A quantum chemical study on the free radical scavenging activity of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol

Functional characterization of polyphenol oxidase OfPPO2 supports its involvement in parallel biosynthetic pathways of acteoside

Acteoside is a bioactive phenylethanoid glycoside widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom. Because of its two catechol moieties, acteoside displays a variety of beneficial activities. The biosynthetic pathway of acteoside has been largely elucidated, but the assembly logic of two catechol moieties in acteoside remains unclear. Here, we identified a novel polyphenol oxidase OfPPO2 from Osmanthus fragrans, which could hydroxylate various monophenolic substrates, including tyrosine, tyrosol, tyramine, 4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde, salidroside, and osmanthuside A, leading to the formation of corresponding catechol-containing intermediates for acteoside biosynthesis. OfPPO2 could also convert osmanthuside B into acteoside, creating catechol moieties directly via post-modification of the acteoside skeleton. The reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis and subcellular localization assay further support the involvement of OfPPO2 in acteoside biosynthesis in planta. These findings suggest that the biosynthesis of acteoside in O. fragrans may follow "parallel routes" rather than the conventionally considered linear route. In support of this hypothesis, the glycosyltransferase OfUGT and the acyltransferase OfAT could direct the flux of diphenolic intermediates generated by OfPPO2 into acteoside. Significantly, OfPPO2 and its orthologs constitute a functionally conserved enzyme family that evolved independently from other known biosynthetic enzymes of acteoside, implying that the substrate promiscuity of this PPO family may offer acteoside-producing plants alternative ways to synthesize acteoside. Overall, this work expands our understanding of parallel pathways plants may employ to efficiently synthesize acteoside, a strategy that may contribute to plants' adaptation to environmental challenges.

The effect of EGCG/tyrosol-loaded chitosan/lecithin nanoparticles on hyperglycemia and hepatic function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

We aimed to study the potential of epigallocatechin-3-gallate/tyrosol-loaded chitosan/lecithin nanoparticles (EGCG/tyrosol-loaded C/L NPs) in streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice. The EGCG/tyrosol-loaded C/L NPs were created using the self-assembly method. Dynamic light scattering, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were utilized to characterize the nanoparticle. Furthermore, in streptozotocin-induced T2DM mice, treatment with EGCG/tyrosol-loaded C/L NPs on fasting blood sugar levels, the expression of PCK1 and G6Pase, and IL-1β in the liver, liver glutathione content, nanoparticle toxicity on liver cells, and liver reactive oxygen species were measured. Our findings showed that EGCG/tyrosol-loaded C/L NPs had a uniform size distribution, and encapsulation efficiencies of 84 % and 89.1 % for tyrosol and EGCG, respectively. The nanoparticles inhibited PANC-1 cells without affecting normal HFF cells. Furthermore, EGCG/tyrosol-loaded C/L NP treatment reduced fasting blood sugar levels, elevated hepatic glutathione levels, enhanced liver cell viability, and decreased reactive oxygen species levels in diabetic mice. The expression of gluconeogenesis-related genes (PCK1 and G6 Pase) and the inflammatory gene IL-1β was downregulated by EGCG/tyrosol-loaded C/L NPs. In conclusion, the EGCG/tyrosol-loaded C/L NPs reduced hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation in diabetic mice. These findings suggest that EGCG/tyrosol-loaded C/L NPs could be a promising therapeutic option for type 2 diabetes management.

Computational assessment of the primary and secondary antioxidant potential of alkylresorcinols in physiological media

Alkylresorcinols are a group of natural phenolic compounds found in various foods such as whole grain cereals, bread, and certain fruits. They are known for their beneficial health effects, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of two typical alkylresorcinols namely olivetol and olivetolic acid (Oli and OliA) under physiological conditions. The free radical scavenging capacity of Oli and OliA toward oxygenated free radicals (HO˙ and HOO˙ radicals) was investigated using thermodynamic and kinetic calculations. The results revealed that Oli and OliA are potent scavengers of HO˙ radical in both polar and lipid media, acting exclusively via the FHT (formal hydrogen transfer) mechanism. Moreover, they demonstrated excellent scavenging activity toward HOO˙ radical in water via the SET (single electron transfer) mechanism, outperforming the common antioxidant BHT. In lipid media, Oli and OliA showed moderate scavenging activity toward HOO˙ radical via the FHT mechanism. Significant prooxidant potential of OliA- was also demonstrated through the formation of complexes with copper ions. Additionally, docking studies indicate that the compounds exhibited a good affinity for ROS-producing enzymes, including myeloperoxidase (MP), cytochrome P450 (CP450), lipoxygenase (LOX), and xanthine oxidase (XO), highlighting their potential as natural antioxidants with promising therapeutic applications.

Antioxidant activity of lidocaine, bupivacaine, and ropivacaine in aqueous and lipophilic environments: an experimental and computational study

Introduction: Local anesthetics are widely recognized pharmaceutical compounds with various clinical effects. Recent research indicates that they positively impact the antioxidant system and they may function as free radical scavengers. We hypothesize that their scavenging activity is influenced by the lipophilicity of the environment. Methods: We assessed the free radical scavenging capacity of three local anesthetics (lidocaine, bupivacaine, and ropivacaine) using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP antioxidant assays. We also employed quantum chemistry methods to find the most probable reaction mechanism. The experiments were conducted in an aqueous environment simulating extracellular fluid or cytosol, and in a lipophilic environment (n-octanol) simulating cellular membranes or myelin sheets. Results: All local anesthetics demonstrated ABTS˙⁺ radical scavenging activity, with lidocaine being the most effective. Compared to Vitamin C, lidocaine exhibited a 200-fold higher half-maximal inhibitory concentration. The most thermodynamically favorable and only possible reaction mechanism involved hydrogen atom transfer between the free radical and the -C-H vicinal to the carbonyl group. We found that the antioxidant activity of all tested local anesthetics was negligible in lipophilic environments, which was further confirmed by quantum chemical calculations. Conclusion: Local anesthetics exhibit modest free radical scavenging activity in aqueous environments, with lidocaine demonstrating the highest activity. However, their antioxidant activity in lipophilic environments, such as cellular membranes, myelin sheets, and adipose tissue, appears to be negligible. Our results thus show that free radical scavenging activity is influenced by the lipophilicity of the environment.

The Contribution of Theoretical Prediction Studies to the Antioxidant Activity Assessment of the Bioactive Secoiridoids Encountered in Olive Tree Products and By-Products

Assessment of the antioxidant activity of different types of natural compounds is a complex research area that encompasses various in vitro tests and in vivo studies. Sophisticated modern analytical tools permit the unambiguous characterization of the compounds present in a matrix. The contemporary researcher, knowing the chemical structure of the compounds present, can carry out quantum chemical calculations that provide important physicochemical information assisting the prediction of antioxidant potential and the mechanism behind the activity of target compounds before further experimentation. The efficiency of calculations is steadily improved due to the rapid evolution of both hardware and software. It is possible, consequently, to study compounds of medium or even larger size, incorporating also models that simulate the liquid phase (solution). This review contributes to the establishment of theoretical calculations as an inherent part of the antioxidant activity assessment process, having as a case study the complex mixtures of olive bioactive secoiridoids (oleuropein, ligstroside, and related compounds). The literature indicates great variability in theoretical approaches and models used so far for only a limited number of this group of phenolic compounds. Proposals are made for standardization of methodology (reference compounds, DFT functional, basis set size, and solvation model) to facilitate comparisons and communication of findings.

Auxiliary Therapeutic Role of Cholinergic Agents: Mechanistic Insights into the Antioxidant Behavior of Alzheimer's Disease Drugs

Repurposing of existing drugs toward new therapeutic use(s) has become an emergent area of research in current times. In this context, the antioxidant behavior of eight cholinergic drugs used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) was investigated theoretically. The low bond dissociation enthalpy values in all of the compounds advocated for the hydrogen atom transfer mechanism toward the observed antioxidant behavior. The kinetic study for the reaction of the drugs with hydroperoxyl radicals indicated an indirect reaction path owing to the presence of pre- and postreaction complexes. In some cases, the rate constant for the H-abstraction reaction (k = 2.8 × 10³ L mol^-1 s^-1) is found to be close to that of a well-known non-phenolic antioxidant, α-terpinene (k = 4.3 × 10³ L mol^-1 s^-1). Quantification of charge transfer character among the drugs with DNA bases and molecular docking calculations confirmed the groove binding model and predicted the drugs to be safe from DNA damage. A theoretical evaluation of the mechanistic details governing the antioxidant property along with the proven stress reversal ability of these AD drugs provided new insights to design and develop more efficient drugs with dual therapeutic potential.

Is cannabidiolic acid an overlooked natural antioxidant? Insights from quantum chemistry calculations

The radical scavenging capacity of CBDA is moderate in lipid media but it is very important in water via the SET mechanism.

Modeling the peroxyl radical scavenging behavior of Carnosic acid: Mechanism, kinetics, and effects of physiological environments

Carnosic acid (CA), a phenolic diterpene and abietane-type compound, is a potent natural antioxidant with medical benefits. The present paper elucidates, for the first time, the kinetics and the exact mechanism of the peroxyl radical scavenging activity of CA in the gas phase and under physiological conditions. According to the obtained results, the reaction of CA with HOO^• is significantly faster in aqueous solution than in the gas phase and nonpolar environments. The abstraction of the hydrogen atom from 2-OH is the decisive mechanism in the gas phase and nonpolar media, while both hydrogen abstraction (15%) and electron transfer (85%) mechanisms can take place in aqueous solution. The overall rate coefficient in water (4.73 × 10⁶ M^-1 s^-1) is about 36 times higher than that of the reference antioxidant Trolox (1.30 × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1), suggesting that CA is a potent scavenger of peroxyl radicals in polar media.

Radical Scavenging Potential of the Phenothiazine Scaffold: A Computational Analysis

The reactivity of phenothiazine (PS), phenoselenazine (PSE), and phenotellurazine (PTE) with different reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been studied using density functional theory (DFT) in combination with the QM‐ORSA (Quantum Mechanics‐based Test for Overall Free Radical Scavenging Activity) protocol for an accurate kinetic rate calculation. Four radical scavenging mechanisms have been screened, namely hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), radical adduct formation (RAF), single electron transfer (SET), and the direct oxidation of the chalcogen atom. The chosen ROS are HO^., HOO^., and CH₃OO^.. PS, PSE, and PTE exhibit an excellent antioxidant activity in water regardless of the ROS due to their characteristic diffusion‐controlled regime processes. For the HO^. radical, the primary active reaction mechanism is, for all antioxidants, RAF. But, for HOO^. and CH₃OO^., the dominant mechanism strongly depends on the antioxidant: HAT for PS and PSE, and SET for PTE. The scavenging efficiency decreases dramatically in lipid environment and remains only significant (via RAF) for the most reactive radical (HO^.). Therefore, PS, PSE, and PTE are excellent antioxidant molecules, especially in aqueous, physiological environments where they are active against a broad spectrum of harmful radicals. There is no advantage or significant difference in the scavenging efficiency when changing the chalcogen since the reactivity mainly derives from the amino hydrogen and the aromatic sites.

A detailed DFT-based study of the free radical scavenging activity and mechanism of daphnetin in physiological environments

Daphnetin, a biologically active coumarin derivative found in plants of the genus Daphne, is a potent antioxidant phenolic compound. The present work describes the mechanisms and kinetics of the HO, NO, HOO, and NO₂ scavenging activities of daphnetin in physiological environments using quantum chemistry calculations. The main antiradical mechanisms have been studied: formal hydrogen transfer (FHT), sequential electron transfer proton transfer (SETPT), sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET), and radical adduct formation (RAF). Besides its good HO scavenging activity in physiological environments, daphnetin is expected to exhibit good HOO and NO₂ scavenging activities in water with k_overall = 1.51 × 10⁷ and 4.79 × 10⁸ M^-1s^-1, respectively. The FHT mechanism decides the HO scavenging activity in aqueous solution, as well as HO, HOO, and NO₂ scavenging activities in lipid media, while SPLET is the primary mechanism in water for HOO and NO₂ scavenging activities. The theoretical predictions were found to be in good agreement with the available experimental data, which supports the reliability of the calculations.

Mechanisms, kinetics and eco-toxicity assessment of singlet oxygen, sulfate and hydroxyl radicals-initiated degradation of fenpiclonil in aquatic environments

Fenpiclonil is an agricultural phenylpyrrole fungicide, which raise the concern about its ecotoxicological effects. In this paper, we investigate the indirect photochemical transformation mechanisms, environmental persistence and eco-toxicity of fenpiclonil initiated by various active oxidants (¹O₂, •OH and SO₄•‾) in aquatic environments. The results shown that ¹O₂ can react with pyrrole ring by cycloaddition pathways to form the endo-peroxides. In addition, •OH and SO₄•‾ initial mechanisms are calculated, suggesting that •OH-initiated mechanisms play a dominant role in the degradation process of fenpiclonil at high rate constants (2.26 ×10⁹ M^-1 s^-1, at 298 K). The kinetic calculation results indicate that high temperature is more favorable for the degradation of fenpiclonil. To better understand the adverse effects of the transformation products formed during the subsequent reaction of •OH-adduct IM10, the computational toxicology has been used for the toxicity estimation. The results show that aquatic toxicity of these products decrease with degradation process, especially the decomposition products (TP3 and TP4). However, TP1 and TP2 are still toxic and developmental toxicant. The study provides guidance for further experimental research and industrial application of fungicide degradation from the perspective of theoretical calculation.

Are thymol, rosefuran, terpinolene and umbelliferone good scavengers of peroxyl radicals?

DFT-based computational calculations have been used to investigate the hydroperoxyl radical scavenging activity of four essential oil constituents namely thymol (Thy), rosefuran (Ros), terpinolene (Ter), and umbelliferone (Umb). Different reaction mechanisms including formal hydrogen transfer (FHT), radical adduct formation (RAF), sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET), and sequential electron transfer proton transfer (SETPT) have been examined in the gas phase and physiological environments. It was found that the HOO radical scavenging activity of these compounds is strongly influenced by the environment, which becomes more important in water than pentyl ethanoate. According to the overall reaction rate constants, the phenolic compounds Thy and Umb are predicted to exhibit excellent activity in aqueous solution. Umb with an overall rate constant of 1.44 × 10⁸M^-1s^-1 at physiological pH is among the best HOO radical scavengers in water with activity comparable to that of caffeic acid, higher than those of ascorbic acid, guaiacol and eugenol, and much higher than that of Trolox.

Biomechanical properties enhancement of gamma radiation-sterilized cortical bone using antioxidants

Gamma radiation sterilization is the method used by the majority of tissue banks to reduce disease transmission from infected donors to recipients through bone allografts. However, many studies have reported that gamma radiation impairs the structural and mechanical properties of bone via formation of free radicals, the effect of which could be reduced using free radical scavengers. The aim of this study is to examine the radioprotective role of hydroxytyrosol (HT) and alpha lipoic acid (ALA) on the mechanical properties of gamma-sterilized cortical bone of bovine femur, using three-point bending and microhardness tests. Specimens of bovine femurs were soaked in ALA and HT for 3 and 7 days, respectively, before being exposed to 35-kGy gamma radiation. In unirradiated samples, both HT and ALA pre-treatment improved the cortical bone bending plastic properties (maximum bending stress, maximum bending strain, and toughness) without affecting microhardness. Irradiation resulted in a drastic reduction of the plastic properties and an increased microhardness. ALA treatment before irradiation alleviated the aforementioned reductions in maximum bending stress, maximum bending strain, and toughness. In addition, under ALA treatment, the microhardness was not increased after irradiation. For HT treatment, similar effects were found. In conclusion, the results indicate that HT and ALA can be used before irradiation to enhance the mechanical properties of gamma-sterilized bone allografts.

What is responsible for antioxidant properties of polyphenolic compounds from plants?

Due to the negative impact of reactive species (including free radicals) on humans and animals, the investigations to find effective substances (antioxidants), which protect living organisms against their damaging influence are carried out throughout the world. As most widespread synthetic antioxidants are suspected of having a noxious effect on the human body, more and more attention is paid to natural antioxidant compounds found in plants (especially phenolic compounds). The aim of this paper is to present the data about antioxidant activity of polyphenolic compounds with the emphasis on the main factors having influence on their antioxidant activity: chemical structure, ability to form hydrogen bonds, capability of metal ions chelation and reduction, adduct formation, kinetic solvents effect, mechanism of antioxidant reaction, capability of antioxidant enzyme activation and reduction potential.

Comparative study of relationship between structure of phenylethanoid glycopyranosides and their activities using cell-free assays and human cells cultured in vitro

The study focused on protective potential of phytochemicals applicable in prevention and health protection is of great importance. Various structures of these compounds and a wide range of their biological activities have inspired organic chemists to sythesize their effective analogues in order to further increase their efficacy. The aims of our study were (i) to synthesize phenylethanoid glycopyranosides: salidroside (SALI - tyrosol β-d-glucopyranoside), tyrosol β-d-galactopyranoside (TYBGAL), tyrosol α-d-galactopyranoside (TYAGAL), tyrosol α-d-mannopyranoside (TYAMAN), hydroxytyrosol α-d-mannopyranoside (HOTAMA), homosyringyl β-d-glucopyranoside (HSYGLU), hydroxytyrosol β-d-xylopyranoside (HOTXYL) and hydroxysalidroside (HOSALI); (ii) to determine their antioxidant capacities (cell-free approaches); (iii) to evaluate their cytotoxicity (MTT test), protectivity against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂; comet assay) and effect on the intracellular glutathione level (iGSH; flow cytometry) in experimental system utilizing human hepatoma HepG2 cells. HOSALI, HOTAMA, HOTXYL and HSYGLU manifested the highest antioxidant capacity in cell-free assays and they were most active in protection of HepG2 cells against H₂O₂. On the other hand, pre-treatment of HepG2 cells with SALI had protective effects even though SALI displayed almost no activity in cell-free assays. Differences in the efficacy of the analogues revealed that structures of their molecules in terms of aglycone combined with sugar moiety affect their activities.

Is Indolinonic Hydroxylamine a Promising Artificial Antioxidant?

Indolinonic hydroxylamine (IH) is a new-generation artificial antioxidant that, due to its ability to fractionate into apolar environments, is considered for prevention against lipid peroxidation. For this reason, it is important to understand, and compare, its activity in polar and nonpolar environments. In this study, the antioxidant activity of IH has been evaluated against HO^• and HOO^• radicals in water and, for a lipid-mimetic environment, pentyl ethanoate solvent, using kinetic calculations. It was found that the overall reaction rate constant of the HO^• radical scavenging is more than 7 times higher in aqueous (8.98 × 10⁹ M^-1 s^-1) than in apolar (1.22 × 10⁹ M^-1 s^-1) media. However, HOO^• scavenging was 35 times faster in apolar media (1.00 × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1 vs 2.80 × 10³ M^-1 s^-1). In a lipid environment, the HAT mechanism was favored for the antioxidant activity for both radical species, whereas in aqueous solution the SET mechanism defined the HO^• scavenging, while HAT described the HOO^• scavenging. IH was shown to be one of the most active antioxidants in lipid environment, an essential characteristic for the protection of biological systems.

How Does Pyridoxamine Inhibit the Formation of Advanced Glycation End Products? The Role of Its Primary Antioxidant Activity

Pyridoxamine, one of the natural forms of vitamin B6, is known to be an effective inhibitor of the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are closely related to various human diseases. Pyridoxamine forms stable complexes with metal ions that catalyze the oxidative reactions taking place in the advanced stages of the protein glycation cascade. It also reacts with reactive carbonyl compounds generated as byproducts of protein glycation, thereby preventing further protein damage. We applied Density Functional Theory to study the primary antioxidant activity of pyridoxamine towards three oxygen-centered radicals (•OOH, •OOCH3 and •OCH3) to find out whether this activity may also play a crucial role in the context of protein glycation inhibition. Our results show that, at physiological pH, pyridoxamine can trap the •OCH3 radical, in both aqueous and lipidic media, with rate constants in the diffusion limit (>1.0 × 108 M - 1 s - 1 ). The quickest pathways involve the transfer of the hydrogen atoms from the protonated pyridine nitrogen, the protonated amino group or the phenolic group. Its reactivity towards •OOH and •OOCH3 is smaller, but pyridoxamine can still scavenge them with moderate rate constants in aqueous media. Since reactive oxygen species are also involved in the formation of AGEs, these results highlight that the antioxidant capacity of pyridoxamine is also relevant to explain its inhibitory role on the glycation process.

Energetic and Structural Properties of Two Phenolic Antioxidants: Tyrosol and Hydroxytyrosol

Theoretical and experimental studies on the energetic, structural and some other relevant physicochemical properties of the antioxidant tyrosol (1), hydroxytyrosol (1OH) molecules and the corresponding radicals 1_rad^• and 1O_rad^• are reported in this work. The experimental values of the gas-phase enthalpy of formation, Δ_f H_m⁰(g), in kJ·mol^-1, of 1 (-302.4 ± 3.4) and 1OH (-486.3 ± 4.1) have been determined. Quantum chemical calculations, at DFT (M05-2X) and composite ab initio G3 and G4 levels of theory, provided results that served to (i) confirm the excellent consistency of the experimental measurements performed, (ii) establish that the stabilizing effect of H-bond of hydroxyethyl chain and aromatic ring (OH···π interaction) is smaller in radicals than in parent molecules, (iii) deduce-combining experimental data in isodesmic reactions-Δ_f H_m⁰(g) of radicals 1_rad^• (-152.3 ± 4.4 kJ·mol^-1) and 1O_rad^• (-370.6 ± 3.8 kJ·mol^-1), (iv) estimate a reliable O-H bond dissociation enthalpy, BDE of 1 (368.1 ± 5.6 kJ·mol^-1) and of 1OH (333.7 ± 5.6 kJ·mol^-1), and (v) corroborate-using "BDE criteria"-than 1OH is a more effective antioxidant than 1.

Concerted double proton-transfer electron-transfer between catechol and superoxide radical anion

We have carried out a computational study on the reactivity of catechol (1,2-dihydroxybenzene) towards superoxide radical anion (O₂˙^-) in water, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), pentyl ethanoate (PEA) and vacuum using density functional theory and the coupled cluster method. Five reaction mechanisms were studied: (i) sequential proton transfer followed by hydrogen atom transfer (PT-HT), (ii) sequential hydrogen atom transfer followed by proton transfer (HT-PT), (iii) single electron transfer (SET), (iv) radical adduct formation (RAF) and (v) concerted double proton-transfer electron-transfer (denoted as global reaction, GR). Our results show that catechol and superoxide do not react via a sequential reaction mechanism (initial PT, initial HAT or SET). Instead, the reaction proceeds via a concerted double proton-transfer electron-transfer mechanism yielding hydrogen peroxide and catechol radical anion. The protons are transferred asynchronously between the σ orbitals of the catechol oxygen atoms to superoxide, while the electron is transferred between oxygen π orbitals in the same direction. The calculated rate constants in aqueous media agree with the experimental values reported in the literature. This suggests that the mechanism proposed in this work is adequate to describe this reaction. In addition, our results show that the reaction exhibits a large tunneling effect.

Selected anthraquinones as potential free radical scavengers and P-glycoprotein inhibitors

In this article, we estimated the scavenger capacity of six selected anthraquinones toward free radicals and their efficacy as inhibitors of P-glycoproteins.

Site reactivity in the free radicals induced damage to leucine residues: a theoretical study

The reactions of leucine with free radicals are kinetically controlled and are faster in hydrophilic than in hydrophobic media.

Lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid. A comprehensive theoretical study of their antioxidant activity supported by available experimental kinetic data

The free radical scavenging activity of lipoic acid (LA) and dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) has been studied in nonpolar and aqueous solutions, using the density functional theory and several oxygen centered radicals. It was found that lipoic acid is capable of scavenging only very reactive radicals, while the dehydrogenated form is an excellent scavenger via a hydrogen transfer mechanism. The environment plays an important role in the free radical scavenging activity of DHLA because in water it is deprotonated, and this enhances its activity. In particular, the reaction rate constant of DHLA in water with an HOO(•) radical is close to the diffusion limit. This has been explained on the basis of the strong H-bonding interactions found in the transition state, which involve the carboxylate moiety, and it might have implications for other biological systems in which this group is present.

Antioxidant activity of fraxetin and its regeneration in aqueous media. A density functional theory study

Fraxetin is an excellent and versatile antioxidant in aqueous media. In addition it regenerates, scavenging two radical equivalents per cycle.

Computational study on the attack of ·OH radicals on aromatic amino acids

The attack of hydroxyl radicals on aromatic amino acid side chains, namely phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, have been studied by using density functional theory. Two reaction mechanisms were considered: 1) Addition reactions onto the aromatic ring atoms and 2) hydrogen abstraction from all of the possible atoms on the side chains. The thermodynamics and kinetics of the attack of a maximum of two hydroxyl radicals were studied, considering the effect of different protein environments at two different dielectric values (4 and 80). The obtained theoretical results explain how the radical attacks take place and provide new insight into the reasons for the experimentally observed preferential mechanism. These results indicate that, even though the attack of the first (·)OH radical on an aliphatic C atom is energetically favored, the larger delocalization and concomitant stabilization that are obtained by attack on the aromatic side chain prevail. Thus, the obtained theoretical results are in agreement with the experimental evidence that the aromatic side chain is the main target for radical attack and show that the first (·)OH radical is added onto the aromatic ring, whereas a second radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from the same position to obtain the oxidized product. Moreover, the results indicate that the reaction can be favored in the buried region of the protein.

On the peroxyl scavenging activity of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives: mechanisms, kinetics, and importance of the acid-base equilibrium

The peroxyl radical scavenging activity of four hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (HCAD) has been studied in non-polar and aqueous solutions, using the density functional theory. The studied HCAD are: ferulic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid), p-coumaric acid (trans-4-hydroxycinnamic acid), caffeic acid (3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid), and dihydrocaffeic acid (3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propionic acid). It was found that the polarity of the environment plays an important role in the relative efficiency of these compounds as peroxyl scavengers. It was also found that in aqueous solution the pH is a key factor for the overall reactivity of HCAD towards peroxyl radicals, for their relative antioxidant capacity, and for the relative importance of the different mechanisms of reaction. The H transfer from the phenolic OH has been identified as the main mechanism of reaction in non-polar media and in aqueous solution at acid pHs. On the other hand, the single electron transfer mechanism from the phenoxide anion is proposed to be the one contributing the most to the overall peroxyl scavenging activity of HCAD in aqueous solution at physiological pH (7.4). This process is also predicted to be a key factor in the reactivity of these compounds towards a large variety of free radicals.