Studies on Ergothioneine. XI. Inhibitory Effect on Lipid Peroxide Formation in Mouse Liver

Abstract

Ergothioneine was examined in vitro for ability to inhibit lipid peroxide formation. Lipid peroxide formation in mouse liver homogenate was inhibited in a dose-related manner by 5-250 mM ergothioneine. Carnitine and histidine had no such effect. Even when lipid peroxide formation was enhanced by reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) or ascorbic acid treatment, addition of 50 mM ergothioneine inhibited that formation by 50%. It was found that ergothioneine (1) remarkably enhanced glutathione peroxidase activity from liver cytosol, (2) increased the activity of mitochondrial Mn-superoxide dismutase, and (3) inhibited NADPH-cytochrome c reductase from rat liver microsomes. Thus, ergothioneine might be one of the heat-stable factors inhibiting lipid peroxide formation in the liver cytosol.