A newly discovered oxidant defence system ... Iodine

With all the talk about Iodine being an oxidant, I thought this was interesting

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A newly discovered oxidant defence system and its involvement in the development of Aurelia aurita (Scyphozoa, Cnidaria): reactive oxygen species and elemental iodine control medusa formation.

Berking S, Czech N, Gerharz M, Herrmann K, Hoffmann U, Raifer H, Sekul G, Siefker B, Sommerei A, Vedder F.
Zoological Institute, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany. s.berking@uni-koeln.de

In Aurelia aurita, applied iodine induces medusa formation (strobilation). This process also occurs when the temperature is lowered. This was found to increase oxidative stress resulting in an increased production of iodine from iodide. One polyp produces several medusae (initially termed ephyrae) starting at the polyp's oral end. The spreading of strobilation down the body column is controlled by a feedback loop: ephyra anlagen decrease the tyrosine content in adjacent polyp tissue by producing melanin from tyrosine. Endogenous tyrosine is able to remove iodine by forming iodiferous tyrosine compounds. The reduced level of tyrosine causes the ephyra-polyp-border to move towards the basal end of the former polyp. We argue that an oxidant defence system may exist which makes use of iodide and tyrosine. Like other marine invertebrates, polyps of Aurelia contain iodide ions. Inevitably produced peroxides oxidise iodide into iodine. The danger to be harmed by iodine is strongly decreased by endogenous tyrosine which reacts with iodine to form iodiferous tyrosine compounds including thyroxin. Both substances together, iodide and tyrosine, form an efficient oxidant defence system which shields the tissue against damage by reactive oxygen species. In the course of evolution (from a species at the basis of the animal kingdom like Aurelia to a highly evolved species like man) the waste product thyroxin (indicating a high metabolic rate) has developed into a hormone which controls the metabolic rate.

PMID: 16281174 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Here is a good tyrosine supplement ... this is the one I take

http://www.iherb.com/Jarrow-Formulas-N-Acetyl-Tyrosine-350-mg-120-Capsules/237?at=0

Abstract
Free radicals and subsequent lipid peroxidation have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several degenerative and chronic diseases which are also treated frequently in spas. There are some data arising from previous studies which support an antioxidant or scavenging effect of iodide, being the essential ingredient of a therapeutically used local brine. The aim of the study was to test the antioxidant capacity of iodide in human serum. For this reason we measured the so-called Total Antioxidant Status determined by a colorimetric method, which reflects the protection against the attack of reactive oxygen species, including enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants. Exogenous iodide applied as NaI, shows a significantly increased antioxidant capacity in comparison with NaCl at a concentration of 15 m, which is quite comparable to the upper range of serum iodide levels achieved through balneo-therapeutical intervention. This result is in accordance with previous results from in vitro depolymerization experiments with hyaluronic acid. The antioxidant effect of 15 m NaI has been found to be approaching the physiologically relevant concentration of ascorbic acid (50 m).

"As inhibitors of lipid peroxidation, via 50-monodeiodinase
activity, T4 and reverse T3 were found to be more
effective in this antioxidant activity than vitamin E,
glutathione and ascorbic acid (17).
In conclusion, we believe that the evolutionary
story of iodide and the thyroid might suggest and
explain a primitive antioxidant activity of this trace
element. We should point out that extrathyroidal
action of iodide might be an important new area for
investigation."

more info = http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/reprint/140/4/371.pdf

I think you should read the work of Venturi regarding the role of iodine as a primitive antioxidant:
http://web.tiscali.it/iodio/Documenti/Evolution.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_dietary_antioxidants