Effect of simultaneous, single oral doses of beta-carotene with lutein or lycopene on the beta-carotene and retinyl ester responses in the triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein fraction of men

The effects of lutein and lycopene on β-carotene absorption and cleavage were investigated in 12 male subjects. Responses of carotenoids and retinyl palmitate in the triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein (TRL) fraction after a separate 15-mg β-carotene dose were compared with those after a dose of 15 mg β-carotene combined with 15 mg lycopene or...

No effect of consumption of green and black tea on plasma lipid and antioxidant levels and on LDL Oxidation in smokers

Intake of flavonoids is associated with a reduced cardiovascular risk. Oxidation of LDL is a major step in atherogenesis, and antioxidants may protect LDL from oxidation. Because tea is an important source of flavonoids which are strong antioxidants, we have assessed in a randomized, placebo-controlled study the effect of consumption of black...

Maternal and neonatal plasma antioxidant levels in normal pregnancy, and the relationship with fatty acid unsaturation

During pregnancy, maternal plasma concentrations of the peroxidation-susceptible polyunsaturated fatty acids (polyenes) increase. In addition, the proportion of polyenes is higher in neonatal plasma than in maternal plasma. To study whether these increased amounts of polyenes affect antioxidant levels, we measured lipid-soluble antioxidants in...

Seasonal variation in low density lipoprotein oxidation and antioxidant status

Effect of 17β-estradiol on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation in postmenopausal women with type II diabetes mellitus

In type II diabetes mellitus the altered hormonal state after menopause may represent an additional cardiovascular risk factor. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is associated with a decreased cardiovascular risk, at least in nondiabetic post-menopausal women. We studied the effect of ERT on plasma lipids and lipoproteins and on LDL oxidation...

Vitamins and cancer

The prospect that high intake of certain vitamins may confer protection against cancer has drawn substantial attention during the last decades. This paper gives a concise update of the role of a number of promising vitamins in prevention of cancer. Vitamin A and its analogues have an important role in cellular processes related to carcinogenesis...

Metabolism of tert-butylhydroquinone to S-substituted conjugates in the male fischer 344 rat

tert-Butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) and its demethylated analog, tert- butyl-hydroquinone (TBHQ), are antioxidants used in food. Both BHA and TBHQ have been shown to promote kidney and bladder carcinogenesis in the rat. We have previously demonstrated that glutathione (GSH) conjugates of a variety of hydroquinones are nephrotoxic and proposed that...

Beta-carotene as antioxidant

Objective: Beta-carotene has been shown to exhibit a good radical-trapping antioxidant activity in vitro. We were interested to see if dietary β-carotene in combination with various intake levels for vitamin A would also inhibit lipid peroxidation. Design: Sixty male Wistar rats received vitamin A (as retinyl palmitate) for 14 weeks in the diet ...

Tissue antioxidants and postmenopausal breast cancer: The European Community Multicentre Study on Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction and Cancer of the Breast (EURAMIC)

Antioxidants may protect against free radical mediated carcinogenesis. Epidemiological studies have not confirmed this hypothesis for breast cancer, possibly because of methodological limitations. Time-integrated exposure of α-tocopherol and β-carotene in adipose tissue, and selenium in toenails was investigated in a case-control study among...

Predictors of adipose tissue carotenoid and retinol levels in nine countries: The EURAMIC study

The adipose tissue carotenoid (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene) and retinol levels and their predictors were determined in 686 male and 339 female middle-aged and elderly subjects from eight European countries and Israel during the years 1991 to 1992. Adipose tissue carotenoid levels in men were 50-76% of those in women, whereas the...

Consumption of reduced-fat products: Effects on parameters of anti-oxidative capacity

Objective: Dietary fat intake is higher than recommended in most western countries and is associated with the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, obesity and cancer. The growing public concern about the adverse effects of a high fat intake has led to an increased availability of 'reduced-fat' products. Consumption of reduced-fat products...

Supplementation with low doses of vitamin E protects LDL from lipid peroxidation in men and women

There is accumulating evidence that oxidative modification of LDL is an important step in the process of atherogenesis and that antioxidants may protect LDL from oxidation. We and others have previously shown that ingestion of pharmacological doses of the antioxidant D,L-α-tocopherol (vitamin E), far above the recommended daily intake (ie, 12 to...

Reduction of oxidative DNA-damage in humans by Brussels sprouts

The effect of consumption of Brussels sprouts on levels of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in human urine was investigated in 10 healthy, male, non-smoking volunteers. Following a 3 week run-in period, five volunteers continued on a diet free of cruciferous vegetables for a subsequent 3 week intervention period (control group),...

No influence of beta-carotene on haemostatic balance in healthy male smokers

A high intake of β-carotene has been associated with a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease. To evaluate whether β-carotene may exert a protective effect through an impact on haemostasis a randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in male smokers (n = 149) using 20 mg/day β-carotene for 14 weeks. For comparisons, haemostatic...

Association between beta-carotene and acute myocardial infarction depends on polyunsaturated fatty acid status: The EURAMIC study

Because antioxidants may play a role in the prevention of coronary heart disease by inhibiting the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), the combined association of diet-derived antioxidants and PUFAs with acute myocardial infarction (MI) was investigated. This multicenter case- control study included 674 patients and 725 control...

Role of vitamin A in liver fibrosis

The relationship between vitamin A and liver fibrosis was studied with a CCl4-induced fibrosis model in rats. Depending on the time of administration, vitamin A can potentiate or reduce fibrosis: when present during CCl4-treatment parenchymal cell damage and fibrosis were enhanced, whereas vitamin A post-treatment strongly reduced fibrosis....

Butylated hydroxyanisole in perspective

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a synthetic food antioxidant used to prevent oils, fats and shortenings from oxidative deterioration and rancidity. This review depicts the current knowledge on BHA. The physical and chemical characteristics of BHA are summarized and its function as a food antioxidant is made clear. The toxicological...

Some comments on the dietary intake of butylated hydroxytoluene (Reply)