Protective effects of lemon flavonoids on oxidative stress in diabetic rats.

The effects of lemon flavonoids, as crude flavonoids prepared from lemon juice, were investigated in diabetic rats. The oxidative stress of eriocitrin (eriodictyol 7-O-beta-rutinoside) and hesperidin (hesperetin 7-O-beta-rutinoside) on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats was investigated. Diabetic rats were given a diet which contained 0.2% crude flavonoids, 0.2% eriocitrin, and 0.2% hesperidin. After the 28-d feeding period, the concentration of the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance in the serum, liver, and kidney of diabetic rats administered crude flavonoids, eriocitrin, and hesperidin significantly decreased as compared with that of the diabetic group. The levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, which is exchanged from deoxyguanosine owing to oxidative stress, in the urine of diabetic rats administered eriocitrin and hesperidin significantly decreased as compared with that of the diabetic rat group. Crude flavonoids, eriocitrin, and hesperidin suppressed the oxidative stress in the diabetic rats. These results demonstrated that dietary lemon flavonoids of eriocitrin and hesperidin play a role as antioxidant in vivo.