Salivary antioxidant enzymes in young exercised women

Abstract

Introduction. Saliva is the first body fluid to encounter different solids, fluids and gases entering the gastrointestinal tract. Human saliva is composed of various natural antioxidants including enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems. Free radicals are naturally produced species with an unpaired electron, i.e. reactive towards biological molecules. Production of these reactive species is affected by different factors including metabolic and various external events. An important consequence of aerobic exercise is related to increased antioxidant capacity of human body. In the present research, antioxidant enzymes in salivary fluid of young girls were investigated after aerobic exercise.
Material and Method. A volunteer group of 35 healthy female university students (mean age 25.1±1.5 years) entered the study. They were told to attend a one month course of aerobic training. Three samples of their saliva were obtained at the beginning of research, after two weeks and at the end of exercise period. The activity of three antioxidant enzymes, catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase were assayed in supernatant of their centrifuged saliva samples.
Results. A significant increase in the activity of three antioxidant enzymes was observed.
Conclusions. The increase in oxidative free radicals induced by exercise is compensated by higher activity of antioxidant enzymes of saliva. Therefore, enzymatic activity is salivary fluid could be a marker of oxidative status of saliva due to production of free radicals. Aerobic exercise for a month stimulates the activity of antioxidant enzymes in favor of radical scavenging ability.

Key words:

saliva, aerobic exercise, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase