In the master's thesis, we examined how different types of caffeic acid ester (CAE) such as caffeic acid methyl ester (CAME), caffeic acid ethyl ester (CAEE), caffeic acid isoprenyl ester (CAIPE), and caffeic acid phenetyl ester (CAPE) affect intracellular redox state, using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism. The yeast cells were exposed to different concentrations of selected CAE types in the stationary growth phase for two hours. During our work we used 1000 μM concentrations for all types of CAE. In addition to mentioned concentration, we used a concentration of 100 μM in the CAPE series only. After the exposure of cells to CAE, we measured NAD+/NADH ratio and content of reduced intracellular glutathione (GSH). Based on obtained statistically processed results of the ratio of NAD+/NADH molecules, we found that all CAE types do not have the same effects. The increase in the NAD+/NADH ratio according to the control occurred in the case of the treatment of cells with CAPE, CAIPE at 1000 μM concentration and CAPE at 100 μM concentration. Among all CAE types tested, CAPE at 1000 μM concentration increased the ratio to the greatest extent. In the case of the treatment with CAME at 1000 μM concentration, the ratio decreased compared to control. The statistically processed results obtained in the case of GSH measurement show that the intracellular GSH content relative to the control did not change in any of the cases, indicating that the antioxidative action of the CAE types at concentrations we used does not result from induction of a non-enzymatic antioxidant defense system, such as glutathione.
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