Antioxidative properties of histidine-containing dipeptides from skeletal muscles of vertebrates.

1. Ascorbate-dependent peroxidation of lipid components of biological membranes is inhibited by the natural histidine-containing dipeptides, carnosine and anserine, used at physiological concentrations. 2. Carnosine and anserine exhibit an equal antioxidative activity, whereas the preventing effect of homocarnosine is manifested only at low concentrations of oxidized lipid material. 3. The inhibiting effect of the dipeptides is enhanced either by the rise in the dipeptide concentration or by the decrease in the level of membrane components. 4. Addition of the dipeptides results in a marked decrease in the level of primary molecular products of lipid peroxidation. 5. In this case the optical spectrum of primary molecular products of polyunsaturated fatty acids changes significantly.