The role of natural dietary antioxidants in animals under oxidative stress

Abstract

Among the main environmental stressors the most toxic are heavy metals including cadmium (Cd). Stress conditions caused by Cd are associated with overproduction of free radi-cals following a disturbance in prooxidant-antioxidant balance and tissue damage. The protec-tive action of nutrients with natural antioxidative activities against Cd-induced oxidative stress in chickens was investigated. The experimental analyses demonstrated enhanced production of reactive oxidation species and immunosuppressive effect in Cd-exposed chickens. As anti-oxidant dietary supplements the salts of zinc (ZnCl2) and selenium (Na2SeO2), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) were used in the experiments with chickens administered orally 100 mcg of Cd (water solution of CdCl2). The antioxidative effect of developed new natural innovative prod-uct from red beetroot (fractionated juice) was studied in additional experiment, when chick-ens exposed to Cd with diet (50 mg/kg). Experimental results demonstrated the prospect of preventive role of Zn, Se, ascorbic acid, and beetroot fractionated juice in the improvement of Cd-induced disorders in the body in case of environmental pollution with heavy metals.