N-6-furfuryladenine, kinetin, protects against fenton reaction-mediated oxidative damage to DNA

N-6-Furfuryladenine (kinetin) has been shown to have anti-ageing effects on several different systems including plants, human cells in culture, and fr uitflies, Since most of the experimental data point toward kinetin acting a s an antioxidant both in vitro and in vivo, and since much evidence support ing a causal role of oxidative damage in ageing is accumulating, we tested the antioxidant properties of kinetin directly, Using 8-oxo-2' deoxyguanosi ne (8-oxo-dG:) in calf thymus DNA as a marker for oxidative damage, we demo nstrate that kinetin significantly (P < 0.005) protects the DNA against oxi dative damage mediated by the Fenton reaction, Kinetin inhibited 8-oxo-dG f ormation in a dose-dependent manner with a maximum of 50% protection observ ed at 100 mu M kinetin. (C) 1999 Academic Press.