Effect of lentinan on superoxide dismutase enzyme activity in vitro.

The effects of lentinan on enzyme induced lipid peroxidation, xanthine-xanthine oxidase-induced cytochrome c reduction, and on the superoxide-dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity and expression of human lymphocytes and erythrtocytes were studied. Lentinan in low concentration decreased SOD activity of lymphocytes and erythrocytes from healthy subjects. In higher concentration (10 micrograms/ml) lentinan increased the pathologically low SOD activity of erythrocytes and lymphocytes of patients with cirrhosis of the liver. No significant antioxidant (free radical scavenger) effect has been observed in NADPH-induced and Fe3+-stimulated lipid peroxidation and in xanthine-xanthine oxidase system.