Antioxidant Efficacy of a Standardized Red Orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) Extract in Elderly Subjects: A Randomized, Double Blind, Controlled Study

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 14; no. 20; p. 4235
• Main Authors: Nobile, Vincenzo, Pisati, Marta, Cestone, Enza, Insolia, Violetta, Zaccaria, Vincenzo, Malfa, Giuseppe Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 11.10.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Aged; Aging; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Cardiovascular disease; Citrus fruits; Citrus sinensis - chemistry; Double-blind studies; Female; Flavonoids; Glutathione - metabolism; Glutathione Disulfide - metabolism; Hormone replacement therapy; Humans; Male; Menopause; Oxidative Stress; Oxygen - pharmacology; Physiology; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Quality of Life; Reactive oxygen species; Reactive Oxygen Species - pharmacology; Skin; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Womens health; United States > US; Italy; red orange extract; food supplement; aging; menopause; plant secondary metabolites; oxidative stress
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14204235

The world population is rapidly aging. This should cause us to reflect on the need to develop a new nutritional approach to mitigate the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced damage. A randomized, double blind, controlled study was carried out on 60 elderly male and female subjects. Product efficacy was measured before and after 2 and 8 weeks of product intake. The reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione concentrations in the erythrocytes and the reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) hematic concentration were measured to assess the antioxidant efficacy. The tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in the serum were measured to assess the anti-inflammatory effectiveness. The wellbeing was assessed by Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire (male) and by Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) (female). Blood, urine analysis and electrocardiography (ECG) were carried out to assess the product’s safety. The results showed that GSH/GSSG ratio increased by 22.4% and 89.0% after 2 and 8 weeks of product intake. Serum TNF-α levels decreased by 2.5% after 8 weeks of product intake. The SF-36 QoL and the MRS questionnaire outputs indicate, preliminarily, a positive effect of the extract intake in ameliorating the wellbeing of both male and female subjects. The product was well-tolerated. Our findings suggest that the test product has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacy and has a positive effect on the wellbeing of elderly female and male subjects.