FREE RADICALS, ANTIOXIDANTS, AND LIVER DISORDERS: SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON SILYBIN

P. Conti^1,2

¹Affiliated Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Tufts University, School of Medicine,
Boston, MA, USA;
²Former Professor of Immunology, Postgraduate Medical School, University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy

Correspondence to:
Professor Pio Conti,
Former Professor of Immunology,
Postgraduate Medical School,
University of Chieti,
66100 Chieti, Italy
e-mail: pioconti@yahoo.it

Received:  16 June  2023 Accepted: 23 July 2023

2038-4106(2023) Copyright © by BIOLIFE This publication and/or article is for individual use only and may not be further reproduced without written permission from the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction may result in financial and other penalties. Disclosure: all authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

ABSTRACT

Free radicals, or reactive oxygen species (ROS), are unstable molecules that contain at least one unpaired electron in their outer orbit. They can cause chain reactions that damage cells and organs. In the presence of metals, the free radical superoxide anion O2 and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) form the hydroxyl radical OH- that is responsible for lipid peroxidation, which is very toxic to the body. Free radicals cause oxidative stress and are generated in various conditions including chemical-physical environmental pollution, the intake of drugs, or a dysregulated metabolism. ROS transform DNA, resulting in ageing of the body, activation of carcinogenesis, neurodegeneration, and autoimmune, cardiovascular, and muscular diseases. Oxidative stress can be linked to various liver disorders as well, such as alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, liver intoxication due to free radicals, and hepatitis, including hepatitis C, which is very tedious and difficult to treat. Dysregulation of the balance between antioxidants and oxidants in the liver causes oxidative stress; antioxidants oppose the oxidation process and contrast the effects of free radicals. They are beneficial to human health, slowing down the ageing process and reducing the incidence of cancer, inflammation, neurological disorders, diabetes, and autoimmune, cardiovascular, and liver diseases. Pollutants can lead to liver disorders, while antioxidants have shown preventative and therapeutic effects in these diseases. In in vivo and in vitro studies, some drugs have been shown to have a protective effect on the liver by limiting chemical damage and fibrosis in the organ, as well as improving the lipid status. Many antioxidant substances such as silybin, resveratrol, curcumin, naringenin green tea, quercetin, and flavonoids in general, are taken with the diet by virtue of their benefits for the body, including the liver. Silybin is an active compound of Silybum marianum and has several interesting biological effects, including ones against cancer and liver diseases. When administered to mice, silybin is rapidly absorbed in both plasma and tissue and turns has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. It has been reported that this antioxidant has been used to prevent and combat liver damage. In light of this scientific evidence, it can be deduced that free radicals can be reduced with antioxidants, including silybin, which have a therapeutic effect on the whole organism and protect the liver.

KEYWORDS: antioxidant, free radical, liver, flavonoids, therapy, natural compounds