In Vivo Antioxidant Assays

Oxidative stress and antioxidant deficiency have been implicated in the pathophysiology of a wide range of diseases and conditions. Consequently, over recent years many different supplementation trials have been implemented, aimed at improving clinical outcomes by boosting antioxidant levels. These trials included supplementation with individual antioxidants, antioxidant combinations, and antioxidant-rich foods such as fruit and vegetable juices and other plant extracts. To ensure that data from these trials are interpreted correctly, it is essential that suitable biomarkers are used to assess changes in in vivo antioxidant activity resulting from supplementation. Therefore, the measurement of antioxidant systems, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, and status of other molecules in biological fluids with their quantification methods are simplified in this chapter.