Method for the measurement of antioxidant activity in human fluids

D Koracevic¹, G Koracevic², V Djordjevic¹, S Andrejevic³ and V Cosic⁴

¹ Institute of Biochemistry, Medical faculty, University Clinical Center, Nis, Yugoslavia
² Department of Cardiology, University Clinical Center
³ Department for Hematology and Clinical Immunology, University Clinical Center
⁴ Biochemical Laboratory, University Clinical Center

Correspondence to:
Dr Koracevic, Zetska 4/26, 18000 Nis, Yugoslavia KORACH{at}BANKERINTER.NET

Aim—To develop a new, simple, and cheap method for estimating antioxidant activity in human fluids.

Methods—The assay measured the capacity of the biological fluids to inhibit the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) from sodium benzoate under the influence of the free oxygen radicals derived from Fenton's reaction. A solution of 1 mmol/litre uric acid was used as standard.

Results—The following mean (SD) antioxidative activities were found (as uric acid) in the various biological fluids: serum, 2.04 (0.20) mmol/litre; urine, 176.5 (25.6) µmol/litre; cerebrospinal fluid, 95.0 (26.9) µmol/litre; aqueous humour oculi, 61.25 (9.9) µmol/litre; saliva, 838.5 (48.2) µmol/litre; tears, 247.0 (17.0) µmol/litre; ascites fluid, 270.0 (63.3) µmol/litre; kidney cyst fluid, 387.1 (28.1) µmol/litre. Small samples of the biological material were needed for the analyses: 10 µl of serum and 50–100 µl of other body fluids. In the sera of 48 healthy individuals there was a significant positive correlation between values obtained with the Randox method (as a reference method) and the new method proposed here (correlation coefficient, 0.8728; mean difference between methods, <0.4%).

Conclusions—This method is easy, rapid, reliable, and practical for the routine measurement of total antioxidant activity in serum and other human body fluids. Small samples of biological material are needed for the analyses and the results are comparable with the reference (Randox) method.

Key Words: antioxidant activity • free oxygen radicals • human fluids

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Jadhav, A., Ndisang, J. F. (2009). Heme Arginate Suppresses Cardiac Lesions and Hypertrophy in Deoxycorticosterone Acetate-Salt Hypertension. Exp. Biol. Med. 234: 764-778 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jadhav, A., Torlakovic, E., Ndisang, J. F. (2009). Hemin therapy attenuates kidney injury in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive rats. Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. 296: F521-F534 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Moukdar, F., Robidoux, J., Lyght, O., Pi, J., Daniel, K. W., Collins, S. (2009). Reduced antioxidant capacity and diet-induced atherosclerosis in uncoupling protein-2-deficient mice. J. Lipid Res. 50: 59-70 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chen, H.-J. C., Hong, C.-L., Wu, C.-F., Chiu, W.-L. (2003). Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Urinary 3,N4-Ethenocytosine Levels Measured by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Toxicol Sci 76: 321-327 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Said, T. M., Kattal, N., Sharma, R. K., Sikka, S. C., Thomas, A. J. Jr, Mascha, E., Agarwal, A. (2003). Enhanced Chemiluminescence Assay vs Colorimetric Assay for Measurement of the Total Antioxidant Capacity of Human Seminal Plasma. J Androl 24: 676-680 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Young, I S (2001). Measurement of total antioxidant capacity. J. Clin. Pathol. 54: 339-339 [Full Text]