Antioxidants *
*Note: This is an abbreviated Project Idea, without notes to start your background research, a specific list of materials, or a procedure for how to do the experiment. You can identify abbreviated Project Ideas by the asterisk at the end of the title. If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk.
Abstract
Antioxidants have become very popular in the news lately for their potential health and anti-aging properties. Antioxidants work by preventing oxidation reactions that produce free-radicals which can cause harm to the body. Try testing different vitamins for antioxidant activity. How do vitamins A, B, C, and E compare? Do some vitamins have more antioxidant activity than others? What are some other sources of antioxidants? Try testing extracts from proposed sources of antioxidants like coffee, tea, tomatoes, carrots, grapes, and berries (MedlinePlus, 2006). Do nuts contain antioxidants? Does roasting or processing affect the antioxidant properties of nuts? (Hopkins and Watts, 2003) A simple way to test for antioxidant activity is to see if the reagent can keep an apple slice from browning.Share your story with Science Buddies!
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Last edit date: 2013-01-10
Bibliography
- Hopkins, Z., and Watts, R. (2003). Nuts and the Dark Side of Oxygen. Retrieved May 1, 2006, from http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040630/ScienceFairZone.asp
- MedlinePlus. (2006). Antioxidants. Retrieved May 1, 2006, from the Washington, DC: U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antioxidants.html
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