Apoptosis or programmed cell death, is essential for the normal functioning and survival of
most multi-cellular organisms. The morphological and biochemical characteristics of
apoptosis, however, are highly conserved during the evolution. It is currently believed that
apoptosis can be divided into at least three functionally distinct phases, ie induction, effector
and execution phase. Recent studies have demonstrated that reactive oxygen species
(ROS) and the resulting oxidative stress play a pivotal role in apoptosis. Antioxidants and …