EFFECT OF CARNOSINE ON SCAVENGING FREE RADICALS AND ANTIOXIDATION

The activity of carnosine as a quencher for superoxide anion radical and ·OH radical was evaluated in the auto-oxidation of pyrogallol system and deoxyribose degradation system respectively,and the inhibitory effect of carnosine on lipid peroxidation was determined in different systems including that red blood cell was induced by H_2O_2、UV and liver homogate was induced by CCl_4.The results show that carnosine can quench the superoxide anion radical at a low concentration(1mmol/L) and the ability decreased with a high concentration,carnosine scavenged ·OH radical in a dose-dependent manner and protected the deoxyribose from oxidative damage,carnosine inhibited the peroxidation in RBC and greatly decreased the content of lipid peroxidation products in liver homogate.