Procyanidins from Vitis vinifera seeds: in vivo effects on oxidative stress

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with procyanidins from Vitis vinifera on markers of oxidative stress. Ten healthy volunteers received a daily dose of 110 mg of procyanidins for 30 days. Fasting venous blood samples were taken before and at the end of the supplementation period and after 7 days of wash-out. The total antioxidant activity and the plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol were not modified. Conversely, the levels of alpha-tocopherol in red blood cell membranes increased significantly from 1.8 +/- 0.1 to 2.8 +/- 0.2 mg/g. Similarly, the lymphocyte oxidized DNA [8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine/2'-deoxyguanosine ratio] was reduced from 7.23 +/- 2.47 to 2.34 +/- 0.51, and the red blood cell membrane fatty acid composition shifted to a higher level of polyunsaturated fatty acids. On the basis of these results, it may be suggested that dietary procyanidins exert their antioxidant protection in vivo by sparing liposoluble vitamin E and reducing DNA oxidative damage.