Efficacy of Bio-Catalyzer alpha.rho no.11 (Bio-Normalizer) supplementation against peroxyl radical-induced oxidative damage in rat organ homogenates.

To better delineate the antioxidant potential of Bio-Catalyzer alpha.rho No.11 (Bio-Normalizer), a natural food supplement recently proposed as an antioxidant agent, we investigated the efficacy of Bio-Normalizer supplementation to protect rat organ homogenates against oxidative damage induced in vitro by peroxyl radicals generated in the hydrophobic or in the hydrophilic phase. Bio-Normalizer supplementation efficiently protected rat kidney homogenates against the accumulation of thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS), the formation of protein carbonyl derivatives and the depletion of alpha-tocopherol induced by peroxyl radicals generated from the hydrophobic azo-initiator 2,2'-azobis (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (AMVN). It also protected the heart but not the liver or the brain homogenates. Bio-Normalizer supplementation did not have effect in any organ homogenates when peroxyl radicals were generated from the hydrophilic azo-initiator 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride) (AAPH). In vitro direct addition of aqueous solutions of Bio-Normalizer to the organ homogenates was ineffective against AMVN or AAPH-induced oxidative damage. Our findings expand previous reports on the antioxidant activity of Bio-Normalizer. They confirm that supplemented Bio-Normalizer protects against peroxyl radical-induced oxidative damage and suggest that its antioxidant action depends on in vivo bioactivation, it is organ specific and it is limited to damage induced by peroxyl radicals generated in the hydrophobic phase.