Effects Of Lutein Supplement On Human DNA Damage And Antioxidant Function

OBJECTIVE: Consumer demand for natural products favours the development of bioactive food ingredients with health benefits. Lutein is promising biologically active component in the food industry, but that a cause and effect relationship to health people has not been established. We conducted the experiment to investigate the effects of lutein supplementation on DNA damage and the antioxidant activity. METHODS:A total of 20 healthy young adults were randomly divided into two groups(n=10 in each group),including lutein group(20 mg/d) and normal control group. The volunteers of the lutein group were treated with lutein for 3 weeks while the control group wasn’t given any supplementation. Fasting blood was collected at the beginning and the end of the trial. Plasma lutein concentrations were measured by HPLC detector systems. The concentration of malondialdehyde(MDA) in plasma was measured by using thiobarbituric acid(TBA); the activities of plasma total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD) was tested by using xanthine oxidase method; the activities of plasma glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) was determined by using DTNB method; plasma level of low density lipoprotein(Ox-LDL) and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) was determined by using ELISA kits. Peripheral blood lymphocyte DNA damage was analyzed by single-cell gel electrophoresis(SCGE). The method of fluorescence polarization was used to measure erythrocyte membrane fluidity and Na+-K+-ATP enzyme activity was detected by kits. CCK-8 method was used to detect the lymphocyte transformation rate. RESULTS:After supplementation for 3 weeks, plasma lutein concentration of the subjects is 1.112μg/m L in the lutein group and increased by 228%(P<0.01). DNA damage analysis showed that 5 μmol/L and 10μmol/L H2O2-induced DNA damage were markedly lower in lutein group than those in the control group(P<0.05). Lutein concentrations in the lutein group after supplementation has a negative correlation with spontaneously and 10μmol/L H2O2 DNA damage(r=-0.795, P=0.02; r=-0.693, P=0.043). Plasma MDA concentrations of the subjects in the lutein group was significantly lower than those of the control group(P<0.05), and plasma GSH-Px concentration was significantly increased while plasma T-SOD, HO-1 and Ox-LDL showed no significant difference(P>0.05). Compared with the control group, erythrocyte membrane fluidity and Na+-K+-ATP enzyme activity increased significantly(P<0.05). CONCLUSION : Lutein supplementation enhanced antioxidant activity and could effectively reduce DNA damage.