title: Comparison of lymphocyte DNA damage levels and total antioxidant capacity in Korean and American diet.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to measure thein vitroantioxidant capacity of Korean diet (KD) with American diet (AD) as a control group and to examine theex vivoDNA damage reduction effect on human lymphocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The KD applied in this study is the standard one-week meals for Koreans (2,000 kcal/day) suggested by 2010 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. The AD, which is the control group, is a one-week menu (2,000 kcal/day) that consists of foods that Americans would commonly take in according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The antioxidant capacity of each menu was measured by means of the total phenolic assay and 3in vitroantioxidant activity assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORACROO·)), while the extent ofex vivolymphocyte DNA damage was measured by means of the comet assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When measured by means of TEAC assay, thein vitroantioxidant capacity of the KD of the day was higher than that of the AD (P< 0.05) while there was no significant difference in total phenolic contents and DPPH and ORAC assays. Theex vivolymphocyte DNA damage protective effect of the KD was significantly higher than that of the AD (P< 0.01). As for the one-week menu combining the menus for 7 days, the total phenolic assay (P< 0.05) andin vitroantioxidant capacity (P< 0.001, DPPH;P< 0.01, TEAC) of the KD menu were significantly higher than those of the AD menu. Likewise, theex vivoDNA damage reduction rate of the Korean seven-day menu was significantly higher than that of the American menu (P< 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that the high antioxidant capacity and DNA damage protective effect of KD, which consists generally of various plant foods, are higher than those of typical AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Daedeok Valley Campus, Hannam University, 461-6 Jeonmin-dong, Yuseng-gu, Daejeon 34054, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Daedeok Valley Campus, Hannam University, 461-6 Jeonmin-dong, Yuseng-gu, Daejeon 34054, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Daedeok Valley Campus, Hannam University, 461-6 Jeonmin-dong, Yuseng-gu, Daejeon 34054, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kang
keywords: DNA damage; Korean dietary pattern; antioxidant effect; comet assay; diet menu