Effectsof Se-Zn-rich Green Tea as Diet Supplement on Se-Zn Nutrition and Antioxidant Activityof Rats

Effects of application of selenium (Se)-and-zinc(Zn)-rich green tea (SZT) as diet supplement on the nutrition and antioxidant activityof Se-Zn-deficient lab rats were studied. The results showed that SZT additionin a standard diet exerted no significant effect on the bioavailability of thetrace elements in the rats. However, it significantly increased the body Se contentand antioxidant capacity and avoided the acute or chronic poisoning orpathological changes on the rats caused by excessive Se-Zn intake. In all, thesupplement on a normally low Se-Zn diet significantly alleviated the symptoms causedby Se-Zn deficiency, raised the body Se-Zn contents, enhanced the antioxidantenzymes activity, reduced malondialdehyde, and relieved oxidative stress on thelab animals. Furthermore, SZT was significantly more effective than inorganic Seand Zn in relieving the nutritional deficiency in rat with respect to thoseregards.