Oxidative stress is a critical contributor to the development of blood lesions during blood storage. It damages lipids
and proteins, including hemoglobin, and can impair the function and viability of blood both during and after
transfusion. This research sought to evaluate the effect of cinnamic acid on oxidative stress induced in whole blood
withdrawn from rats and stored for 28 days.
Rats were divided into control and experimental groups. Blood was collected and preserved at 4 oC for 28 days.
The control group was stored without any antioxidants. The experimental group was treated with cinnamic acid at
concentrations of 50 μg and 100 μg. On days 0, 14, and 28, blood was collected for assessment of oxidative stress
indicators, antioxidant enzymes, and protein oxidation byproducts.
Results showed that blood storage for 28 days in the control group caused a decrease in the superoxide dismutase
(SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities (P>0.05) compared to day 0. There was a significant rise in lipid peroxidation
(P<0.0001), and an elevation of protein sulfhydryl level (P<0.05) compared to day 0. Advanced oxidation protein
products (AOPP) were significantly lowered during the storage period when compared to day 0. However, the addition
of cinnamic acid to the stored blood significantly increased the protein sulfhydryl level on the 14th day and slightly
reduced it on the 28th day (P>0.05), in contrast to the control. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and
catalase were increased, and the lipid peroxidation level was notably lower, especially on the 14th day, compared to
the group without an antioxidant (P<0.05).
In conclusion, cinnamic acid increased the antioxidant capacity of whole blood stored and protected against
oxidative stress. Our data showed that cinnamic acid failed to inhibit the production of advanced oxidation protein
products and did not protect against the formation of protein sulfhydryl groups