Dietray Antioxidants Vitamins Status In Omani Autistic Children

Background:

It has been proposed that oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of autism. Many studies have indicated that adequate dietary supply of α-tocopherol, β-carotene and vitamin C scavenge free radicals and counterbalance oxidative stress.

Objectives:

This study was aimed to examine the dietary antioxidants status in Omani Autistic Children.  

Methods:

A case-control study approach was applied for this study. Blood samples were collected for all study participants (25 Omani autistic children and 25 matched Omani controls for age and gender) and plasma was separated for measuring α-tocopherol and β-carotene using a reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Plasma vitamin C level was quantified by a fluorometric method. 

Results:

Dietary record was used for nutrient intake analysis and there was no significant difference in the nutrients concerned in this study among autistic children and their matched healthy controls (P>0.05). The plasma levels of α-tocopherol, β-carotene and vitamin C in autistic children were similar to those of healthy normal controls (P>0.05).

Conclusions:

Our results indicate that the studied Omani autistic children had sufficient α-tocopherol, β-carotene and vitamin C. Further antioxidants biomarkers are required for evaluating oxidation status for autistic patients.