Evaluation of the Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2 ) on Haemoglobin and the Protective Effect of Glycine

Abstract

Oxidative stress has focused the attention of world wide researchers for its deleterious effects on the human body, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are often called radicals. These radicals if present in smaller amounts pose no threat to our body, but instead they provide defense against various pathogens. When the concentration of these radicals exceeds beyond a limit then the antioxidants provided can not perform the scavenging of all the radicals resulting in oxidative stress. The targets of oxidative stress are DNA, lipids and proteins. In organisms including humans ROS are produced during metabolic and immune system functions. Oxidative stress is now recognized to be an important factor in the development or enhancement of human diseases. Among ROS, H₂O₂ is relatively stable in the presence of ferrous iron H₂O₂ forms hydroxyl radical (·OH) via the Fenton reaction.