Abstract
Incorporating zeaxanthin-rich wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) into a healthy dietary pattern may augment its antioxidant potential. The present 16-week, parallel design randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the impact of adhering to a healthy dietary pattern, either with or without whole dried wolfberry (15 g/d) on oxidative stress status (plasma malondialdehyde and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α) in middle-aged and older adults. Changes to carotenoids status (plasma and skin carotenoids) and body composition were further evaluated to explore potential mechanisms which underlie the antioxidant properties of wolfberry. Plasma 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, plasma zeaxanthin and skin carotenoids status were significantly raised in the wolfberry consuming group (n = 22; p < 0.05) compared to the control group which showed no changes (n = 18). Likewise in the wolfberry group only, inverse association was observed between the change values of plasma zeaxanthin and plasma 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (−0.21 (−0.43, 0.00) ng/µmol, regression coefficient (95% CI); p = 0.05). Wolfberry consumption with a healthy dietary pattern may serve as a dietary strategy to attenuate lipid peroxidation among middle-aged and older adults who are at a heightened risk of oxidative stress induced age-related disorders. The antioxidant properties of wolfberry may be attributed to its rich zeaxanthin content.
Highlights
Declines in the endogenous antioxidant network are regarded as one of the few antagonistic hallmarks of aging [1]
This may be attained through an adherence to healthy dietary patterns (HDPs), often characterized by a balanced consumption of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and meats or alternative protein sources which contributes to a variety of exogenous antioxidants [4,5]
0, demographic characteristics as well as the biomarkers of oxidative stress, anthropometrics and body composition indicators were similar between the wolfberry and control groups (p > 0.05). This is with the exception of plasma total carotenoids, plasma lycopene, which was significantly higher in the control group (total carotenoids: 2.75 (0.95) μmol/L; lycopene: 0.58 (0.45) μmol/L) than the wolfberry group (total carotenoids: 2.02 (0.90) μmol/L; lycopene: 0.33 (0.22) μmol/L)
Summary
Declines in the endogenous antioxidant network are regarded as one of the few antagonistic hallmarks of aging [1] This can be induced by mitochondrial perturbations which alter its functionality and makes the middle-aged and older population more vulnerable to oxidative stress [2]. Disruptions to the dynamic redox regulation results in oxidative damage and phenotypic changes which predisposes many age-related disorders such as cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and dementia [3]. Under these circumstances, dietary antioxidants are especially important to support the maintenance of redox homeostasis. A meta-analysis evaluating randomized controlled trials (RCTs) deduced significant improvements in several oxidative stress parameters including blood MDA and glutathione after adherence to the Dietary Approaches
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