OPC 讨论：Pycnogenol®，Masquelier’s®， 那个是正宗的呢？

skydog

沒有啦只是剛好朋友介紹
然後想說看看自己本身的抗氧化指數高不高
結果並不如理想
朋友測試的結果就 ...
mulasapuso 发表于 25-11-2011 10:34 AM

    可以知道是什么书名吗？

没有抗氧化剂就会死亡？可以略略解释一下吗？

抱歉，让你添麻烦....

mulasapuso

[轉載]

我们都知道，人体每天都需要能量的补充，吃的食物在体内经消化代谢，氧化产生能量。在这一过程中会产生自由基，它对酶蛋白活性有破坏作用，进而加速细胞的衰老。

人体自身有抗氧化能力，这种能力来源于一种酶，这种酶可以对自由基进行分解，医学界把它称没为人体的‘清道夫‘。但是，随着年龄的增长，人体内的酶活性下降，最后体内的抗氧化能力就无力清除那些不断积蓄下来的自由基。

清除自由基目前最好的方法就是用抗氧化及帮助人体提高抗氧化能力，通过提高人体抗氧化能力来降低体内自由基的积蓄。

目前，抗衰老医学，普遍使用抗氧化剂类药物，来提高人体抗氧化能力来减少体内自由基的积蓄。

自由基与衰老及治疗。自由基学说认为；人之所以会出现身体机能衰退，除要使体内积蓄的自由基过多。这不仅干扰了人体内其他正常细胞的代谢功能，自由基自身还能引发一系列的连锁反应。自由基是机体代谢过程中不断产生的毒性物质，并由于这种自由基的连锁反应，加深对机体的损害，从而成为癌症，高血压，动脉硬化，糖尿病，败血症，心脏病等许多疾病的病因或诱发疾病的因子。

自由基的毒性还与其可攻击附近的分子造成细胞的死亡，其中最容易受到攻击的是细胞膜及脂质蛋白中的多元不饱和脂肪酸，导致脂质过氧化，破坏生物膜上的结构，并形成脂褐素。在脂质过氧化过程中生成的丙二醇，使DNA发生交换，不易酶解，其随年龄的总长而成脂褐素沉淀物．生物膜破坏和脂褐素在细胞中过量续集，便会导致细胞死亡．而随心肌神经等细胞内的脂褐素含量逐渐增加，细胞死亡也随之增多，直接导致人体的衰亡．美国康衰老医学专家们与上世纪５０年代就指出：现代文明所带来的危害，增加了人体内自由基肆虐的机会．大约８０％至９０％的中老年并都与自由基有关．２８岁以上的成年人的死亡威胁主要来自过早和过速衰老而导致疾病发生．学者们还指出：残暴的自由基以保护者和破坏者的双重角色在体内活动者，他们是引起衰老的巨大力量．每天大约有数以万计的氧分子通过人体的每个细胞，每个细胞的基因或ＤＮＡ将受到１０万次自由基的攻击。人体内每天都有３千个细胞发生病变。体内抗氧化酶类、免疫细胞等防御系统可主动修复基因，消除大约９９％的损害。点体内的防御系统功能随年龄的增长会减弱。每天体内都会新增１千余个难以修复的创伤，这些加速老化的过程，增加患病和死亡的机会。

补充抗氧化剂是目前减缓细胞衰老速度减少自由基的存量的最好方法。现已普遍运用到抗衰老医学的临床治疗。

mulasapuso

可以知道是什么书名吗？

没有抗氧化剂就会死亡？可以略略解释一下吗？

抱歉，让你添麻烦 ...
skydog 发表于 25-11-2011 12:42 PM

忘記是什麽書了，可能是在網上看到的資料

不是說沒有抗氧化劑就會死亡
而是身體自身的抗氧化能力越來越弱的時候
弱到完全沒有的時候，也就是人衰老至死了
所以人體的抗氧化強弱決定衰老的快速或緩慢

skydog

忘記是什麽書了，可能是在網上看到的資料

不是說沒有抗氧化劑就會死亡
而是身體自身的抗氧化能 ...
mulasapuso 发表于 25-11-2011 01:51 PM

    erm.......

什么使酶的活性变慢或少了呢？

mulasapuso

erm.......

什么使酶的活性变慢或少了呢？
skydog 发表于 25-11-2011 02:30 PM

應該是自由基吧

skydog

應該是自由基吧
mulasapuso 发表于 25-11-2011 03:14 PM

    aa.....

不合理叻......

人体自身有抗氧化能力，这种能力来源于一种酶，这种酶可以对自由基进行分解，医学界把它称没为人体的‘清道夫‘。但是，随着年龄的增长，人体内的酶活性下降，最后体内的抗氧化能力就无力清除那些不断积蓄下来的自由基。

mulasapuso

aa.....

不合理叻......
skydog 发表于 25-11-2011 03:30 PM

酶的活性下降
可以有很多原因
體質的問題，年齡增長的問題
也可能是自由基增多（當身體的抗氧化減少的時候）

我不是念醫學的
沒有很深入的研究
抱歉

skydog

酶的活性下降
可以有很多原因
體質的問題，年齡增長的問題
也可能是自由基增多（當身體的抗氧化減少 ...
mulasapuso 发表于 25-11-2011 03:50 PM

    可能体质问题或年龄增长问题，体内开始分泌某些东西，造成酶的活性下降....

但不会是自由基增多。因为是抗氧化减少才会自由基增多，而不是自由基增多而才抗氧化减少......

迟一点有时间我会找找看.....

skydog

刚找到一篇关于身体里面自己制造抗氧化剂的文章。
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Antioxidant Enzyme Systems

Overview

As with the chemical antioxidants, cells are protected against oxidative stress by an interacting network of antioxidant enzymes.

Superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxiredoxins

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are a class of closely related enzymes that catalyse the breakdown of the superoxide anion into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. SOD enzymes are present in almost all aerobic cells and in extracellular fluids. Superoxide dismutase enzymes contain metal ion cofactors that, depending on the isozyme, can be copper, zinc, manganese or iron. In humans, the copper/zinc SOD is present in the cytosol, while manganese SOD is present in the mitochondrion. The mitochondrial isozyme seems to be the most biologically important of these three, since mice lacking this enzyme die soon after birth. In contrast, the mice lacking copper/zinc SOD (Sod1) are viable but have numerous pathologies and a reduced lifespan (see article on superoxide), while mice without the extracellular SOD have minimal defects (sensitive to hyperoxia). In plants, SOD isozymes are present in the cytosol and mitochondria, with an iron SOD found in chloroplasts that is absent from vertebrates and yeast.

Catalases are enzymes that catalyse the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen, using either an iron or manganese cofactor. This protein is localized to peroxisomes in most eukaryotic cells. Catalase is an unusual enzyme since, although hydrogen peroxide is its only substrate, it follows a ping-pong mechanism. Here, its cofactor is oxidised by one molecule of hydrogen peroxide and then regenerated by transferring the bound oxygen to a second molecule of substrate. Despite its apparent importance in hydrogen peroxide removal, humans with genetic deficiency of catalase — "acatalasemia" — or mice genetically engineered to lack catalase completely, suffer few ill effects.

Peroxiredoxins are peroxidases that catalyze the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, organic hydroperoxides, as well as peroxynitrite. They are divided into three classes: typical 2-cysteine peroxiredoxins; atypical 2-cysteine peroxiredoxins; and 1-cysteine peroxiredoxins. These enzymes share the same basic catalytic mechanism, in which a redox-active cysteine (the peroxidatic cysteine) in the active site is oxidized to a sulfenic acid by the peroxide substrate. Over-oxidation of this cysteine residue in peroxiredoxins inactivates these enzymes, but this can be reversed by the action of sulfiredoxin. Peroxiredoxins seem to be important in antioxidant metabolism, as mice lacking peroxiredoxin 1 or 2 have shortened lifespan and suffer from hemolytic anaemia, while plants use peroxiredoxins to remove hydrogen peroxide generated in chloroplasts.

Thioredoxin and glutathione systems

The thioredoxin system contains the 12-kDa protein thioredoxin and its companion thioredoxin reductase. Proteins related to thioredoxin are present in all sequenced organisms with plants, such as ''Arabidopsis thaliana,'' having a particularly great diversity of isoforms. The active site of thioredoxin consists of two neighboring cysteines, as part of a highly conserved CXXC motif, that can cycle between an active dithiol form (reduced) and an oxidized disulfide form. In its active state, thioredoxin acts as an efficient reducing agent, scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintaining other proteins in their reduced state. After being oxidized, the active thioredoxin is regenerated by the action of thioredoxin reductase, using NADPH as an electron donor.

The glutathione system includes glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidases and glutathione ''S''-transferases. Glutathione peroxidase is an enzyme containing four selenium-cofactors that catalyzes the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide and organic hydroperoxides. There are at least four different glutathione peroxidase isozymes in animals. Glutathione peroxidase 1 is the most abundant and is a very efficient scavenger of hydrogen peroxide, while glutathione peroxidase 4 is most active with lipid hydroperoxides. Surprisingly, glutathione peroxidase 1 is dispensable, as mice lacking this enzyme have normal lifespans, but they are hypersensitive to induced oxidative stress. In addition, the glutathione ''S''-transferases show high activity with lipid peroxides. These enzymes are at particularly high levels in the liver and also serve in detoxification metabolism.
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skydog

Pycnogenol -- Safe and Effective （里面有提及这个supplements的bioavailability）
Interview with © Professor Peter Rohdewald

Professor Peter Rohdewald, Ph.D. specializes in pharmaceutical research, but he has a special interest in natural compounds that serve as both nutrients and therapeuticals. Dr. Rohdewald is a professor and the former commissarial director of the Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Muenster in Germany. Professor Rohdewald is co-author of two textbooks on pharmaceutical analytical investigations and has published dozens of scientific articles on pharmacokinetics, bioavailability and efficacy of pharmaceuticals. His research includes examinations of pharmaceutical suspensions and plant extracts, as well as pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic investigations on analgesics, antihistaminics, glucocorticoids, cytostatic drugs and antibiotics. In addition to his research, Professor Rohdewald teaches pharmacy majors clinical chemistry, physical chemistry and molecular pharmacology.

As I mentioned in my last column, after my earlier column on Pycnogenol(R), and especially after my booklet on the nutrient, I received many letters from readers wishing to know more about this amazing nutrient. So I set about visiting several researchers around the world to learn more about Pycnogenol(R) and the latest research on its health benefits. First on my list was Professor Peter Rohdewald of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Muenster to observe the latest research on the safety and effectiveness of Pycnogenol(R).

Passwater: Professor Rohdewald, as a pharmacist you have studied many interesting drugs. What attracted you to research Pycnogenol?

Rohdewald: I am intrigued by the pharmacology of plant extracts and I was curious if all of the benefits attributed to Pycnogenol were due to bioflavonoids or other substances in the extract.

Passwater: How long has Pycnogenol(R) been studied and how long have you been studying it?

Rohdewald: Pycnogenol(R) has been studied since 1953, and I have been studying it since 1982.

Passwater: As a pharmacist, you also have extensive training in toxicology. I have read several independent toxicological studies on Pycnogenol(R) in which you served as the "Study Monitor." What can you tell us about the safety of Pycnogenol(R)?

Rohdewald: Yes, as a pharmacist, I am involved with toxicity studies. The composition of Pycnogenol(R) tells us a lot about its safety. We have completely identified and characterized more than 85% of the ingredients in Pycnogenol(R) and all of these substances but taxifolin are found in other plants that have been used in human nutrition over the centuries. As you know, the main constituents are natural antioxidants called proanthocyanidins which are also contained in foods such as sorghum, avocado, strawberries, bananas, and others.

Furthermore, catechin and taxifolin are minor constituents, and both are effective free radical scavengers. In addition, catechin has anti-ulcer activity and taxifolin is known to inhibit the activity of oxygen-radical producing enzymes. Catechin is also found in hops and berries.

There are small quantities of other nutrients in the extract such as caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, fumaric acid, gallic acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid and related substances. You can tell from the names of these nutrients that they are found in other plants. Caffeic acid and ferulic acid are found in parsley and spinach. Caffeic acid is also found in onions, ferulic acid is also found in rhubarb and grapes, fumaric acid in chives and beetroot, and gallic acid in aubergine (eggplant) and radish. Also present are vanillic acid and protocatechuic acid which are proven antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances.

Caffeic acid helps protect the liver against toxic substances and both caffeic acid and ferulic acid stimulate transport of bile from the liver cells to the gall bladder. Both are excellent free-radical scavengers and they prevent the formation of nitroso compounds of amino acids. Nitroso compounds are carcinogens which can be produced within the gastrointestinal tract. Also, both compounds are potent inhibitors of allergic reactions and edema. Caffeic acid is a fast-acting and selective blocker of leukotriene biosynthesis, inhibiting the key enzyme, arachidonate-5-lipoxygenase. Leukotrienes are involved in allergic reactions. Thus, these "minor" organic acids add a significant positive contribution to the beneficial effects of Pycnogenol(R).

Even though these nutrients are available in other vegetables, fruits, spices and beverages, Pycnogenol(R) has the advantage of providing these valuable nutrients in a concentrated form. However, because there is a greater potency due to this concentration, it is extremely important the extract be tested for adverse effects. Just because it is a natural plant extract, doesn't mean that a concentration of these natural compounds could not have adverse effects. Therefore intensive investigations using laboratory mice, rats, guinea pigs, dogs and even minipigs have been performed to see if Pycnogenol(R) does any harm. There have also been studies to determine if Pycnogenol(R) has any mutagenic, carcinogenic or adverse effects in pregnant animals. The outcome of these many studies is that Pycnogenol(R) has been shown by accepted toxicological protocols to not be mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic or toxic. It is safe, as could be expected from its composition.

Passwater: The studies that I have read, and the unpublished ones that you have allowed me to review during my visit are quite reassuring. However, most people aren't familiar with all of the nutrients in foods, and many of the constituents of Pycnogenol(R) are new to them. Even the term "bioflavonoids" is new to the general public, who have only recently learned terms such as "antioxidants" and "carotenoids." Pycnogenol(R) is primarily a mixture of bioflavonoids of the proanthocyanidin family. In last month's interview with Dr. Kandaswami, we discussed the term "proanthocyanidin" and that it identified those compounds which formed a reddish pigment called anthocyanidin when hydrolyzed (Bate-Smith reaction). Pycnogenol contains several monomers, dimers and oligomers. Which compounds in Pycnogenol are proanthocyanidins, and how would you describe the rest?

Rohdewald: The extract from the maritime pine consists not only of proanthocyanidins, but also contains other water-soluble nutrients. These nutrients are building blocks for the biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins in the living plant and are extracted together with the proanthocyanidins from the pine bark. Catechin and even taxifolin are called monomers of proanthocyanidins, although they do not produce the red color on hydrolysis (Bate - SMith reaction). The proanthocyanidins themselves are a family of compounds differing in structure and chain length, but all composed of catechin or epicatechin units. The other substances are organic acids.

Passwater: You sent one of your graduate students, Mr. Robert Sibbel, for a while to study the latest techniques in measuring antioxidant profiles with Dr. Barry Halliwell at the University of London. Earlier studies that focused on one measure of antioxidant activity called the "TBARS" test indicated that Pycnogenol(R) was a very potent antioxidant possessing many times the antioxidant activity of both vitamins C and E in this TBARS test. What have you found?

Rohdewald: My co-worker, Robert Sibbel, has determined in experiments using a rather stable free radical, that Pycnogenol(R) could inactivate this radical better than vitamin E. In another study using the superoxide radical, Pycnogenol(R) was a better radical scavenger than vitamin C. Therefore, Pycnogenol(R) can act as a really powerful antioxidant in aqueous solution in the way that vitamin C acts, and in a non-aqueous medium, it catches radicals, too, as vitamin E does, but, better!

Passwater: Therefore, Pycnogenol(R) can offer wide antioxidant protection in both watery and fatty environments. However, this great versatility still does not tell us everything we want to know about how Pycnogenol(R) acts against all radicals and oxidative species.

Rohdewald: True. That's why we are still studying the antioxidant profile of Pycnogenol(R). I also want to point out that this versatility still doesn't mean that we don't need to be well-nourished with vitamins C and E. These vitamins are still required and they have their own functions. Pycnogenol(R) should be considered a helper -- a very powerful helper -- for both of these vitamins. Pycnogenol(R) is an important adjunct to other antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and the carotenoids. Pycnogenol(R) does not replace these other nutrients, but it sure does increase our protection against free radicals.

Passwater: You mentioned that one of the properties that sets Pycnogenol(R) apart from other bioflavonoids was its cellular bioavailability. Some of the earlier studies of the bioavailability of Pycnogenol(R) indicated that it was rapidly absorbed and transported in the blood, but it was later discovered that these earlier test may have been inadvertently flawed by overlooking a pat of fruit jam eaten by the study participants as part of their breakfast. Would you tell us about the new findings that show the superior Pycnogenol(R) bioavailability?

skydog

Rohdewald: We have demonstrated bioavailability by placing students on a diet free from fruits, coffee, wine and beer -- a difficult task for German students -- and then analyzing their urine for Pycnogenol(R) components and metabolites. We could detect -- but not identify as yet -- metabolites that appear on the days when Pycnogenol(R) is taken, but not on days when a placebo is taken. Therefore, we have demonstrated that some Pycnogenol(R) is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.

In addition, and even more convincing, is that we have demonstrated increased capillary resistance following the intake of Pycnogenol(R). By applying a vacuum to the skin of elderly patients, you can easily produce microbleedings within the skin. Following the intake of one single dose of 100 milligrams of Pycnogenol(R), you must markedly increase the strength of the vacuum to produce skin microbleedings. Pycnogenol(R) strengthens the capillary vessels so that they don't "leak" or bleed as easily. Obviously, to produce such an objective effect, Pycnogenol(R) must be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.

Passwater: Yes, that shows that Pycnogenol(R) is bioavailable, but it also demonstrates that it is effective in strengthening vascular walls and maintaining capillary health. Pycnogenol(R) is also known for its effectiveness in reducing inflammation and edema. Have you studied this effect in your laboratory?

Rohdewald: It is widely known that during inflammation, oxygen radicals are produced. The scavenging of these radicals reduces the degree of inflammation. We have not made studies here, but perhaps the World's leading researcher in the role of Pycnogenol(R) on both capillary permeability and inflammation is Professor Miklos Gabor of Szent-Gyorgyi University in Hungary. Professor Gabor has found Pycnogenol(R) very effective in maintaining capillary permeability and reducing inflammation.

His most recent studies examine the relationship between free radicals and the inflammation process, and the role of Pycnogenol(R). There is good correlation between the free-radical scavenging and the anti-inflammatory activity of Pycnogenol(R). Professor Gabor has found that Pycnogenol(R) scavenges very well for the superoxide and hydroxyl radicals involved in inflammation. The inflammatory process involves a series of events, and Professor Gabor has evidence that suggests Pycnogenol(R) also acts by inhibiting various oxygenase enzymes such as lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase.

Passwater: Thank you for the referral. I will visit with him in a few days. In your opinion, what differentiates Pycnogenol(R) from other antioxidants?

Rohdewald: I think that the high affinity of Pycnogenol(R) to collagen and elastin, the main tissue constituents, is an advantage over other antioxidants, because Pycnogenol(R) will be fixed in the areas where we need it, in the tissues. Another advantage of Pycnogenol(R) is that it stabilizes red blood cell membranes. This also aids in distributing Pycnogenol(R) throughout the body.

Passwater: The affinity of Pycnogenol(R) to the skin proteins, collagen and elastin, has been reported to improve the skin elasticity, restoring characteristics of younger skin. Is this because Pycnogenol(R) improves the beneficial cross-linkages between the fibers?

Rohdewald: In vitro experiments pointed to this type of stabilization, and experiments in rabbits demonstrated that Pycnogenol(R) maintained normal capillary function even when the skin was irritated by solvents. However, we have no direct evidence for a cross-linking introduced by Pycnogenol(R).

Passwater: The free-radical scavenging property of Pycnogenol(R) should also protect skin against the aging effects of excessive sunlight. Have you studied this protective effect?

Rohdewald: Yes, we have studied the protective effect of Pycnogenol(R) encapsulated in liposomes, and I also noticed a protective effect in real life in Florida, I realized that Pycnogenol(R) lessened sun damage to my own skin.

The protective effect of Pycnogenol(R) on fibroblasts (skin cells) against damage from sunlight -- particularly the UV-B

band of sunlight -- has been studied by Professor Antti Arstila at the University of Jyvaeskylae in Finland.

Passwater: That sounds interesting, so I will make Professor Arstila's laboratory my next stop. I have one last question before I leave the beautiful University Town of Muenster and its 1200th anniversary celebration. Where will your research lead you from here?

Rohdewald: We will continue to research Pycnogenol(R) seeking to demonstrate more beneficial and protective effects, in cell cultures, in animals, in man, and we are still characterizing the trace components. Our main goal is to follow the positive effects of its antioxidant property on human health.

Passwater Thank you Professor Rohdewald for discussing your research with this very powerful adjunct nutrient. It should be part of everyone's antioxidant team.

All rights, including electronic and print media, to this article are copyrighted by © Richard A. Passwater, Ph.D. and Whole Foods magazine (WFC Inc.).

wllee

cosway有卖，一罐三十粒好像90块钱，不知道效果如何

skydog

cosway有卖，一罐三十粒好像90块钱，不知道效果如何
wllee 发表于 29-11-2011 06:40 PM

    可以介绍一下详情吗？

skydog

cosway有卖，一罐三十粒好像90块钱，不知道效果如何
wllee 发表于 29-11-2011 06:40 PM

    我刚找了资料，pycogenol 在马来西亚和新加坡只有在 nature farm 有卖，cosway不可能会有的。

wllee

http://www.cosway.com.my/product/health/nn_asta%20pycnogenol.htm

wllee

听朋友说吃了皮肤会美。我没吃过不知道

skydog

听朋友说吃了皮肤会美。我没吃过不知道
wllee 发表于 30-11-2011 09:29 AM

    的确有美容效果。但是主要是治疗一些慢性疾病。

skydog

wllee 发表于 30-11-2011 09:28 AM

但是这个supplement的总公司网站为什么没有登出来呢？很奇怪.....

    http://www.pycnogenol.com/consumer/shop.php?country=singapore

而且cosway买的是参了其他成分的。

全马以及新加坡只有一个卖：
http://www.naturesfarm.com/popular.asp

skydog

cosway有卖，一罐三十粒好像90块钱，不知道效果如何
wllee 发表于 29-11-2011 06:40 PM

    卖贵了。而且成分只有50mg per capsule。我在iHerb买。一罐60粒capsules，大约RM105，成分是每粒100mg。

skydog

Sun-damage, Skin and Pycnogenol
Interview with © Dr. Antti Arstila       
Share as Interviewed By© Richard A. Passwater PhD

When my first column on Pycnogenol appeared, and especially after my booklet on the nutrient was published, I received many letters from readers wishing to know more about this important nutritional supplement. So I set about visiting several researchers around the world to learn more about Pycnogenol and the latest research on its health benefits.

One of my most enjoyable visits was with Professor Antti Arstila of the University of Jyvaeskylae in central Finland during October, 1993. It amused me that I had to travel almost halfway around the world to meet Professor Arstila when after all, since 1971, he occasionally is in my back yard as an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, but yet our paths did not cross while he was in the U. S.

Prior to that, he was an Associate Professor at Duke University from 1969 - 1971. Professor Arstila also lectured on Pycnogenol in the U. S. in 1992, but again, our schedules did not match. So, in Finland, a few miles from the Arctic Circle, we finally meet. It was well worth the trip.

Professor Antti Holevi Arstila, M.D. is a cell biologist, toxicologist, pathologist and antioxidant expert. He is the Chairman of the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Jyvaeskylae in Jyvaeskylae, Finland. Professor Arstila has authored 15 scientific and medical textbooks, in addition to six books for laymen on health and disease. He has also contributed to more than 200 scientific publications, congress abstracts and textbooks on subjects that include electron microscopy, neuroscience, cell injury, lipid peroxidation, free radicals and antioxidants.

In addition to discussing Dr. Arstila's research with him, I was privileged to attend the presentation and defense of one of Professor Arstila's doctoral candidates' dissertation. Finnish Universities have a strong reputation for excellence. They avoid becoming isolated or drifting away from the mainstream which could happen due to their relative geographical isolation. Doctoral candidates not only have to defend their research dissertation before their own faculty, but interrogators from foreign universities to "cross examine" them in a public forum.

Doctoral candidate Zhao Guochang had completed years of research on how Pycnogenol protected against ultraviolet radiation-induced oxidative stress in skin. This is a topic of considerable interest as we realize that our partial protection provided by the ozone layer is diminishing. Thus, in addition to the normal contingent of professors in full academic regalia and family, there were several members of the television and print media in the beautiful and historic University auditorium. Now Dr. Zhao Guochang is continuing his research at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Passwater: Professor Arstila, you have a great background to properly evaluate the role of nutrients in our health, not only in regards to their beneficial effects, but also their safety. How did your interest lead you into all of these fields of specialty?

Arstila: When I was at Duke University, we carried out many studies on iron toxicity which was a great problem in Central Africa because of their use of iron pans. Then we realized that iron toxicity is not only a problem of Central Africa, but throughout the Western World as well, especially with men. I became particularly interested in possible toxicity from nutrient excesses, and I became interested in antioxidants because they are protective against many toxicities, especially from pro-oxidants.

Passwater: Your department's research on the protection provided by pycnogenol against sun damage has received a lot of attention in both the scientific and general press. What led you to this area of research?

Arstila: There has been great scientific concern about the thinning of our planet's protective ozone layer and the possibility that our skin cancer rate will dramatically increase. In addition, these UV-B rays are thought to possibly be a factor in the decline in populations of frogs, toads and salamanders. This radiation reduces the hatching rates from their eggs because the amphibians can't repair UV damage to their DNA. Like the canary in the coal mine, this is a signal that something is wrong.

Passwater: Tell us a little about the background of the UV-B problem.