Chapters authored
Potential Antioxidative Effects of Kolaviron on Reproductive Function in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats
The present study investigated the effects of Kolaviron (KV) on the testicular and epididymal tissue antioxidant status in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ at 50 mg/kg body weight. The antioxidant status was studied by evaluating epididymal and testicular levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation (LPO) marker, and the activities of catalase (CAT) glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also assessed using biochemical techniques. Diabetes induction resulted in testicular and epididymal LPO and adversely affected the activities of antioxidant enzymes evident by a noticeable decrease in enzyme activity in both tissues. The potential antioxidative effects of KV in the testicular and epididymal tissues of STZ-induced diabetes were revealed by its ability to mitigate against LPO and increase the activity of antioxidant defense enzymes in the reproductive tissues studied. KV might potentially be used as an antioxidant as well as antidiabetic treatment; however, further studies are needed.
Part of the book: Antioxidants
Antioxidant-Rich Vegetables: Impact on Human Health
Antioxidants are valuable ingredients present in vegetables. Vegetables are essential and crucial in human’s health and diet because of their minerals, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemical compounds, and dietary fibre content. This is the reason why an adequate consumption of vegetables has been linked with reduced risk and protection against various chronic diseases. Notably, each vegetable belongs to a group that contains a unique quantity of phytochemical compounds, which distinguish them from other groups and even within their group. The exact mechanisms by which the consumption of vegetables protects against human diseases are yet to be fully understood. However, the phytochemicals present in vegetables could be responsible for attenuating some of them. These phytochemicals are strong antioxidants that reduce the risk of chronic diseases by mounting resistance against the generation of free radicals and their damage. They are also involved in the modification of metabolic activation, detoxification of carcinogenic compounds, or attack of tumour formation in cells. This review highlights the inherent antioxidant potentials of vegetables, their roles as an excellent source of antioxidants and their impact on human health and diseases. Information provided in this review will provide more insight into the roles of antioxidants present in vegetables.
Part of the book: Vegetable Crops