Antioxidant activity of carnosine, homocarnosine, and anserine present in muscle and brain
Laboratory studyOther animals
- Design
- Laboratory study
- Subjects
- not applicable (chemical assays)
- Dose used in the study
- physiological concentrations (as stated by the authors; exact values not stated in abstract)
- Duration
- not applicable
- What was measured
- Peroxyl radical trapping, reducing activity by cyclic voltammetry, and inhibition of copper/ascorbate-driven oxidative hydroxylation of deoxyguanosine.
What the authors reported
The authors report that carnosine, homocarnosine, anserine and other histidine derivatives trapped peroxyl radicals at physiological concentrations, and that every compound that trapped peroxyl radicals also acted as a reducing agent in cyclic voltammetry. Carnosine inhibited oxidative hydroxylation of deoxyguanosine induced by ascorbic acid and copper ions. They discuss metal chelation, singlet oxygen quenching and hydroperoxide binding as other possible roles, and conclude that these compounds may serve as endogenous antioxidants in brain and muscle.
Limits of this study
Cell-free chemical assays; no cell or animal experiments.
Source
PubMed 3362866 · doi:10.1073/pnas.85.9.3175
Entry checked against abstract (Hebrew University research portal record) on 2026-10-11. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.