Effects of Blood Orange Juice Intake on Antioxidant Bioavailability and on Different Markers Related to Oxidative Stress

Orange juice is a source of antioxidants that might afford in vivo protection from oxidative stress. To test this hypothesis, we carried out a human intervention study with blood orange juice containing high amounts of vitamin C, anthocyanins, and carotenoids. Sixteen healthy female volunteers were enrolled in a crossover study and were given 600 mL/day of blood orange juice or a diet without juice for 21 days. Before and after each intervention period, plasma vitamin C, cyanidin-3-glucoside, and carotenoids were quantified. Furthermore, plasma antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde concentration in plasma, 11-dehydrotromboxane B2 urinary excretion, and lymphocyte DNA damage were evaluated as biomarkers of oxidative stress. Blood orange juice consumption determined a significant increase in plasma vitamin C, cyanidin-3-glucoside, β-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin. Also, lymphocyte DNA resistance to oxidative stress was improved whereas no effect was observed on the other markers that we analyzed. In turn, th...