Original article Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), a Powerful Antioxidant, is now available Orally

Abstract: Oxidative stress, the natural consequence of the oxy-gen metabolism, is normally controlled by antioxidant endo-genous defense systems.When these prove to be insufficient, cellular lesions develop that result in ageing but also in some pathological processes. The powerful natural antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) acts at the very source of the chain reaction resulting in reactive types of oxygen and therefore constitutes the first and one of the main links of the defense process against free radicals.Unfortunately, due to the fragility of its molecular structure, non-protected SOD is inactivated in the digestive tract. Thanks to a coupling pro-cess with gliadin, a protein extracted from wheat, a SOD of vegetable origin (melon extract rich in SOD) is now available orally. Several in vivo studies on animals as well as a clinical trial using healthy volonteers confirmed the preservation of the antioxidant activity of the SOD enzyme after oral adminis-tration; an action moreover combined with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties