Pomegranate juice is potentially better than apple juice in improving antioxidant function in elderly subjects

• Published in: Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 72 - 77
• Main Authors: Guo, Changjiang, Wei, Jingyu, Yang, Jijun, Xu, Jing, Pang, Wei, Jiang, Yugang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.2008; Tarrytown, N.Y.: Elsevier Science Inc; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine; 5,5′-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid; 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine; 8-OH-dG; administration & dosage; Aging; Aging - metabolism; antioxidant activity; Antioxidant function; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - metabolism; Apple; apple juice; apples; Beverages; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Biomarkers - urine; blood; CAT; catalase; chemical constituents of plants; chemistry; Deoxyadenosines; Deoxyadenosines - urine; DNA Damage; DNA Damage - drug effects; DNPH; drug effects; DTNB; elderly; elderly nutrition; enzyme activity; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; ferric reducing/antioxidant power; Flavonoids; Flavonoids - administration & dosage; Flavonoids - metabolism; FRAP; free radical scavengers; free radicals; fruit juices; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; glutathione; glutathione peroxidase; glutathione reductase (NADPH); glutathione-disulfide reductase; GSH; GSH-Px; Humans; Lythraceae; Male; malondialdehyde; Malus; Malus - chemistry; MDA; metabolism; Middle Aged; nutrient content; Nutritional Requirements; ox-LDL; Oxidation-Reduction; oxidized low-density lipoprotein; Phenols; Phenols - administration & dosage; Phenols - metabolism; Polyphenols; Pomegranate; pomegranates; Punicaceae - chemistry; redox potential; reduced glutathione; senescence; SOD; superoxide dismutase; urine; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; vitamin E; DNPH; GSH-Px; 8-OH-dG; DTNB; Humans; SOD; ox-LDL; MDA; VE; Apple; CAT; Aging; FRAP; Antioxidant function; Pomegranate; GSH; 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine; 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine; ferric reducing/antioxidant power; reduced glutathione; malondialdehyde; catalase; 5,5′-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid; vitamin E; superoxide dismutase; oxidized low-density lipoprotein; glutathione peroxidase; Human; Vertebrata; Senescence; Mammalia; Ageing; Antioxidant; Elderly
• ISSN: 0271-5317; 1879-0739; 1879-0739
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2007.12.001

In the present study, 26 elderly subjects were recruited and randomly divided into 2 groups, that is, apple (low in antioxidant capacity) and pomegranate (high in antioxidant capacity) groups, and 250 mL of juice was consumed daily for 4 weeks. Changes in plasma antioxidant capacity, activity of antioxidant enzymes, contents of ascorbic acid, vitamin E, reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, oxidized low-density lipoprotein and carbonyls, and the degree of DNA damage in mononuclear blood cells were measured. Urine samples were collected for determination of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine content. Increased plasma antioxidant capacity and decreased plasma carbonyl content were demonstrated after daily consumption of pomegranate juice. In comparison, apple juice consumption presented a less significant effect on antioxidant function in elderly subjects. It is concluded that daily consumption of pomegranate juices is potentially better than apple juice in improving antioxidant function in the elderly. Because the plasma ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and reduced glutathione contents did not differ significantly between the 2 groups in this study, the phenolics may be the functional components contained in pomegranate juice that accounted for the observations.