Sterol superlattice affects antioxidant potency and can be used to assess adverse effects of antioxidants.

Michelle Olsher, Parkson Lee-Gau Chong

Index: Anal. Biochem. 382(1) , 1-8, (2008)

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Abstract

We have developed a fluorescence method to examine how membrane sterol lateral organization affects the potency of antioxidants, and used this information to evaluate possible adverse effects of lipid-soluble antioxidants seen in recent clinical studies. In the presence of an antioxidant, the lag time (tau) produced during free radical-induced sterol oxidation in lipid vesicles reflects the potency of the antioxidant. The ascorbic acid-induced tau value varies with sterol mol% in a biphasic manner, showing a minimum at the critical sterol mole fraction for maximal superlattice formation (C r), in ascorbic acid concentrations