ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is an interaction between oxidative equilibrium and anti-oxidants in oxidative stress. Therefore, oxidative stress has an effect on intercellular oxidation and causes atrophy and is an underlying factor in many diseases. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of running downhill and the short-term effect of caffeine supplementation on oxidative stress in non-athletic men. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty men, aged 25 - 28 years, from Tabriz, Iran were been selected and divided in two homogeneous groups of 10 men: the supplementation group and the placebo group. In the next stage, groups received caffeine supplementation (caffeine capsules at a dose of 5 mg/kg of body weight daily for 14 days) or placebo (5 mg/kg of dextrose during supplementation) and ran downhill (30 minutes of treadmill running with a slope of -10 degrees with 65% maximal oxygen consumption); blood sampling was also performed. RESULTS: Anti-oxidant capacity by the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) techniques and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method, while the total number of thiol molecules (TTM) with Hu and DNA damage was evaluated using ELISA. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that running downhill caused significant changes in all measured parameters, but the short-term caffeine supplementation did not have a significant effect on the indices of oxidative stress or DNA damage measured.
ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Medicinal plants are presumed to be natural sources of antioxidants that protect organisms from oxidative stresses. The present investigation aims to study the anti-oxidative stress activity of the Stachys lavandulifolia (S. lavandulifolia) plant. This trial was conducted on 26 healthy human subjects. The study was done in a before after fashion. The included subjects were asked to consume the prepared infusion from 3 g aerial parts of S. lavandulifolia on a daily basis. Doses were administered in every morning and evening for 14 days. At the beginning and the end of the study, blood samples were acquired to determine the level of cellular lipid peroxidation and the total content of serum antioxidants. Biomarkers analyzed from samples obtained before start of treatment and 14 days post treatment, were subjected to paired t test analysis. Total blood antioxidants increased and reached from 2.3 ± 0.84 µmol/ml to 3.3 ± 0.54 µmol/ml. The lipid peroxidation reduced and reached from 8.38 ± 1.78 to 11.6 ± 2.64 nmol/ml. The results suggest that S. lavandulifolia possesses marked anti-oxidative stress activity and it can be useful as a supplement in the management of diseases related to oxidative stress ( REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRCT2013012210003N2).
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine the capability of Melissa officinalis L. (Lemon balm) infusion on improvement of oxidative stress status in radiology staff that were exposed to persistent low-dose radiation during work. The study was a before-after clinical trial performed on 55 radiology staff. They were asked to drink Lemon balm infusion which was prepared like a tea bag twice daily (1.5 g/100 mL) for 30 days. In the plasma, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, catalase, superoxide dismutase, myeloperoxidase, and glutathione peroxidase activity were measured before and after using Lemon balm infusion.Use of Lemon balm infusion in radiology unit workers resulted in a significant improvement in plasma levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase and a marked reduction in plasma DNA damage, myeloperoxidase, and lipid peroxidation. It is concluded that infusion of Lemon balm markedly improve oxidative stress condition and DNA damage in radiology staff when used as a dietary supplement for radiation protection.
