title: Effects of verbascoside-based diet on blood and plasma constituents of rabbits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oxidative stress brought on by free radicals can lead to an increased risk of some chronic pathologies. Antioxidants can scavenge free radicals by turning them into nonradical and nontoxic metabolites. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a phenylpropanoid glycosides-based prolonged diet on blood constituents in animals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tests were carried out on healthy New Zealand white rabbits and the following parameters were evaluated at baseline and after 90 days' follow-up: plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, bilirubin, the reactive oxygen metabolites, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, vitamin A, and vitamin E. The same parameters were analyzed in an age- and sex-matched animal control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We first defined the concept of average rate and then used it to calculate, by experimental data fitting, the formation or destruction rate of some blood or plasma constituents as a function of the daily dose. The results indicate that the effects can be categorized into 2 classes. The first includes the effects that produce monotonously continuous changes with daily dose, and the second includes those that exhibit a saturating trend.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experimental results suggest that high doses of verbascoside can potentially cause adverse effects through prooxidative effects. Risk is increased by the use of pharmacological doses of polyphenols in prevention, treatment, and as dietary supplements.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Agriculture, Environment and Food (AAA) , University of Molise , Campobasso , ITALY.
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Casamassima
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palazzo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vizzarri
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costagliola
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ambrosone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011817:Rabbits; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000097:blood; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D029648:Verbenaceae
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D002784:Cholesterol