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Effect of Spinacia oleraceae L. and Perilla frutescens L. on Antioxidants and Lipid Peroxidation in an Intervention Study in Healthy Individuals

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Abstract

Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables is frequently recommended to prevent several diseases. This health-promoting effect is considered to be in part due to the antioxidant content of fruits and vegetables and their ability to decrease oxidative stress. To investigate whether the ingestion of preparations from spinach or perilla, two carotenoid-rich leafy vegetables, is followed by an increase in carotenoid concentration and/or affects parameters of oxidative stress in human blood plasma. 12 healthy volunteers ingested a perilla- or spinach preparation for 10 days (5 mg lutein/d). We quantified antioxidant levels in plasma, kinetics of lipid peroxidation, MDA concentration, and total antioxidative capacity of plasma. We observed a significant increase in lutein content and a moderate increase (n.s.) in β-carotene content in human blood plasma after consumption of spinach or perilla. The markers of lipid peroxidation tended to decrease, but no influence on antioxidative capacity of plasma could be detected. The high lutein content of perilla caused a more pronounced increase of lutein compared to spinach. Both vegetables seem to be able to influence lipid peroxidation in a beneficial manner.

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Abbreviations

ABTS:

2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)

ARE:

Antioxidant response element

BHT:

Butylated hydroxyl toluene

BMI:

Body Mass Index

DNPH:

2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine

HPLC:

High performance liquid chromatography

KMB:

α-keto-γ-butyric acid

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

PBS:

Phosphate buffered saline

POD:

Peroxidase

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

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Acknowledgement

This work was kindly supported by the Horst-Müggenburg-Stiftung, Germany.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Greenhouses and Laboratories Dürnast; Quality of Vegetal Foodstuff, Life Science Center Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Dürnast 3, 85350, Freising, Germany

    Georg Schirrmacher & Johanna Graßmann

  2. Else Kröner-Fresenius-Centre for Nutritional Medicine, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany

    Thomas Skurk & Hans Hauner

Authors
  1. Georg Schirrmacher
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  2. Thomas Skurk
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  4. Johanna Graßmann
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Correspondence to Johanna Graßmann.

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Schirrmacher, G., Skurk, T., Hauner, H. et al. Effect of Spinacia oleraceae L. and Perilla frutescens L. on Antioxidants and Lipid Peroxidation in an Intervention Study in Healthy Individuals. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 65, 71–76 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-009-0152-x

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