Multivitamin-mineral and vitamins (E+C) supplementation modulate chronic unpredictable stress-induced oxidative damage in brain and heart of mice

Brain is a target of stress along with the immune, metabolic, and cardiovascular systems of the body. In the present work, the preventive roles of a multivitamin-mineral supplement and vitamins (E+C) in chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-induced oxidative damage were studied in the brain and heart of Swiss albino mice. Thirty-two mice were randomized to one of the following groups: control+vehicle, CUS+vehicle, CUS+ multivitamin-mineral, and CUS+vitamins (E+C). CUS was applied for 4 weeks, and multivitamin-mineral and vitamins (E+C) were administered orally for the same period. CUS led to a negative impact on all the biochemical parameters analyzed. Elevation in malondialdehyde and reduction in glutathione levels were found. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione reductase were decreased. Treatment with multivitamin-mineral and vitamins (E+C) brought these parameters to near normal levels. Multivitamin-mineral was found more restitutive than combined vitamins (E+C) doses. The present study hypothesizes that supplementation with a multivitamin-mineral may prove more effective than vitamin treatment alone in the alleviation of oxidative damage in brain and heart during periods of chronic stress.