Oxidative Stress and the Structure/Activity Relationships of Ergopeptide Alkaloids

Oxidative stress is responsible for generating oxygen or non-oxygen free radicals, which are generally short:lived and highly reactive. It is well known1 that such radicals proliferate in degenerative diseases, when their production overwhelms the body’s defensive mechanisms. It has been suggested that free radicals may adversely influence the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD).