Effects of Different Mandarin Formulations on Antioxidative Capacity and Oxidative DNA Damage in Fifteen-Month Aged Rats

ABSTRACT

This study was performed to investigate the effect of whole mandarin, peel or pulp intake of Citrus unshiu Marc. on antioxidative capacity and oxidative DNA damage in fifteen-month aged rats. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats (621.9 +/- 10.1 g) were blocked into four groups according to their body weights as control group, whole mandarin powder group, mandarin peel powder group and mandarin pulp powder group. Rats were raised with diets containing 5% (w/w) freeze dried mandarin formulations for four weeks. Total polyphenol content and total antioxidant status (TAS) of mandarin formulations were highest in peel powder, followed by whole powder and then pulp powder. The 8-hydroxy- 2'-deoxyguanosine concentrations of kidney in all mandarin groups were significantly lower than that of control group, and that of mandarin peel group was much lower than whole powder and pulp groups. Plasma TAS levels of all the experimental groups were higher than that of control group, and among mandarin groups, peel group showed higher level than remaining two groups. In conclusion, all the mandarin formulations were effective on antioxidative capacity in fifteen-month aged rats, and the peel was most effective one among three formulations.