Effective dose of vitamin c against passive smoking

Abstract EN

Objective: Ascorbic acid (AA), known as vitamin C, plays an important role in the human body.

Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the beneficial effects of two levels of (AA) that can protect or cure the lung against the hazards of passive smoking in male mice.

Materials and Methods: The study was done on forty male albino mice (6 weeks age and average body weight 22 ± 3 g).

The mice were assigned into eight equal groups; control group, group 2was exposed to cigarette smoke for 12 weeks, and the other six groups were given low or high doses of vitamin C(0.015and 0.075 mg/g BW)before, during and after exposure to smoke.

Doses were given orally via oro-gastric tube.

Results: High doses of vitamin C had a protective effect when taken before and during exposure to smoke.

It reduced the negative effect of smoke as indicated by the levels of TBARS and GSH in plasma and lung tissue, and the improvement of studied histological parameters.

Conclusion: Ascorbic acid had no therapeutic effects after lung tissue damage due to exposure to secondhand smoke.

Therefore, it is important to protect the lung from the negative effects of smoking by increasing the daily intake of vitamin C doses to 1 gram, from food rich in vitamin C like fresh fruits and vegetables.