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Redox potential (also called oxidation-reduction potential or ORP) is an integrated measure of the balance between total oxidants and total reductants in a biological system, such as the human body.

The value of this measurement is that it provides an overall picture of all of the known and unknown elements that generate redox imbalance. Researchers widely agree that redox imbalance plays a crucial role in numerous medical conditions.

Researchers studying the deterioration of the dopaminergic cells, are investigating whether a new antioxidant compound will attenuate oxidative stress and slow progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Reactive oxygen species and redox imbalance

Redox imbalance is caused by a higher production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species or a decrease in endogenous protective antioxidants. These antioxidant defenses are important for removing free radicals.4

ROS can initiate cellular tissue damage by modifying lipids, proteins, and DNA. This can seriously compromise cell health and viability. It can also create a cascade of cellular responses that can ultimately result in cell death by necrosis or apoptosis.4 Increased redox imbalance caused by overproduction of ROS is typical in a variety of medical conditions, including critical illnesses.1

ROS (eg, oxidized thiols, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, peroxynitrite, and transition metal ions) can be scavenged by both metalloenzymes (eg, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase) and non-enzymatic antioxidants (eg, glutathione, tocopherol, ß-carotene, ubiquinol, vitamin C, lipoic acid, and uric acid).1,5 Simply attempting to scavenge ROS with therapeutics (such as antioxidants) — without a complete picture of redox imbalance — may be potentially harmful to patients.1

red-ox

Examples of oxidants and reductants

Redox imbalance and inflammation

Redox imbalance is often a marker of inflammation, which indicates the presence of disease-related processes or developing conditions across a myriad of acute and chronic disease areas.

The ability to easily and completely measure redox balance in real time would be incredibly helpful to assess baseline status, as well as progression of redox imbalance-mediated diseases and conditions.Unfortunately, conventional methods of measuring redox balance are incomplete, time consuming, and impractical in a laboratory setting.

What is Redox potential?

Reactive oxygen species and redox imbalance

Redox imbalance and inflammation

An oxidation-reduction system, or redox reaction, involves the transfer of electrons from a reductant to an oxidant