Lipid peroxidative stress and antioxidative enzymes in brains of milk-supplemented rats

Skim milk cultured with lactic acid bacteria has been previously reported to reduce lipid peroxidation in rat livers. In this study, the effects of skim milk and cultured milk supplementation on peroxidative stress in brains of weanling rats were investigated. We observed a reduction of brain thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) concentration in milk-supplemented animals as compared with controls. In brains of control rats, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme levels were significantly higher than those from the milk-supplemented animals. In addition, SOD activity in control animal brains had a positive correlation with the TBARS concentration. There was no significant differences in the brain glutathione-S-transferase (GST) levels of all the three groups of animals. The results suggest that milk supplementation may be beneficial in reducing peroxidative stress in the developing rat brain. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.