New Study in Oxidative Stress Uses Arbor Assays’ DetectX® Nitric Oxide Colorimetric Detection Kit
WHY
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2 DM) is one of the most pervasive cardiovascular risk factors contributing to high mortality rate. Patients with T2 DM develop atherosclerotic plaques in peripheral arteries, driven by endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. In a recent study, Loffredo et al. (2021) investigated how the enrichment of chocolate with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) affects endothelial function and oxidative stress in patients with T2 DM. The group previously found EVOO-enriched chocolate had little to no change in glycemia in T2 DM and healthy subjects.
METHOD
Researchers gave T2 DM patients in this study EVOO-enriched chocolate spread or a control spread without additional oil. They assessed endothelial function by flow-mediated dilation and evaluated oxidative stress by measuring Nox-2, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide breakdown activity at baseline and at two hours post-consumption. Arbor Assays’ DetectX® Nitric Oxide Colorimetric Detection Kit (K023-H) was used to measure nitrite and nitrate, the metabolic end products of nitric oxide bioavailability, in serum.
FINDINGS
Results showed EVOO-enriched chocolate had an antioxidant effect, reducing oxidative stress, improving endothelial function. The authors suggest that oleuropein, a molecule found in green olives, may be the mechanism for the antioxidant effect, in addition to the polyphenols and vitamin E also present in EVOO. EVOO-enriched chocolate may also enhance vasodilation through positive effects on glycemia. Nutrition and dietary intervention can be an effective way of managing T2 DM, and if cardiac risk can be reduced by eating antioxidant-rich chocolate, who wouldn’t try it?
ABOUT OUR DetectX® NITRIC OXIDE (NO) COLORIMETRIC DETECTION KIT (K023-H1):
- 5 minute nitrite measurement, total NO measurement in 30 minutes
- Consistent and reliable assay results
- Use in a variety of sample types such as water, serum, plasma, urine, saliva, buffers, and tissue culture media
- N-Cal Kit, NIST-calibrated standard
- Measure up to 88 samples in duplicate
- 4°C stable, non-toxic liquid reagents
- Highly-cited in a variety of publications