Abstract 4613: Serum levels of antioxidants in college aged, elderly, and cancer patients

Antioxidants are able to prevent the oxidation of biomolecules. Free radicals are oxidants known to be agents which damage DNA. This damage can lead to cancer. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and are an effective defense system. It has been shown that consumption of fruits, nuts, vegetables, and seeds increases the body's total antioxidant capacity.1 Performing a study that provides data on antioxidant levels in serum will offer insight on potential improvements that can be made in the diets of various populations. In this study we used the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay (ORAC) to compare serum antioxidant status in three different groups, college age, elderly, and cancer patients. Serum was obtained from 15 college age students (18-21) at Brigham Young University, 15 age matched elderly persons (over the age of 55), and 15 cancer patients. 10 ml of blood was drawn, allowed to clot, centrifuged to separate the cells from the serum, and then diluted to a 1/128 concentration. The ORAC assay was utilized as a way to determine the ability of serum to prevent the oxidation of fluorescein. The results of the experiment surprisingly demonstrate that cancer serum has the highest level of antioxidant status with 99200.97 trolox equivalents per Liter (TE/L) and a standard deviation (STDEV) of 17838.13. The elderly presented the second highest levels of serum antioxidants with 37837.75 TE/L and a STDEV of 7947.08. The college age group had the lowest TE/L with 19051.82 and a STDEV of 2113.36. The elderly compared to the youthful had a p-value < 0.0001, and the cancer patients compared to the healthy possessed a p-value < 0.0001. These results have brought forth more questions than answers. The elderly and cancer patients may have a greater concern for proper dietary intake compared to college age individuals. The cells of the youthful also may be more capable of intaking the antioxidants from the bloodstream. Further studies on these two conclusions may reveal more on the data retrieved. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4613. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4613