Plasma Protein Oxidation and Its Correlation with Antioxidant Potential During Human Aging

Previous studies have indicated that the main molecular characteristic of aging is the progressive accumulation of oxidative damages in cellular macromolecules. Proteins are one of the main molecular targets of age-related oxidative stress, which have been observed during aging process in cellular systems. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can lead to oxidation of amino acid side chains, formation of protein-protein cross-linkages, and oxidation of the peptide backbones. In the present study, we report the age-dependent oxidative alterations in biomarkers of plasma protein oxidation: protein carbonyls (PCO), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) and plasma total thiol groups (T-SH) in the Indian population and also correlate these parameters with total plasma antioxidant potential. We show an age dependent decrease in T-SH levels and increase in PCO and AOPPs level. The alterations in the levels of these parameters correlated significantly with the total antioxidant capacity of the plasma. The levels of oxidized proteins in plasma provide an excellent biomarker of oxidative stress due to the relative long half-life of such oxidized proteins.