Biomedical Research

Uneventful pregnancy is a condition with changes in metabolism and physiological profile. Altered metabolic and hormonal status of the body in pregnancy may predispose to oxida-tive stress. Changing demand of the pregnant women for different nutrients like vitamins may counteract the damage done by such oxidative stress. The present study was aimed at evaluating the level of oxidative stress and level of antioxidant water-soluble vitamin C. Hence malondialdehyde (MDA) and plasma antioxidant vitamin C were estimated spectro-photometrically in blood of 60 primigravida and in 20 age matched controls. Increasing lev-els of MDA, a end product of lipid peroxidation with advancement of gestational age to-gether with decline in plasma vitamin C level in pregnant women as compared to nonpreg-nant control women revealed that pregnancy poses a body to excessive oxidative stress and ascorbic acid defense system may be helpful in combating the deleterious effects of oxidative stress if sufficient vitamin C is present in the plasma.

Author(s): Ghate J, Choudhari AR, Ghugare B, Singh Ramji
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