Shark cartilage-containing preparation: protection against reactive oxygen species.

There is overwhelming evidence to indicate that free radicals cause oxidative damage to lipids, proteins and nucleic acids and are involved in the pathogenesis of several degenerative diseases. Therefore, antioxidants, which can neutralize free radicals, may be of central importance in the prevention of these disease states. The protection that fruits and vegetables provide against disease has been attributed to the various antioxidants contained in them. Recently, an anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of a water-soluble fraction from shark cartilage has been described. Using electrophoretical assays, bacteria survival and transformation and the Salmonella/mammalian-microsome assay, we investigated the putative role of shark cartilage-containing preparation in protecting cells against reactive oxygen species induced DNA damage and mutagenesis. If antimutagens are to have any impact on human disease, it is essential that they are specifically directed against the most common mutagens in daily life. Our data suggest that shark cartilage-containing preparation can play a scavenger role for reactive oxygen species and protects cells against inactivation and mutagenesis.