The effects of Zn, Mg, Cr, Cu, and Mn aspartates, their commercial formulation Inzolen, and the individual commercial medicine Unizinc, on oxygen radical production by enzymes [xanthine oxidase, horseradish peroxidase, and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase] and phagocytic cells (human blood leukocytes) have been studied. The formation of oxygen radicals was measured by luminol- and lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence and by the reduction of cytochrome c. All these compounds (excluding Cr aspartate) turn out to be inhibitors of oxygen radical formation in the systems studied (excluding horseradish peroxidase). Their inhibitory activities were a consequence of both the scavenging of free radicals and the inhibition of xanthine oxidase and NADPH oxidase activities. As expected, the most active free-radical scavengers were transition metal Cu and Mn aspartates, which mimicked the activities of copper-zinc and manganese dismutases. However, surprisingly non-transition metal Zn and Mg aspartates were also able to scavenge oxygen radicals. It was suggested that the scavenging activities of Zn and Mg aspartates may be explained by affecting the rate of spontaneous dismutation of the superoxide ion. In addition, it was found that Zn aspartate is an efficient inhibitor of the formation of the most reactive hydroxyl radicals. These antioxidant properties of Zn aspartate make it important in medicine for the prevention and treatment of free radical pathologies.
