Total antioxidant capacity as a tool to assess redox status: critical view and experimental data.
The measure of antioxidant capacity (AC) considers the cumulative action of all the antioxidants present in plasma and body fluids, thus providing an integrated parameter rather than the simple sum of measurable antioxidants. The capacity of known and unknown antioxidants and their synergistic interaction is therefore assessed, thus giving an insight into the delicate balance in vivo between oxidants and antioxidants. Measuring plasma AC may help in the evaluation of physiological, environmental, and nutritional factors of the redox status in humans. Determining plasma AC may help to identify conditions affecting oxidative status in vivo (e.g., exposure to reactive oxygen species and antioxidant supplementation). Moreover, changes in the plasma AC after supplementation with galenic antioxidants or with antioxidant-rich foods may provide information on the absorption and bioavailability of nutritional compounds. Consequently, this review discusses the rationale, interpretation, confounding factors, measurement limits, and human applications of the measure of plasma AC.
Ghiselli
A
A
National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research (Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca su Alimenti e Nutrizione), 546 Via Ardeatina, 00178 Rome, Italy. ghiselli@inn.ingrm.it
Serafini
M
M
Natella
F
F
Scaccini
C
C
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry; D004777:Environment; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010636:Phenols; D012907:Smoking
D000975:Antioxidants; D005609:Free Radicals; D010636:Phenols