title: Comparative antioxidant effectiveness of dietary beta-carotene, vitamin E, selenium and coenzyme Q10 in rat erythrocytes and plasma.
abstract: Five groups of five weanling rats were each fed a Torula yeast-based diet either unsupplemented or supplemented with 30 mg beta-carotene/kg, 30 IU vitamin E/kg, 1 mg selenium/kg or 30 mg coenzyme Q10/kg. Elevated levels of plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase are sensitive indicators of liver damage. The former enzyme was lower (P less than 0.01) in the vitamin E-, selenium- and beta-carotene-supplemented groups than in the unsupplemented control group, and the latter enzyme was lower in the vitamin E- and selenium-supplemented groups, suggesting a relatively equal effectiveness of these three antioxidants against liver damage. Erythrocytes were tested for protection against uninduced oxidative damage or that induced by 1 mmol/L bromotrichloromethane (BrCl3C) by measuring thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), hemoglobin, hemolysis, protein precipitation, alanine release and several enzyme activities. In untreated erythrocytes, selenium, beta-carotene and coenzyme Q10 exhibited protection by lowering (P less than 0.05) TBARS and alanine release, but only vitamin E protected against hemolysis. In BrCl3C-treated erythrocytes, vitamin E, selenium and beta-carotene protected by decreasing (P less than 0.05) protein precipitation, whereas selenium and beta-carotene decreased alanine release. The results of this study suggested that, in a manner analogous to vitamin E and selenium, beta-carotene and coenzyme Q10 function as antioxygenic nutrients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis 95616.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zamora
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Tappel
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001975:Bromotrichloromethane / Q000494:pharmacology; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003067:Coenzymes; D004032:Diet; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013858:Thiobarbiturates; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019207:beta Carotene
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D003067:Coenzymes; D013858:Thiobarbiturates; D019207:beta Carotene; D014451:Ubiquinone; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; C024989:coenzyme Q10; D012643:Selenium; D001975:Bromotrichloromethane; C029684:thiobarbituric acid