Thiazoles and thiazolidinones as antioxidants.

Antioxidants are of great interest because of their involvement in important biological and industrial processes. According to Halliwell antioxidants are substances that at low concentration significantly delay or prevent oxidation. Chemically, oxidation is a process in which a loss of electrons occurs. Oxidants play a significant role in the pathogenesis of a number of disorders leading to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress may be defined as an imbalance between cellular production of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense mechanisms. ROS (e.g., superoxide radical, peroxynitryl, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide) are constantly produced as a result of metabolic reactions in living systems. Oxidative damage caused by ROS is responsible for many degenerative diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, cirrhosis, Alzheimer's and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this review is to describe recent developments in the study of the antioxidant activity of thiazole and thiazolidinone derivatives, which are the core structure in a variety of pharmaceuticals with a broad spectrum of biological activity and their role in preventing the formation of ROS.