Superoxide Anion Radical: Generation and Detection in Cellular and Non-Cellular Systems

The production of superoxide anion radical (O2•-) is essential for the life of aerobic organisms. This free radical acts as a signaling molecule, regulating numerous biological processes including apoptosis, aging, and senescence. Nevertheless, when overproduction of O2•- occurs and/or antioxidant defences are deficient, oxidative stress may develop, damaging important biomolecules and altering their physiological function. These effects have been associated to the development of several diseases. Scavenging of O2•- has been used as a hallmark to test the antioxidant capacity of several types of compounds in cellular and non-cellular systems. However, despite the pathophysiological importance of O2•-, the information about its endogenous and/or chemical generation and detection is dispersed and there are no reports that concisely cover the information in an integrated form. This gap can explain the limitations attributed to the currently used systems, namely in what concerns the selectivity, specificity and validation. This review attempts to provide a critical assessment of the available O2•- generating and detection, both in endogenous and chemical systems, scrutinizing its advantages and limitations in order to facilitate the choice and implementation of the O2•- generator and/or detection method that better fits the researchers’ objectives.