FreerADIcalsandreactiveoxygenspecies(ROS)arehighlyreactivemoleculesthataregeneratedbynormalcellularprocesses,environmentalstresses,andUVirradiation.ROSreactwithcellularcomponents,damagingDNA,carbohydrates,proteins,andlipidscausingcellularandtissueinjury.Excessproductionofreactiveoxygenspeciescanalsoleadtoinflammation,prematureagingdisorders,andseveraldiseasestates,includingcancer,diabetes,andatherosclerosis.Organismshavedevelopedcomplexantioxidantsystemstoprotectthemselvesfromoxidativestress,however,excessROScanoverwhelmthesystemsandcauseseveredamage.

TheZenbioABTSAntioxidantAssayKitcanbeusedtodeterminethetotalantioxidantcapacityofBIOLOGicalfluids,cells,andtissue.Itcanalsobeusedtoassaytheantioxidantactivityofnaturallyoccurringorsyntheticcompoundsforuseasdietarysupplements,topicalprotection,andtherapeutics.TheassaymeasuresABTS.+radicalcationformationinducedbymetmyoglobinandhydrogenperoxide.Trolox[6-Hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylicacid],awatersolublevitaminEanalog,servesasapositivecontrolinhibitingtheformationoftheradicalcationinadosedependentmanner.Theantioxidantactivityinbiologicalfluids,cells,tissues,andnaturalextractscanbenormalizedtoequivalentTroloxunitstoquantifythecompositeantioxidantactivitypresent.ThisassaymeasuresradicalscavengingbyelectrondonationandwhencombinedwithZenBio"sORACantioxidantassaykit,providesacomprehensiveanalysisofatestsample"santioxidantactivity.