The induction of human superoxide dismutase and catalase in vivo: A fundamentally new approach to antioxidant therapy

• Published in: Free radical biology & medicine Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 341 - 347
• Main Authors: Nelson, Sally K., Bose, Swapan K., Grunwald, Gary K., Myhill, Paul, McCord, Joe M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15-01-2006
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Antioxidant; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Ascorbic Acid - administration & dosage; Ascorbic Acid - therapeutic use; C-Reactive Protein - drug effects; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Catalase; Catalase - blood; Catalase - drug effects; Catalase - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - administration & dosage; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - adverse effects; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - toxicity; Female; Free radicals; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Humans; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids - physiology; Male; Middle Aged; Protandim; Reference Values; Superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - blood; Superoxide Dismutase - drug effects; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; TBARS; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances - metabolism; Time Factors; Uric Acid - blood; Uric Acid - metabolism; Vitamin A - administration & dosage; Vitamin A - therapeutic use; Free radicals; Catalase; Lipid peroxidation; Superoxide dismutase; TBARS; Antioxidant; Protandim
• ISSN: 0891-5849; 1873-4596
• DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2005.08.043

A composition consisting of extracts of five widely studied medicinal plants (Protandim) was administered to healthy human subjects ranging in age from 20 to 78 years. Individual ingredients were selected on the basis of published findings of induction of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and/or catalase in rodents in vivo, combined with evidence of decreasing lipid peroxidation. Each ingredient was present at a dosage sufficiently low to avoid any accompanying unwanted pharmacological effects. Blood was analyzed before supplementation and after 30 and 120 days of supplementation (675 mg/day). Erythrocytes were assayed for SOD and catalase, and plasma was assayed for lipid peroxidation products as thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS), as well as uric acid, C-reactive protein, and cholesterol (total, LDL, and HDL). Before supplementation, TBARS showed a strong age-dependent increase. After 30 days of supplementation, TBARS declined by an average of 40% (
p = 0.0001) and the age-dependent increase was eliminated. By 120 days, erythrocyte SOD increased by 30% (
p < 0.01) and catalase by 54% (
p < 0.002). We conclude that modest induction of the catalytic antioxidants SOD and catalase may be a much more effective approach than supplementation with antioxidants (such as vitamins C and E) that can, at best, stoichiometrically scavenge a very small fraction of total oxidant production.