Antioxidant effect of lemon verbena extracts in lymphocytes of university students performing aerobic training program

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 454 - 461
• Main Authors: Carrera-Quintanar, L., Funes, L., Viudes, E., Tur, J., Micol, V., Roche, E., Pons, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-08-2012
• Subjects: Adult; aerobic training; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - drug effects; Double-Blind Method; Erythrocyte Count; erythrocytes; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Exercise Therapy; Glutathione Reductase - blood; Glutathione Reductase - drug effects; Herbal medicine; Humans; immune cells; Lippia; Lippia citriodora; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes - drug effects; Male; Malondialdehyde - blood; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Protein Carbonylation - drug effects; Students; Universities; University students; Urea - blood; verbascoside; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0905-7188; 1600-0838
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01244.x

Aerobic training is related to an increase in blood oxidation markers. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the antioxidant capacity of Lippia citriodora extracts (PLX®) on plasma and blood cell oxidative status of university students beginning a 21 days aerobic training routine (3 days/week). Using a double‐blind design, 15 male athletes (21 ± 2.1 years) were assigned to a group consuming 1.8 g/day of the plant extract (PLX®‐group) or a placebo (PLB‐group). Two blood extractions were performed at day 0 and 21, from which lymphocytes, erythrocytes and plasma were isolated. Several circulating parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities and oxidative stress markers were measured. The PLX®‐group displayed an increased HDL‐cholesterol, a modest decrease in erythrocyte number and an increased circulating urea. Activation of glutathione (GSH)‐reductase was observed in erythrocytes and lymphocytes of PLX®‐group, accompanied by lower levels of oxidative stress markers, such as malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls in plasma. The antioxidant action exerted by PLX® on GSH‐reductase seems to be post‐translational and mainly due to verbascoside, a phenylpropanoid that represents 10% (w/w) of extract content. In conclusion, PLX® shows antioxidant properties that could play an important role in modulating GSH‐reductase activity in lymphocytes and erythrocytes and protecting plasma from exercise oxidative damage.