Phospholipid oxidation and carotenoid supplementation in Alzheimer’s disease patients

Collection Method: Data was obtained from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients (attending the Age-Related Care Unit at Waterford University Hospital Ireland and healthy control subjects with the same age) prior to the administration of carotenoid (antioxidant) supplements and six months after commencement of supplementation. Mild to moderate AD was defined as an average Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 14-24, with some alteration in behaviour as well as difficulties in carrying out day-to-day tasks. Cognitive function was assessed with different cognition tests which includes a semantic fluency score using ‘Animal’ category (as many examples in one minute), and a phonemic fluency score using the ‘FAS’ test (as many words starting with letters F, A and S, one minute per letter) The novel oxidised phospholipid biomarker 1-palmitoyl-2-(5'-oxo-valeroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POVPC) was analysed using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (MS) with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), 8-isoprostane (IsoP) was measured by ELISA and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) was measured by a colorimetric assay. All statistical analyses were performed using Prism statistical analysis software package (Version 7).

Funding: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Kidney Research Foundation, ARUK, The Howard Foundation, Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing