Reactive oxygen species scavenging

"Reactive oxygen species scavenging" refers to a **biochemical process** rather than a specific molecule or receptor. It encompasses all mechanisms—both enzymatic and nonenzymatic—that remove or neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological systems. Enzymatic defenses include superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione peroxidase; nonenzymatic defenses involve small-molecule antioxidants like glutathione and ascorbic acid. These systems maintain redox homeostasis by balancing the production and removal of ROS. Disruption in this balance leads to oxidative stress implicated in inflammation, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular diseases, cancer progression, wound healing impairment, and other pathologies. While many drugs aim to enhance or mimic these natural antioxidant processes—such as vitamin C supplementation or engineered nanomaterials—the term "reactive oxygen species scavenging" does not denote a single therapeutic target but rather an entire class of protective mechanisms within cells.[1][2][3][4][5][7] **Note:** This entry is marked **is_incorrect: true** because "reactive oxygen species scavenging" is not a discrete molecular target such as an enzyme or receptor; it describes a functional process involving multiple molecules across different families. For structured data purposes focused on drug targets/receptors/enzymes/etc., this should be replaced with specific enzymes like "Superoxide dismutase," "Catalase," etc.[1][5]

Other names

Antioxidant defenseROS eliminationFree radical scavengingROS detoxification

Direct chemical reaction with reactive oxygen species to neutralize them[2][4] - Catalytic acceleration of ROS clearance by mimicking enzymatic activity (nanozymes)[2] - Blocking or inhibiting the generation of ROS at the source[7]