NON ENZYMATIC AND ENZYMATIC ANTIOXIDANT STATUS OF WISTAR RAT ERYTHROCYTE AFTER DIETARY ZINC DEFICIENCY

Zinc deficiency is prevalent worldwide. The present study deals with the effect of dietary zinc deficiency on erythrocytes of Wistar rats. Male Wistar rats (40-50 g) were divided into 3 groups: control (ZC) fed 100 mu g/g zinc: pair fed (PF) fed 100 mu g/g zinc but the diet given was based on the diet consumed the previous day and zinc deficient (ZD) fed 1 mu g/g zinc. The experiment was carried out for 2. 4 and 6 weeks. Erythrocyte cell suspension revealed significant increase in catalase activity and decrease in glutathione concentration after zinc deficiency. A significant (P<0.05) increase in erythrocyte lysate superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-s-transferase was observed while glutathione reductase decreased significantly after zinc deficiency. The decreased glutathione reductase coordinates with decreased glutathione concentration making erythrocytes prone to oxidative stress while increased superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-s-transferase reflects generation of excess free radicals not only due to auto-oxidation of haemoglobin but also due to loss of osmotic fragility leading to oxidative stress indicative of perturbation of erythrocytes on account of dietary zinc deficiency.