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Hypoxia is known to induce oxidative stress in organisms leading to tissue injury. In the present study beta-carotene (BC) given at 10 mg/kg body weight (BW) in reducing the oxidative stress induced by hypoxia was evaluated on male albino rats. Hypoxia exposure caused an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in plasma and tissues, a concurrent decrease in blood glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), plasma protein and plasma BC content. Hemoglobin concentration, Red blood corpuscles (RBC) and White blood corpuscles (WBC) count were also increased under hypoxia. BC supplementation reversed the trend, inducing a significant decrease (P

To evaluate the effect of oral administration of Kombucha tea (K-tea) on lead induced oxidative stress.Sprague Dawley rats were administered 1 mL of 3.8% lead acetate solution daily alone or in combination with K-tea orally for 45 d, and the antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation were evaluated.Oral administration of lead acetate to rats enhanced lipid peroxidation and release of creatine phosphokinase and decreased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD and glutathione peroxidase, GPx). Lead treatment did not alter humoral immunity, but inhibited DTH response when compared to the control. Lead administration also increased DNA fragmentation in liver. Oral administration of Kombucha tea to rats exposed to lead decreased lipid peroxidation and DNA damage with a concomitant increase in the reduced glutathione level and GPx activity. Kombucha tea supplementation relieved the lead induced immunosuppression to appreciable levels.The results suggest that K-tea has potent antioxidant and immunomodulating properties.

At high altitudes, the reactive oxygen species are continuously generated as a consequence of low oxygen partial pressure (hypoxia), which causes tissue damage. The body's defence system to combat the oxidative stress (e.g., anti-oxidant enzymes, free radical scavengers such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, reduced glutathione and minerals such as selenium, etc.) may diminish. In the present study, the antioxidant effect of selenium (Se) in reducing the hypoxia-induced oxidative stress was evaluated by exposing male albino rats to hypoxic stress in a decompression chamber. Exposure to hypoxia resulted in an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in plasma and tissues and a concurrent decrease in blood glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), plasma protein and plasma selenium content when compared with controls. Haemoglobin concentration (Hb%), red blood corpuscles (RBC) and white blood corpuscles (WBC) count were also increased in the hypoxia-exposed group. Selenium supplementation to animals reversed the trend. There was a significant decrease (P0.001) in MDA and subsequent increase in plasma and tissue GSH levels. Similarly the blood and tissue GPx and plasma protein also increased significantly in the Se supplemented animals compared with control animals. The Hb%, RBC and WBC counts showed no significant difference between Se-fed and control rats. These results suggest that selenium may help in reducing the lipid peroxidation during hypoxia.

The fruits extracts of Emblica officinalis (Amla) has been reported to have strong anti-oxidant properties. There is a paucity of studies on the immunomodulatory properties of fruit extracts of Amla in immuno-compromised states, with the emphasis on lymphocytes. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the anti-oxidant and immunomodulatory properties of Amla using chromium (VI) as an immunosuppressive agent. Chromium (Cr) treatment results in enhanced cytotoxicity, free radical production, lipid peroxidation and decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and diminished glutathione (GSH) levels. There was a significant inhibition of both lipopolysaccharide and concanavalin-A-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation. Chromium also inhibited Con A stimulated interleukin-2 and gamma-interferon production significantly. Further, there was enhanced apoptosis and DNA fragmentation in the presence of Cr. Amla significantly inhibited Cr-induced free radical production and restored the anti-oxidant status back to control level. Amla also inhibited apoptosis and DNA fragmentation induced by Cr. Interestingly, Amla relieved the immunosuppressive effects of Cr on lymphocyte proliferation and even restored the IL-2 and gamma-IFN production considerably.

The objective of the study was to evaluate toxicity, anti-stress activity and hepato-protective properties of Kombucha tea.Kombucha tea was fed orally for 15 days using three different doses i.e. normal dose, five and ten times the dose. Rats were then sacrificed and various biochemical, and histological parameters were estimated. Anti-stress activity was evaluated either by 1) by exposing animals to cold and hypoxia and estimating the levels of malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione in plasma/blood or 2) by subjecting the animals to restraint stress and recording faecal output. Hepato-toxicity was induced by challenging the animals to an acute dose of paracetamol (1 gm/kg) orally and determining the plasma levels of SGPT, SGOT and MDA.The effect of oral administration of different doses of K-tea to albino rats was examined and the results indicate that K-tea has no significant toxicity as revealed by various biochemical and histopathological parameters. K-tea has been found to prevent lipid peroxidation and fall in reduced glutathione level when rats were exposed to cold and hypoxia in simulated chamber. Further, K-tea has also been found to decrease the Wrap-restraint faecal pellet output in rats. K-tea has also been found to decrease paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity significantly.The study shows that K-tea has anti-stress and hepato-protective activities.