JACN Did you know that you can get alerts when a new issue is online?
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Leenhardt, F.
Right arrow Articles by Rémésy, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Leenhardt, F.
Right arrow Articles by Rémésy, C.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 27, No. 2, 222-228 (2008)
Published by the American College of Nutrition

Wheat Germ Supplementation of a Low Vitamin E Diet in Rats Affords Effective Antioxidant Protection in Tissues

Fanny Leenhardt, PhD, Anthony Fardet, PhD, Bernard Lyan, MSc, Elyett Gueux, PhD, Edmond Rock, PhD, Andrzej Mazur, PhD, Elisabeth Chanliaud, PhD, Christian Demigné, PhD and Christian Rémésy, PhD

INRA Clermont/Theix, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, St-Genès-Champanelle (F.L., A.F., B.L., E.G., E.R., A.M., C.D., C.R.)
Laboratoire pour l'Innovation des Céréales, ZAC "Les Portes de Riom," Riom Cedex (F.L., E.C.), FRANCE

Address reprint requests to: Anthony Fardet, Ph.D., INRA Clermont/Theix, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, F-63122 St-Genes-Champanelle, FRANCE. E-mail: afardet{at}clermont.inra.fr

Background: Oxidative stress is implicated in the etiology of many diseases, but most of clinical trials failed to demonstrate beneficial effects of antioxidant supplementation.

Methods: In the present experiment, we assessed the mean-term effect of wheat germ supplementation, as a dietary source of vitamin E, on antioxidant protection in rat.

Results: Feeding rats a 20% wheat germ diet significantly increased plasma and liver vitamin E levels, compared to the low vitamin E basal diet. Concurrently, wheat germ diet consumption strongly decreased the susceptibility of heart and liver lipids to oxidation, as well as the plasma. Wheat germ feeding did not change triglycerides (TG) nor total cholesterol concentrations in plasma or liver, resulting in higher vitamin E/ TG ratio compared to controls. Similar results were found with a diet in which wheat germ oil provided the same amount of vitamin E.

Conclusions: Wheat germ appears thus very effective to improve antioxidant defense status, especially in tissues, irrespective of modifications of lipids status.

Key words: cereal, wheat germ, tocopherol, lipid peroxidation

Abbreviations: CHD = coronary heart disease • FRAP=ferric ion reducing antioxidant power • LDL = low density lipoprotein • MDA = malondialdehyde • ROS = reactive oxygen species • TBARS = thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances • TG = triglycerides • VLDL = very low density lipoprotein • PUFA = polyunsaturated fatty acids • WG = wheat germ • WGO = wheat germ oil






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2008 by the American College of Nutrition.