Combined antioxidant effect

Combined antioxidant effect refers to the synergistic or additive interaction between multiple antioxidant compounds or pathways to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitigate oxidative stress (Halliwell & Gutteridge, 2015). Rather than a single molecular target, it represents a physiological outcome achieved through various mechanisms, such as direct free radical scavenging, the regeneration of spent antioxidants (e.g., Vitamin C regenerating Vitamin E), and the upregulation of endogenous defense systems like the Nrf2-mediated pathway (Kansanen et al., 2013). Oxidative stress is a key driver in the pathogenesis of numerous conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration, and chronic inflammation (Pisoschi & Pop, 2015). Therapeutic strategies aiming for a combined antioxidant effect often utilize cocktails of vitamins, polyphenols, or synthetic mimetics to provide more robust protection than single-agent interventions. However, excessive antioxidant supplementation can sometimes disrupt essential redox signaling or exhibit pro-oxidant behavior under specific cellular conditions (Frijhoff et al., 2015).

Other names

Antioxidant synergyTotal antioxidant capacitySynergistic antioxidant activityCombined antioxidant activity

Synergistic neutralization of reactive oxygen species through direct scavenging, regeneration of endogenous antioxidants, and transcriptional upregulation of antioxidant response elements (ARE) via the Nrf2 pathway.