The effect of sodium metabisulfite (MBS, Na 2 S 2 O 5 ) on the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), testes weight and the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) as well as the level of glutathione (GSH) were investigated in the testes of Wistar albino rats. The study was performed to elucidate the effect of MBS (520 mg/kg/day) ingestion on lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant enzymes activities. The results showed that MDA level as well as the activity of SOD was significantly increased in MBS-treated rats whereas the weight of the testes as well as the level of GSH was not significantly affected. However, there was significant reduction in the activity of CAT in the MBS-treated rats compared to the control. The presented data showed that ingestion of MBS has adverse effect on testes as it induced oxidative damage, reflected by increase lipid peroxidation and impairment in the activities of antioxidant enzymes.

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The effect of zinc on brain weight, glutathione (GSH) level, catalase activity and lipid peroxidation in the brain of protein-undernourished (PU) rats was investigated following the ad libitum ingestion of zinc acetate (30 mg/L) in drinking water for two weeks. Results show that protein-undernutrition induced significant reductions (P<0.01) in brain weight and catalase activity while it induced significant increase (P<0.05) in lipid peroxidation when compared with well-nourished rats; but no significant effect was observed on GSH level. The ingestion of zinc acetate, however, by PU rats had no significant effect on brain weight but induced significant increase in catalase activity. There were also reductions (P<0.05) in lipid peroxidation and GSH level. These results show that zinc acts as an antioxidant but is ineffective in ameliorating some of the biochemical changes associated with protein-undernutrition-induced brain damage particularly reduction in brain weight.