Thesis (MTech (Biomedical Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. / Oxidative stress, in recent times appears to be a major underlying risk factor in the
occurrence of various diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and ischemic heart
disease (IHD). During oxidative stress, there is an imbalance between the production of
reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defence mechanisms in favour of ROS. This
results in severe cellular damages in the heart, vascular membranes and other organs.
Potential benefits of dietary supplements as one of the major quenching elements against
oxidative stress have been highlighted. Thus, a growing interest has been stimulated in
finding natural alternatives for the treatment and! or prevention of oxidative stress-mediated
diseases. Red palm oil (RPO), refined from the tropical plant Elaeis guineensis was used in
this study since it has captivated much attention in the health sector lately. The effects of RPO-supplementation on oxidative stress biomarkers as well as
homocysteine, a cardiovascular disease risk factor in an oxidative stress-induced rat model
were investigated in this in vivo study. All experiments were conducted for a period of six
weeks. Male Wistar rats (120-150g) were randomly divided into six groups (n=5) where all
the rats received a standard diet. Two groups (groups C, D) were supplemented with 0.175g
RPO (7g RPO/kg chow) for four weeks whereas groups (groups E, F) were given 0.175g
RPO (7g RPO/kg chow) supplementation for six weeks. Rats in control groups (groups A, B)
were not given any RPO-supplementation. Groups B, 0, F were induced with oxidative stress
by injection of 0.5ml (20IlM/100g of body weight) organic tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide. All
parameters were determined using appropriate methods in plasma, serum and erythrocytes.
Data were expressed as mean ± SEM. No significant differences were obtained between
groups for total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase activity. Red palm oil
supplementation significantly increased superoxide dismutase activity after 6 weeks
consumption, total glutathione levels after 4 weeks consumption and homocysteine levels
after four and six weeks consumption in rats not subjected to oxidative stress. Under
oxidative stress conditions, malondialdehyde (MOA) level, a marker of oxidative stress
related damage, significantly increased in rats receiving a standard diet. However, when
RPO diet was supplemented for 4 and 6 weeks, MOA levels significantly decreased towards
the value of normal controls. In conclusion, our findings suggest that RPO-supplementation could ameliorate antioxidant status in the body through its potential ability to increase some antioxidant enzymes activity. Similarly, it is suggested that RPO-supplementation could protect the rat against oxidative
stress induced damage in diseased state.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/2257 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Alinde, Olatogni Berenice Lidwine |
| Contributors | Oguntibeju, OO, Esterhuyse, AJ, Van Rooyen, J, Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences. Dept. of Biomedical Sciences. |
| Publisher | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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