Antioxidant Defense of zinc acetate Supplementation on the Brain of Protein–undernourished Rats
Loading...
Date
2009
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Formulae Group
Abstract
The effect of zinc on brain weight, glutathione (GSH) level, catalase activity and lipid peroxidation in the brain of protein-undernourished (PU) rats was investigated following the ad libitum ingestion of zinc acetate (30 mg/L) in drinking water for two weeks. Results show that protein-undernutrition induced significant reductions (P<0.01) in brain weight and catalase activity while it induced a significant increase (P<0.05) in lipid peroxidation when compared with well-nourished rats; but no significant effect was observed on GSH level. The ingestion of zinc acetate, however, by PU rats had no significant effect on brain weight but induced significant increase in catalase activity. There were also reductions (P<0.05) in lipid peroxidation and GSH level. These results show that zinc acts as an antioxidant but is ineffective in ameliorating some of the biochemical changes associated with protein-undernutrition-induced brain damage particularly reduction in brain weight.
Description
Keywords
Protein-undernutrition, Oxidative stress, Brain weight, Lipid peroxidation, Glutathione, Catalase
Citation
6