Background: Antioxidants (AOs) represent the main barrier of defense against damaging aggression due to reactive species, in particular by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The plasma AO capacity is a measure of physiological, environmental, and nutritional factors (exposure to ROS and antioxidant supplementation) determining the redox status in humans and can underline the oxidative stress (OS) conditions in the progression/development of many diseases. Moreover, changes in AO plasma content after supplementation may provide information on the absorption and bioavailability of nutritional compounds and efficacy of AO therapy.
Aim: The aim of the study was a comparison between the common BAP (Biological Antioxidant Potential) test, used for the evaluation of the antioxidant capacity, and the innovative PAT (Plasma Antioxidant Test) and to assess both the in vitro interferences of phosphates on the iron reduction and the interference of the plasmatic concentration of phosphates in relation to the plasma antioxidant capacity measured with the two methods.
Methods: Thirty-six apparently healthy volunteers were involved in the study for the comparison of the two methods.
Results: BAP test and PAT performed on 36 plasma samples demonstrated that plasma antioxidant capacity dosage using the BAP test resulted in overestimated levels in relation to plasma phosphate. Increased BAP values due to phosphates correspond to increased differences between BAP and PAT value (correlation coefficient R = 0.812, p = 0.001).
Conclusions: PAT can be considered an innovative and predictable method for the measure of the antioxidant power of plasma.