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Determination of activity of antioxidants in human subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2007

Garry G. Duthie
Garry G. Duthie*
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK
*
Corresponding Author: Dr G. G. Duthie, fax +44 (0)1224 716622, email [email protected]
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Abstract

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Evidence from biochemical and animal models suggests that nutritional antioxidants should inhibit the development of diseases such as CHD and certain cancers. This evidence is not clearly corroborated by intervention studies in human subjects, due, in part, to inadequacies in current analytical methodologies. Although in vitro assays can give useful information on the attributes required by a compound to act as an antioxidant, results may have little nutritional relevance due to limited bioavailability. The determination of antioxidants in blood is often used as a measure of antioxidant status in vivo, but may not necessarily reflect concentrations in target tissues where oxidative stress is greatest. In addition, the accumulation of antioxidants in selective tissues may not be apparent from plasma measurements. Participation in quality-control schemes for antioxidant determination by HPLC allows inter-laboratory comparison of results. Moderation of indices of oxidative damage to lipids, proteins and DNA can provide information on the effectiveness of compounds as nutritional antioxidants. However, most current methods of assessing oxidative stress are subject to confounding factors of non-oxidative origin. Assays for total antioxidant capacity in plasma differ in their type of oxidation source, target and measurement used to detect the oxidized product. They give different results, should never be used in isolation, and results should be interpreted with caution. Until more is known about the activity and metabolic fate of antioxidants, caution should be exercised in the consumption of large amounts of commercially-available antioxidant preparations.

Keywords

AntioxidantsOxidative damage
Type
Meeting Report
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 58 , Issue 4 , November 1999 , pp. 1015 - 1024
Copyright
The Nutrition Society

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