Antioxidative effects of propofol vs. ketamin in individuals undergoing surgery

Propofol (2, 6-diisopropylphenol) is a widely used intravenous sedative-hypnotic agent for both induction/maintenance of anesthesia and sedation of critically ill patients. The present study aimed to evaluate oxidative stress biomarkers in individuals undergoing surgery with propofol and ketamine at doses used to induce anesthesia. The plasma oxidative stress biomarkers such as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), lipid peroxidation (LPO), total thiol molecules (TTM) and antioxidant enzymes activity such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxidedismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were studied in blood samples obtained from 40 patients with propofol, and compared to samples from 40 patients with ketamine aged 11 - 50 years. The results showed that the ketamine group had significantly higher blood LPO level, GPx and SOD activity while having lower blood TAC and TTM concentrations in comparison to the propofol group. In conclusion, our findings showed that propofol has antioxidant effects in human. Further studies need to be conducted to demonstrate the exact mechanism of oxidative stress caused by anesthesia in surgery patients.