PROGRAMME SCIENTIFIQUE - Oxygen Club of California

P3
In vivo antioxidant effect of yogurt enriched with CoQ10
T. Bacchetti, L. Tiano, F. Brugè, F. Principi and G.P. Littarru
Department of Biochemistry, Biology and Gentics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
Oxidative stress and lipoprotein oxidation are known to be associated with cardiovascular disease and
atherogenesis. Susceptibility of lipoproteins to oxidation relies on several factors including nutritional
aspects: namely the intake of fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants plays a pivotal role. Ubiquinol is the
most reactive antioxidant in LDL and the susceptibility of these lipoproteins to peroxidation is inversely
proportional to the CoQ10/PUFA ratio. Supplementation of LDL with ubiquinol has been shown to
protect them from peroxidation. In the present study we evaluated the bioavailability, and antioxidant
activity on lipoproteins, of CoQ10 in a commercial yogurt (Milchof Meran, Italy). 20 healthy
normocolesterolemic subjects aged 24-45 volunteered in this study. Half of them were taking one dose of
yogurt containing 20 mg of CoQ 10 and the other half two doses a day, for 14 days. The analysis of CoQ10
content in LDL has shown a significant increase already with a single administration (+128%, p>0.01),
that raised to 4X values in subject taking 40mg (+320%, p>0.01). The remarkable increases obtained with
40 mg/day supplementation were associated with a) enhanced antioxidant protection of LDL to
peroxidation as shown by a significant prolongation of the lag-phase of dienes formation following Cu ++
exposure (+13%, p