Abstract
The oxidation of lipids, proteins, and DNA induced by reactive oxygen species has been implicated in the development of various diseases, and the role of antioxidants has received much attention. Free-radical scavenging antioxidants play an important role in the defense network in vivo, and assessment of the capacity of antioxidants has been the subject of extensive studies and controversy, but there is no universal method by which antioxidant capacity can be measured accurately. In the present study, the assessment of the antioxidant capacity of natural fruit extracts was examined for radical scavenging and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. It was found that the capacity of fruit extracts for scavenging of both hydrophilic and lipophilic free radicals and for antioxidation can be assessed from the effect on the probe decay and the inhibition of plasma lipid peroxidation respectively. The importance of these two factors in the assessment of antioxidant capacity is discussed.
