ABSTRACT
Two important biomolecules, ergothioneine and ovothiol C, which protect some biological systems against oxidative damage. The higher valence states of myoglobin have to oxidize cellular components through their peroxidative activity. The redox activity of this family of aromatic thiols, 1-methyl-4-mercaptohistidines, was discovered while studying the biology of fertilization using sea urchin gametes as the experimental system. Ergothioneine (ET) also protects cells in culture against reactive molecules with genetic activity. Since ET is a relatively nontoxic naturally occurring molecule that protects biological systems against damage by certain agents, several potential clinical applications have been suggested for it. Ovothiols are a family of mercaptohistidine compounds that have been isolated from marine invertebrate eggs and posses redox activity. The actual content varies between tissues and depends on dietary concentration as well as the animal species. The oxidative state of myoglobin may be a critical event in the tissue damage associated with cardiac ischemia/reperfusion states.
