[In vivo and in vitro antioxidant studies of anthocyanin-transgenic corn]

This study employed both in vivo and in vitro experimental method to evaluate the antioxidant activity of anthocyanin-transgenic corn.

In vitro antioxidant capacity was assessed using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) and 2, 2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt(ABTS) radical scavenging assay method. For in vivo experiments, 50 aged female rats(10 months old) were randomly divided into five groups(10 rats per group): aged group, 35% anthocyanin-transgenic corn group, 70% anthocyanin-transgenic corn group, Lycium anthocyanin positive control group, and parental corn group(70% non-GMO corn). An additional 10 young female rats(6-8 weeks old) served as the youth group. Rats in the aged and youth groups were fed AIN-93M standard diet. Rats in the Lycium anthocyanin positive control group received feed containing the same anthocyanin concentration(242 mg/kg) as the 70% anthocyanin-transgenic corn group. After 8 weeks of continuous dietary intervention, rats were euthanized under anesthesia. Whole blood and liver tissue were collected to measure malondialdehyde(MDA) and glutathione(GSH) levels, as well as superoxide dismutase(SOD) activity.

DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays demonstrated that anthocyanin-transgenic corn exhibits significant radical scavenging activity. The body weight of rats in the young group was significantly lower than that in the aged group(P<0.05). There were no significant differences in body weight between the other groups and the aged group. Compared with the aged group, there were no significant differences in food intake among all groups during the intervention period. Compared with the aged group, 35% anthocyanin-transgenic corn significantly reduced MDA and GSH levels in rats(P<0.01) but had no significant effect on SOD activity. Compared with the aged group, 70% anthocyanin-transgenic corn significantly reduced MDA levels in rats while simultaneously increasing SOD activity and GSH levels(P<0.05).

In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that anthocyanin-transgenic corn possesses antioxidant properties, providing scientific evidence for its application in health-related fields.