JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL FOOD J Med Food 11 (1) 2008, 55–61 © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. and Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2007.505 Protective Effects of Purple Grape Juice on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Oxidative Stress in Brains of Adult Wistar Rats Caroline Dani, 1 Matheus A.B. Pasquali, 2 Marcos R. Oliveira, 2 Fernanda M. Umezu, 1 Mirian Salvador, 1 João A.P. Henriques, 1 and José C.F. Moreira 2 1 Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul; and 2 Centro de Estudo em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil ABSTRACT The antioxidant properties of purple grape juice, organic and conventional, in brain tissues are not well known. In this study our objective was to evaluate the antioxidant activity in substantia nigra and striatum of rats chronically treated with organic or conventional purple grape juice and to correlate the results obtained with the polyphenol content (total polyphe- nolic content, resveratrol, and anthocyanins [malvidin, delphinidin, peonidin, and cyanidin]). We observed that CCl 4 damage decreased significantly in the grape juice-treated groups when compared with the control group. In the grape juice-treated groups we further observed a decrease of lipid (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances assay) and protein (carbonyl) peroxi- dation, as well as a significant antioxidant protection through the increase of enzyme activity. Antioxidant activities were sig- nificantly correlated with polyphenol content. These findings demonstrated that both grape juices have potent antioxidant prop- erties and these activities could be at least attributed to the high phenolic content present in these juices. KEY WORDS: • antioxidant • grape juice • neuroprotection • oxidative stress • phenolic content 55 INTRODUCTION N OWADAYS SEVERAL STUDIES have shown that a high con- sumption of vegetables and fruits is consistently asso- ciated with a low risk of oxidative stress-induced diseases. Polyphenols are the main compounds believed to be re- sponsible for this protection. These classes of compounds are found in many fruits, like grapes and its products. 1 Grape juice is a very rich source of polyphenols, such as flavonoids and anthocyanides, and nonflavonoids, such as resveratrol. 2 CCl 4 -induced toxicity is a well-characterized murine model for oxidative damage in vivo. The toxicity of CCl 4 results from its reductive dehalogenation by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system into a trichloromethyl free radical, which readily interacts with molecular oxygen to form the trichloromethyl peroxyl radical. 3 Several studies have demonstrated that the liver is not the only target organ of CCl 4 . CCl 4 has been reported to cause lipid peroxidation in other organs such as kidney, heart, and brain. 3,4 In the present study, levels of thiobarbituric acid- reactive substances (TBARS) and carbonyl proteins and ac- tivities of antioxidant enzymes were quantified in brain structures to examine the antioxidant activity with purple grape juice pretreatment. The substantia nigra and the striatum, components of the dopaminergic pathway, play an important role in the regu- lation of movements and of some cognitive functions. The high metabolic rate and the oxidative degradation of dopamine by the mitochondrial monoamine oxidase in these structures contribute to the oxidative damage in biomole- cules. Indeed, oxidative stress is involved in some patholo- gies that affect the nigrostriatal axis. 5 There is an increasing interest in healthier and more en- vironmentally friendly production methods for different fruits. Nowadays organic production is not one cultivation method, but many, characterized by restrictions against the use of synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, although the detailed regulations of what can be called organically cultivated vary. 6,7 Nevertheless, consumers today buy prod- ucts that are labeled “organically cultivated” in stores, and many expect the quality to be superior to that of conven- tionally cultivated products in terms of contents that make the products healthier. 8 There are some studies that showed some differences in antioxidant activities and in the pheno- lic content in fruit juices obtained from organic and con- ventional procedures, but until now these studies are incon- clusive. 6,8 Although there are many brain diseases caused by free radicals, like Parkinson’s disease, we did not find consistent data in literature suggesting a relationship between grape Manuscript received 25 June 2007. Revision accepted 16 August 2007. Address reprint requests to: Caroline Dani, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Rua Francisco Getúlio Vargas, 1130, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil 95070- 560, E-mail: carolinedani@yahoo.com.br