Ferric reducing ability of plasma: A potential marker in stored plasma

Abstract

<b>BACKGROUND:</b> The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay is used for measuring the antioxidant capacity. FRAP is proportional to the molar concentration of the antioxidant capacity. <b>AIM:</b> The objective of this study attempts to analyze the possibilities of FRAP as an indicator of oxidative stress (OS). <b>SETTINGS AND DESIGN:</b> Blood was drawn from male <i>Wistar</i> rats and stored over a period of 20 days at 4°C in citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 (CPDA-1). They were divided into two groups: controls and experimentals. The experimentals were added with antioxidants-L-carnitine, curcumin (Cu), Vitamin C (VC), and caffeic acid (CA) of varying concentrations-10, 30, and 60 mM (<i>n</i> = 5 for each group). <b>MATERIALS AND METHODS:</b> Plasma was isolated from these samples at regular intervals (every 5 days) and FRAP and Protein were assayed. Results were analyzed by two-way ANOVA, using GraphPad Prism 6 (GraphPad Software, Inc. USA). <b>RESULTS:</b> FRAP was maintained in controls. VC (ascorbic acid) was the most potent antioxidant in terms of FRAP during storage compared to the above antioxidants. <b>CONCLUSION:</b> This study emphasizes the use of FRAP as a potential marker of OS in plasma of stored blood. FRAP can be utilized as a reliable marker for determining the antioxidant capacity.