Effects of Administration of beta-Carotene, Ascorbic Acid, Persimmons, and Pods on Antioxidative Ability in UV-Irradiated ODS Rats

To evaluate the effects of supplementing diets with carotenoid and ascorbic acid (AsA) on the antioxidative ability of Osteogenic Disorder-Shionogi (ODS) rats, we added synthetic b-carotene (bC), AsA, and powders of persimmon (Ka) and pods (Po) containing bC and AsA to the diet and obtained the following results. The urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) concentration was low in the –betaC•AsA and +AsA groups but high in the +betaC. AsA, +Ka, and +Po groups. The thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in both the liver and skin were higher in the –betaC•AsA group than in the +betaC•AsA group and were low in the +Ka and +Po groups. As antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity was high in the +betaC•AsA group, low in the –betaC•AsA group in both the skin and liver, and also high in the + Ka and +Po group in the liver. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was high in the –betaC•AsA group and low in the +betaC•AsA and +Ka groups in both the skin and liver. Catalase (CAT) activity...