OXIDATION COMMUNICATIONS, vol.33, no.3, pp.726-736, 2010 (SCI-Expanded)
The main biological effects of radiation are mediated by short-lived and very reactive chemical molecules called free radicals. Free radicals can oxidatively damage biological macromolecules such as DNA, lipids and proteins. Antioxidants are enzymes or other organic substances, which prevent or reduce damage caused by free radicals. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a thiol compound, shows its effects as an antioxidant by scavenging free radicals directly or by being the precurser of glutathione, which is an important protective agent against free radicals in vivo.