The protector effect of fruits and vegetables has been attributed to the presence of antioxidant compounds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of a group of raw and cooked fruits and vegetables, through the decrease of lipid peroxidation, induced by iron in rat livers. Homogenized liver of rats that were submitted to iron oxidation were used in this experiment. The fruits and vegetables were used as antioxidants, in order to combat the oxidative stress induced by the iron. The method used in this experiment was the thiobarbituric acid reaction (TBARS), with malondialdehyde (MDA) used as a marker to evaluate the oxidative stress. In accordance with the results, a significant reduction of oxidative stress was observed in the groups of raw fruits and vegetables and fruits and vegetables cooked with iron, when the liver was submitted to the oxidation of this micronutrient. In the groups of raw fruits and vegetables and fruits and vegetables cooked without iron, a significant reduction of the oxidative stress occurred, only in certain fruits and vegetables. The consumption of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may contribute to the antioxidant defense of the organism, inhibiting in vitro oxidative damages in macromolecules.
Antioxidant; oxidative stress; lipid peroxidation; fruit; vegetable
