Animal Feed Science and Technology 136 (2007) 281–296 Plant extracts rich in polyphenols (PERP) are efficient antioxidants to prevent lipoperoxidation in plasma lipids from animals fed n - 3 PUFA supplemented diets C. Gladine a , C. Morand b , E. Rock b , D. Bauchart a , D. Durand a,∗ a INRA, Research Unit on Herbivores, Nutrients and Metabolisms Group, INRA Clermont-Ferrand-Theix, 63122 Saint Gen` es Champanelle, France b INRA, Research Unit on Human Nutrition, Metabolic Stress and Micronutriments Group, 63122 Saint Gen` es Champanelle, France Received 2 June 2006; received in revised form 30 August 2006; accepted 1 September 2006 Abstract Supplementation of domestic animals with n - 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n - 3 PUFA) is becoming an accepted practice to improve the nutritional quality of lipids in animal products (e.g., meat, milk, eggs). However, by increasing the proportion of n - 3 PUFA in plasma, this nutritional strategy also enhances its susceptibility to lipoperoxidation which has been implicated in the dete- rioration of many physiological functions including growth, reproduction and immunity. Dietary antioxidants are efficient means to limit lipoperoxidation in vivo and recent investigations have focused on natural molecules to satisfy consumer concerns over safety and toxicity. The aim of our study was to evaluate the in vivo antioxidant capacity of four plant extracts rich in polyphenols (PERP, i.e., rose- mary, RO; grape, GP; citrus, CI or marigold, MA) in rats made highly sensitive to lipoperoxidation by feeding them a n - 3 PUFA rich diet for 3 weeks. The three following weeks, animals (n = 60) Abbreviations: BW, body weight; CD, conjugated diene; CE, cholesteryl ester; CI, citrus; DPPH, 1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl; FA, fatty acid; FC, free cholesterol; GP, grape; MA, marigold; MDA, malondialdehyde; n - 3 PUFA, n - 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid; NEFA, non-esterified fatty acid; PERP, plant extract rich in polyphenols; PI, peroxidizability index; PL, phospholipids; RO, rosemary; ROS, reactive oxygen species; TAS, total antioxidant status; TEAC, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity; TG, triglycerides; TL, total lipids ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 4 73 62 42 27; fax: +33 4 73 62 46 39. E-mail addresses: durand@clermont.inra.fr, durand@sancy.clermont.inra.fr (D. Durand). 0377-8401/$ – see front matter © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2006.09.003