26(4), 1142. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26041142
Ribera-Casado, J. M., y García, J. (2021). La vejez no es una enfermedad. Revista Española de Geriatría y Gerontología, 56(5), 257-258, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regg.2021.07.002 .
Rodríguez, V., Rodríguez L., Sancho, M., Díaz, R., (2012). Envejecimiento. La investigación en España y Europa. Revista Española de Geriatría y Gerontología 47(4), 174-179. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.regg.2012.02.005
Singh, B. P., Rateb, M. E., Rodriguez-Couto, S., Polizeli, M. L., y Li, W.J. (2019). Editorial: Microbial Secondary Metabolites: Recent Developments and Technological Challenges. Frontiers in Microbiology;10, 914. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00914
Slagboom, P., & Vijg, J. (1989). Genetic instability and aging: theories, facts, and future perspectives. Genome, 31(1), 373-85. https://doi.org/10.1139/g89-057
Venereo, J. R. (2002). Daño oxidativo, radicales libres y antioxidantes. Revista Cubana de Medicina Militar, 31(2), 26-133. https://www.imbiomed.com.mx/articulo.php?id=5753
Warjeet, S. L. (2012). Natural Antioxidants (NAO) of Plants Acting as Scavengers of Free Radicals. Editor: Atta-ur-Rahman, Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, 37. 259-275 https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-59514-0.00009-2
Wickens, A. P. (2001). Ageing and the free radical theory. Respiration physiology, 128(3), 379–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0034-5687(01)00313-9
Yang, J., Luo, J., Tian, X., Zhao, Y., Li, Y., & Wu, X. (2024). Progress in Understanding Oxidative Stress, Aging, and Aging-Related Diseases. Antioxidants, 13(4), 394. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13040394
Zorrilla, E. (2002). El envejecimiento y el estrés oxidativo. Revista Cubana de Investigaciones Biomédicas, 21(3), 178-185. http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0864-03002002000300006