Aloe Vera in the Management of Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress Oxidative stress can be defined as an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body that disrupts its ability to detoxify reactive intermediates, or to repair the damage to organ and cellular systems that can be caused by ROS. Intracellular redox balance (the dynamic balance between oxidizing and reducing species within cells) is closely coupled to the antioxidant peptide glutathione; intracellular levels of this compound are highly regulated by enzymes to maintain a reducing environment. Some of these reactive oxygen species are constantly produced at low levels as by-products of normal metabolic reactions, and are kept in check by the enzymes that maintain the intracellular redox balance. When redox balance is upset, these moderately reactive species can interact with transition metals or other components of the redox cycle to produce highly reactive oxygen species that can cause extensive damage to cell membranes lipids, proteins, DNA, and cellular organelles (Table 1).