Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) values and their correlation with individual antioxidants in serum of healthy beagles

The paper aims to establish a range for serum Total Antioxidant Capacity (T AC) and to determine the correlation between TAC and some individual antiox idants (vitamin A and E, lipid standardised vitamin E [Vit E/LS], beta -car otene, total bilirubin and albumin) in a uniform population of beagle dogs. Emphasis was directed on their general health status to establish a basis for future investigation of the role of TAC in diseases of dogs as species most frequently studied in veterinary medicine. The animal body possesses a variety of protective antioxidant substances that act as a harmoniously an d finely tuned mechanism to neutralise harmful oxidants. TAC measurements p rovide a tool for establishing links between antioxidant capacity and the r isk of disease as well as for monitoring of antioxidant therapy. Serum samp les of 19 healthy beagles were assayed for TAC on LP 700 photometer (Dr. La nge, Germany) with a commercially available TAS kit ("Total Antioxidant Sta tus" - TAS; Randox, Crumlin, UK). TAS kit measures the capacity of all of t he antioxidants present in serum or plasma sample. The assay is based on th e suppression of the absorbance of the radical cation of 2,2"-azinobis (3-e thylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS(.+)) by antioxidants. Assay results are expressed as mmol/l of Trolox (6-hydroxy-2, 5, 7, tetramethylchroman-2- carboxylic acid - a water-soluble analogue of a-tocopherol) equivalents. Th e range for TAC expressed as mean +/- SD resulted in 1.08 +/- 0.08 mmol/l. TAC correlated positively with albumin (r = 0.18), vitamin E (r = 0.14) and Vit E (LS) (r = 0.20), and negatively with total bilirubin (r = -0.30), vi tamin A (r = -0.15) and beta -carotene (r = -0.13) although no significant correaltion has been found.