Free radicals and subsequent lipid peroxidation have been implicated in the
pathogenesis of several degenerative and chronic diseases which are also t
reated frequently in spas. There are some data arising from previous studie
s which support an antioxidant or scavenging effect of iodide, being the es
sential ingredient of a therapeutically used local brine. The nim of the st
udy was to test the antioxidant capacity of iodide in human serum. For this
reason we measured the so-called Total Antioxidant Status determined by a
colorimetric method, which reflects the protection against the attack of re
active oxygen species, including enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants. Exog
enous iodide applied as Nal, shows a significantly increased antioxidant ca
pacity in comparison with NaCl at a concentration of 15 mu M, which is quit
e comparable to the upper range of serum iodide levels achieved through bal
neo-therapeutical intervention. This result is in accordance with previous
results from in vitro depolymerization experiments with hyaluronic acid. Th
e antioxidant effect of 15 mu M NaI has been found to be approaching the ph
ysiologically relevant concentration of ascorbic acid (50 mu M). Copyright
(C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.