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| What is the ORAC Assay? |
| The Oxygen
Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC)
assay is a method for measuring the total serum antioxidant activity.
It can quantitatively measure the total antioxidant capacity as well as qualitatively
measure the amount of fast Vs slow acting antioxidants in a blood serum sample.
The assay utilizes the free radical sensitive flourescent indicator protein
-phycoerythrin (beta-PE) to monitor the effectiveness of various serum antioxidants
in protecting the beta-PE from becoming damaged by free radicals.
Assay results are quantitated by allowing the reaction to reach completion and then integrating the area under the kinetic curve relative to a blank reaction containing no added antioxidants. The area under the curve is proportional to the concentration of all the antioxidants present in the sample. Example of a typical whole serum ORAC assay curve. Each reaction is calibrated using known standards of Trolox®, a water soluble vitamin E analog. The results of the assay are reported on the basis of 1 ORAC unit = 1 micro-M Trolox®. 1 Example of a ORAC Standards, Standard Curve. |