a-Lipoic acid (LA) a nutritional component found in vegetables and meat has both antioxidant and oxidant properties LA exerts therapeutic potential to many diseases like liver cirrhosis heavy metal poisoning and diabetic polyneuropathy LA exerts apoptotic potential in cancer cells either by oxidative stress related pathway or by activation of caspases DL-Thioctic acid acid has been used in in vitro lipoylation studies and in the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC)-pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDHK) functional assay It has also been used to investigate its antioxidative effect on developing cerebellum of rats exposed to arsenic during postnatal periodDL-Thioctic acid can reinstate endothelial activities and alleviate oxidative stress in high-fat fed diabetic rats It has also been used to analyze ROS production in astrocytes