Reactive oxygen species and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ROS/ABTS)

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a diverse group of highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules, such as superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals, that are generated as natural byproducts of oxygen metabolism (NIH, 2023). They serve essential roles in cell signaling and homeostasis but can cause significant cellular damage when produced in excess, a state known as oxidative stress (PubMed, PMID: 28249118). The ABTS radical (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) is a synthetic radical cation primarily utilized in biochemical assays to measure the antioxidant activity of various substances (PubChem, CID 9570474). In a therapeutic context, ROS are generally considered pathological products rather than specific drug targets like receptors or enzymes (StatPearls, 2023). Most pharmacological interventions involve the use of antioxidants or scavengers to neutralize these species and mitigate their role in diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration, and cardiovascular disorders (PubMed, PMID: 25915737). Because ROS represent a broad chemical class and ABTS is a laboratory reagent, they do not constitute a single, well-defined therapeutic target (Wikipedia, 2024).

Other names

Oxygen radicalsOxidants2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cationReactive oxygen metabolites

Neutralization of reactive species through electron or hydrogen atom donation (scavenging).