Under Increased Hydrogen Peroxide Conditions, the Antioxidant Effects of Pequi Oil (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) to Decrease DNA Damage in Runners are Influenced by Sex, Age and Oxidative Stress-related Genetic Polymorphisms

Abstract

Context: Exhausting exercise, increasing reactive oxygen species, can overwhelm the endogenous antioxidant system’s capacity, resulting in oxidative damage to DNA. Deficient antioxidant defenses, influenced by certain genetic polymorphisms, may contribute. Aims: We aimed to investigate whether carotenoid-rich oil from pequi (Caryocar brasiliense) could decrease DNA damage in athletes submitted to increased hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) conditions and in those less genetically favored by antioxidant defenses. Methods and Material: Runners’ blood (N = 125) was analyzed after races under the same environment, type, intensity and length of weekly training conditions, before and after 14 days of pequi-oil supplementation. DNA damage was assessed by comet assay before and after H₂O₂ exposure, with gene polymorphisms of MnSOD Val9Ala, CAT –21A/T, GPx-1 Pro198Leu, del{GSTM1}, del{GSTT1}, ACE and Haptoglobin. Results: Without additional oxidative stress imposed by H₂O₂, pequi oil was particularly efficient reducing DNA damage for women, age group of 20-40 years, distance of 8-10 Km and genotypes MnSOD Val/Ala, CAT TT, GPx-1 Pro/Leu, GSTM1 null, GSTT1 non-null, ACE DD and II and Hp1F-2. For treatment with H₂O₂ at 0.25 mM, pequi oil resulted in decreased DNA damage only for running 16-21 Km; for treatment with 1 mM, decrease was for 20-40 years and genotypes GPx-1 Pro/Pro and ACE ID. Conclusions: Pequi oil’s effect on exercise-induced DNA damage was therefore influenced by sex, age and genetic polymorphisms, indicating that: long-distance races can be harmful, mainly for older athletes, due to oxidative stress above organism adaptability; genotypes showed different responses; under increased H₂O₂ conditions, GPx-1 Pro/Pro and ACE ID genotypes were more responsive to antioxidant supplementation.