Effect of corn oil and vitamin E on the oxidative status of adipose tissues and liver in rat

The diet is usually formed of a varying antioxidant and fatty acid content acquired from oils. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of corn oil-rich diet supplemented or not with vitamin E on oxidative damage and antioxidant status in liver and adipose tissue of rat. Male Wistar rats were fed during 4 weeks with a hyperlipidic diet. The groups fed with hyperlipidic diets showed lower activity levels than the control groups with the exception of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in brown adipose tissue. Supplementation of the control group with vitamin E (CE) did not produce any significant changes in the superoxide dismutase and catalase levels, but glutathione peroxidase activity increased slightly for groups supplemented with vitamin E. The hyperlipidic group supplemented with vitamin E (HE) showed a significant decrease of SOD and catalase activities in adipose tissues. Reduced glutathione levels decreased in liver from animals fed with higher quantities of corn oil. Vitamin E supplementation showed a decrease in GSH levels only for the control group (CE). Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) levels were lower in the animals fed larger quantities of corn oil. Supplementation of vitamin E results in lower TBARS values.