OXIDATIVE STRESS STATUS AND ANTIOXIDANT STATUS ARE APPARENTLY NOT RELATED TO CAROTENOID STATUS IN HEALTHY-SUBJECTS

Several lines of evidence suggest that carotenoids may have a benefici al effect on health as a result of their antioxidant properties, In ad dition to beta-carotene, five other carotenoids are recovered in notic eable amounts from human plasma and tissues, Although the effect of be ta-carotene on in vivo lipid peroxidation has been documented, few dat a are available on the effects of the other carotenoids, We evaluated the ability of the main human carotenoids to reduce lipid peroxidation by determining the correlations between plasma carotenoid concentrati on and plasma antioxidant capacity (in 79 healthy volunteers) and betw een carotenoid status and breath pentane excretion (in a subgroup of 2 4 subjects). Carotenoid intake was assessed by means of a 3-day food r ecall. Carotenoid status was evaluated by measurement of beta-carotene , lycopene, lutein/zeaxanthin, and alpha-carotene in plasma and buccal mucosal cells, Antioxidant status was evaluated by measurement of the total antioxidant capacity of the plasma. Oxidative stress status was evaluated by breath pentane measurements, Food recall data and the ca rotenoid concentrations in plasma and buccal mucosal cells showed that the subjects had normal carotenoid intake and normal carotenoid statu s. The total antioxidant capacity of the plasma was not related to the concentration of any specific carotenoid. The level of expired air pe ntane was not related to the carotenoid status of the subjects. These results show that normal concentrations of carotenoids in plasma and t issues are not correlated with these clinical markers of antioxidant a nd oxidative stress status.