[The state of the antioxidant status of children of different ages]

The parameters of lipid peroxidation (blood plasma content of primary products of lipid peroxidation and the end of TBA-active products) and indexes of antioxidant protection (total antioxidant activity, the content of fat-soluble vitamins A and E in blood plasma and riboflavin in blood) has been evaluated in 75 healthy children living in Irkutsk. All respondents were divided into three age periods: preschool age (3-6 years old, mean 4.7 +/- 1.0 - 21 children), primary school age (7-8 years, 7.6 +/- 0.4, - 28 children) and middle-school age (9-11 years, 9.9 +/- 0.7, 26 children). We used spectrophotometric and fluorometric methods. Identified the distinctive features of the metabolic reactions in children at different ages. The increase of the content of the primary products of lipid peroxidation in the early school years and of the end of TBA-active products for children of secondary school age in comparison with the preschool children has been determined. At the same time an increase in the level of total antioxidant activity and fat-soluble vitamins and riboflavin content in young and middle-school aged children in comparison with the pre-school children has been observed. The measurement of vitamins status demonstrated the insufficiency of alpha-tocopherol in half of pre-school children, in 36% of primary school children and 38% of children of secondary school age. Retinol and riboflavin deficiency has been detected in a small proportion of children of all ages. In this regard, the additional supply with vitamins of children in pre-school and middle-school period is essential.