A Kinetic Approach to Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC): Restoring Order to the Antioxidant Activity of Hydroxycinnamic Acids and Fruit Juices

This study introduces a kinetic model that significantly improves the interpretation of the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Our model accurately simulates and fits the bleaching kinetics of fluorescein in the presence of various antioxidants, achieving high correlation values (R2 > 0.99) with the experimental data. The fit to the experimental data is achieved by optimizing two rate constants, k5 and k6. The k5 value reflects the reactivity of antioxidants toward scavenging peroxyl radicals, whereas k6 measures the ability of antioxidants to regenerate oxidized fluorescein. These parameters (1) allow the detailed classification of cinnamic acids based on their structure-activity relationships, (2) provide insights into the interaction of alkoxyl radicals with fluorescein, and (3) account for the regeneration of fluorescein radicals by antioxidants. The application of the model to different antioxidants and fruit extracts reveals significant deviations from the results of traditional ORAC tests based on the area under the curve (AUC) approach. For example, lemon juice, rich in 'fast' antioxidants such as ascorbic acid, shows a high k5 value, in contrast to its low AUC values. This finding underscores the limitations of the AUC approach and highlights the advantages of our kinetic model in understanding antioxidative dynamics in food systems. This study presents a comprehensive, quantitative, mechanism-oriented approach to assessing antioxidant reactivity, demonstrating a significant improvement in ORAC assay applications.

Antioxidant efficiency and oxidizability of mayonnaise by oximetry and isothermal calorimetry

This study aimed to introduce a new method based on isothermal calorimetry (IC) for measuring the autoxidation rate in mayonnaise samples. Mayonnaise samples were prepared by homogenizing an aqueous phase, consisting of vinegar and egg yolk, with various oil phases, including sunflower, corn, extra virgin olive, grape seed, and apple seed oils at 60 °C. The rate of free radical formation (Ri) was controlled by adding AIBN (Ri = 4.4±0.1×10-9 M/s). The autoxidation rate determined by IC was highly correlated with the one measured using the oxygen uptake method (R2 = 0.99). The IC method accurately indicated the antioxidant capacity and rates of both inhibited and uninhibited periods, together with the oxidizability of mayonnaise samples. The mayonnaise made with extra virgin olive oil exhibited the lowest oxidizability, while sunflower oil showed maximum antioxidant efficiency. A significant advantage of the IC method was its ability to simultaneously measure up to 24 samples with minimal effort.

Tandem Hydroperoxyl-Alkylperoxyl Radical Quenching by an Engineered Nanoporous Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle Macrostructure (NCeONP): Toward Efficient Solid-State Autoxidation Inhibitors

The use of nanomaterials as inhibitors of the autoxidation of organic materials is attracting tremendous interest in petrochemistry, food storage, and biomedical applications. Metal oxide materials and CeO2 in particular represent one of the most investigated inorganic materials with promising radical trapping and antioxidant abilities. However, despite the importance, examples of the CeO2 material's ability to retard the autoxidation of organic substrates are still lacking, together with a plausible chemical mechanism for radical trapping. Herein, we report the synthesis of a new CeO2-derived nanoporous material (NCeONP) with excellent autoxidation inhibiting properties due to its ability to catalyze the cross-dismutation of alkyl peroxyl (ROO•) and hydroperoxyl (HOO•) radicals, generated in the system by the addition of the pro-aromatic hydrocarbon γ-terpinene. The antioxidant ability of NCeONP is superior to that of other nanosized metal oxides, including TiO2, ZnO, ZrO2, and pristine CeO2 nanoparticles. Studies of the reaction with a sacrificial reductant allowed us to propose a mechanism of inhibition consisting of H atom transfer from HOO• to the metal oxides (MOx + HOO• → MOx-H• + O2), followed by the release of the H atom to an ROO• radical (MOx-H• + ROO• → MOx + ROOH). Besides identifying NCeONP as a promising material for developing effective antioxidants, our study provides the first evidence of a radical mechanism that can be exploited to develop novel solid-state autoxidation inhibitors.

Myrcene: A Natural Compound Showing Anticancer Activity in HeLa Cells

γ-terpinene, α-terpinene, p-cymene, and myrcene are monoterpenes found in many essential oils extracted from a variety of plants and spices. Myrcene also occurs naturally in plants such as hops, cannabis, lemongrass, and verbena and is used as a flavoring agent in food and beverage manufacturing. In this research, the biological efficacy of γ-terpinene, α-terpinene, p-cymene, and myrcene was studied in human cell lines (HeLa, SH-SY5Y, and HDFa). Cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, cell migration, and morphology assays were performed to obtain detailed information on the anticancer properties. Our results show that myrcene has potential biological activity, especially in HeLa cells. In this cell line, it leads to an arrest of proliferation, a decrease in motility and morphological changes with loss of sphericity and thickness, and DNA damage. In addition, the interaction of γ-terpinene, α-terpinene, p-terpinene, and myrcene with calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) was studied by UV-visible spectrophotometry. DNA binding experiments show that only myrcene can interact with DNA with an apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of 29 × 10-6 M.

Insight into the Antioxidant Activity of 1,8-Dihydroxynaphthalene Allomelanin Nanoparticles

Melanins are stable and non-toxic pigments with great potential as chemopreventive agents against oxidative stress for medical and cosmetic applications. Allomelanin is a class of nitrogen-free melanin often found in fungi. The artificial allomelanin obtained by the polymerization of 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN), poly-DHN (PDHN), has been recently indicated as a better radical quencher than polydopamine (PDA), a melanin model obtained by the polymerization of dopamine (DA); however, the chemical mechanisms underlying this difference are unclear. Here we investigate, by experimental and theoretical methods, the ability of PDHN nanoparticles (PDHN-NP), in comparison to PDA-NP, to trap alkylperoxyl (ROO•) and hydroperoxyl (HOO•) radicals that are involved in the propagation of peroxidation in real conditions. Our results demonstrate that PDHN-NP present a higher antioxidant efficiency with respect to PDA-NP against ROO• in water at pH 7.4 and against mixed ROO• and HOO• in acetonitrile, showing catalytic cross-termination activity. The antioxidant capacity of PDHN-NP in water is 0.8 mmol/g (ROO• radicals quenched by 1 g of PDHN-NP), with a rate constant of 3 × 105 M-1 s-1 for each reactive moiety. Quantum-mechanical calculations revealed that, thanks to the formation of a H-bond network, the quinones in PDHN-NP have a high affinity for H-atoms, thus justifying the high reactivity of PDHN-NP with HOO• observed experimentally.

Essential Oils: Chemistry and Pharmacological Activities

In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the main mechanisms of pharmacological action of essential oils and their components in various biological systems. A brief introduction on essential oil chemistry is presented to better understand the relationship of chemical aspects with the bioactivity of these products. Next, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antimicrobial activities are discussed. The mechanisms of action against various types of viruses are also addressed. The data show that the multiplicity of pharmacological properties of essential oils occurs due to the chemical diversity in their composition and their ability to interfere with biological processes at cellular and multicellular levels via interaction with various biological targets. Therefore, these natural products can be a promising source for the development of new drugs.

Hydroperoxyl Radical (HOO•) as a reducing agent: unexpected synergy with antioxidants. A review

This review highlights the progress made in recent years in harnessing the peculiar chemistry of the hydroperoxyl, or perhydroxyl, radical (HOO^•) during lipid peroxidation, particularly with regard to its interaction with antioxidants. The HOO^• radical, the protonated form of superoxide, plays an important role in the propagation and termination of lipid peroxidation in nonaqueous systems. However, differently from alkylperoxyl (ROO^•) radicals that have only oxidizing ability, HOO^• has a two-faced oxidizing and reducing activity. The HOO^• radical can reduce the radical of the antioxidant (phenols and aromatic amines) by H-atom transfer (A^• + HOO^• ⟶ AH + O₂) thus increasing the length of the inhibition period and the effectiveness of the antioxidant. The simultaneous presence of HOO^• and ROO^• radicals triggers the catalytic antioxidant activity of quinones and nitroxides, and explains the antioxidant activity of melanin-like polymers. The HOO^• radical can be formed by fragmentation of ROO^• radicals deriving from amines, alcohols, substituted alkenes and may be present at low concentrations in many oxidizing systems. Pro-aromatic compounds, like the natural essential oil component γ-terpinene, are the most effective sources of HOO^•, and behave as co-antioxidants in the presence of nitroxides or quinones. The future developments and applications of the HOO^• chemistry in the context of the inhibition of autoxidation are also discussed.

Recent Applications of Melanin-like Nanoparticles as Antioxidant Agents

Nanosized antioxidants are highly advantageous in terms of versatility and pharmacokinetics, with respect to conventional molecular ones. Melanin-like materials, artificial species inspired by natural melanin, combine recognized antioxidant (AOX) activity with a unique versatility of preparation and modification. Due to this versatility and documented biocompatibility, artificial melanin has been incorporated into a variety of nanoparticles (NP) in order to give new platforms for nanomedicine with enhanced AOX activity. In this review article, we first discuss the chemical mechanisms behind the AOX activity of materials in the context of the inhibition of the radical chain reaction responsible for the peroxidation of biomolecules. We also focus briefly on the AOX properties of melanin-like NP, considering the effect of parameters such as size, preparation methods and surface functionalization on them. Then, we consider the most recent and relevant applications of AOX melanin-like NPs that are able to counteract ferroptosis and be involved in the treatment of important diseases that affect, e.g., the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as the kidneys, liver and articulations. A specific section will be dedicated to cancer treatment, since the role of melanin in this context is still very debated. Finally, we propose future strategies in AOX development for a better chemical understanding of melanin-like materials. In particular, the composition and structure of these materials are still debated, and they present a high level of variability. Thus, a better understanding of the mechanism behind the interaction of melanin-like nanostructures with different radicals and highly reactive species would be highly advantageous for the design of more effective and specific AOX nano-agents.

Reaction with ROO• and HOO• Radicals of Honokiol-Related Neolignan Antioxidants

Honokiol is a natural bisphenol neolignan present in the bark of Magnolia officinalis, whose extracts have been employed in oriental medicine to treat several disorders, showing a variety of biological properties, including antitumor activity, potentially related to radical scavenging. Six bisphenol neolignans with structural motifs related to the natural bioactive honokiol were synthesized. Their chain-breaking antioxidant activity was evaluated in the presence of peroxyl (ROO•) and hydroperoxyl (HOO•) radicals by both experimental and computational methods. Depending on the number and position of the hydroxyl and alkyl groups present on the molecules, these derivatives are more or less effective than the reference natural compound. The rate constant of the reaction with ROO• radicals for compound 7 is two orders of magnitude greater than that of honokiol. Moreover, for compounds displaying quinonic oxidized forms, we demonstrate that the addition of 1,4 cyclohexadiene, able to generate HOO• radicals, restores their antioxidant activity, because of the reducing capability of the HOO• radicals. The antioxidant activity of the oxidized compounds in combination with 1,4-cyclohexadiene is, in some cases, greater than that found for the starting compounds towards the peroxyl radicals. This synergy can be applied to maximize the performances of these new bisphenol neolignans.

Kinetic Analysis of High-Temperature Sunflower Oil Peroxidation Inhibited by the Major Families of Phenolic Antioxidants Unveils the Extraordinary Activity of 1,4-Hydroquinones

Peroxidation of vegetable oils represents a major problem for the food and biodiesel industries, and it is greatly accelerated by oil degree of unsaturation and by temperature increase. Phenols represent the most common additives used to counteract oil peroxidation, however clear structure-activity relationships at high temperatures are not available. We report, herein, a kinetic study of O2 consumption during spontaneous peroxidation of sunflower oil at 130 °C in the presence of 18 antioxidants belonging to the main families of natural and synthetic phenols, including α-tocopherol, alkylphenols (BHT, BHA), hydroquinones (TBHD), catechols (quercetin, catechin) and gallates. Results show that TBHQ provide the best protection in terms of induction period (IP) duration and O2 consumption rate. EPR spectroscopy demonstrated that the inhibition activity is negatively correlated to the stability of the phenoxyl radical of the antioxidant (A•), suggesting that chain propagation with linoleate (RH) moieties A• + RH → AH + R• decreases the efficacy of those antioxidants forming persistent A• radicals. These results provide important information to optimize the antioxidant activity of phenols and of novel phenol-based materials.

Chain-Breaking Antioxidant and Peroxyl Radical Trapping Activity of Phenol-Coated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) are important materials for biomedical applications, and phenol capping is a common procedure to passivate their surface. As phenol capped SPION have been reported to behave as antioxidants, herein, we investigate the mechanism underlying this activity by studying the reaction with alkyl peroxyl (ROO^•) radicals. SPION were prepared by coprecipitation of Fe(II) and Fe(III), using phenolic antioxidants (gallic acid, Trolox and nordihydroguaiaretic acid) as post-synthesis capping agents and by different purification procedures. The reactivity of ROO^• was investigated by inhibited autoxidation studies, using styrene as an oxidizable substrate (solvent MeCN, 30 °C) and azo-bis(isobutyronitrile) as a radical initiator. While unprotected, bare SPION behaved as prooxidant, accelerating the O₂ consumption of styrene autoxidation, phenol capping provided a variable antioxidant effect that was dependent upon the purification degree of the material. Thoroughly washed SPION, containing from 7% to 14% (w/w) of phenols, had a low reactivity toward peroxyl radicals, while SPION with a higher phenol content (46% to 55%) showed a strong radical trapping activity. Our results indicate that the antioxidant activity of phenol-capped SPION can be caused by its release in a solution of weakly bound phenols, and that purification plays a major role in determining the properties of these materials.

Role of Sulphur and Heavier Chalcogens on the Antioxidant Power and Bioactivity of Natural Phenolic Compounds

The activity of natural phenols is primarily associated to their antioxidant potential, but is ultimately expressed in a variety of biological effects. Molecular scaffold manipulation of this large variety of compounds is a currently pursued approach to boost or modulate their properties. Insertion of S/Se/Te containing substituents on phenols may increase/decrease their H-donor/acceptor ability by electronic and stereo-electronic effects related to the site of substitution and geometrical constrains. Oxygen to sulphur/selenium isosteric replacement in resveratrol or ferulic acid leads to an increase in the radical scavenging activity with respect to the parent phenol. Several chalcogen-substituted phenols inspired by Vitamin E and flavonoids have been prepared, which in some cases prove to be chain-breaking antioxidants, far better than the natural counterparts. Conjugation of catechols with biological thiols (cysteine, glutathione, dihydrolipoic acid) is easily achieved by addition to the corresponding ortho-quinones. Noticeable examples of compounds with potentiated antioxidant activities are the human metabolite 5-S-cysteinyldopa, with high iron-induced lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity, due to strong iron (III) binding, 5-S-glutathionylpiceatannol a most effective inhibitor of nitrosation processes, and 5-S-lipoylhydroxytyrosol, and its polysulfides that proved valuable oxidative-stress protective agents in various cellular models. Different methodologies have been used for evaluation of the antioxidant power of these compounds against the parent compounds. These include kinetics of inhibition of lipid peroxidation alkylperoxyl radicals, common chemical assays of radical scavenging, inhibition of the OH• mediated hydroxylation/oxidation of model systems, ferric- or copper-reducing power, scavenging of nitrosating species. In addition, computational methods allowed researchers to determine the Bond Dissociation Enthalpy values of the OH groups of chalcogen modified phenolics and predict the best performing derivative. Finally, the activity of Se and Te containing compounds as mimic of glutathione peroxidase has been evaluated, together with other biological activities including anticancer action and (neuro)protective effects in various cellular models. These and other achievements are discussed and rationalized to guide future development in the field.

Expanding the spectrum of polydopamine antioxidant activity by nitroxide conjugation

Polydopamine (PDA) materials are important due to their unique physicochemical properties and their potential as chemopreventive agents for diseases connected with oxidative stress. Although PDA has been suggested to display antioxidant activity, its efficacy is controversial and its mechanism of action is still unclear. Herein, we report that accurately purified PDA nanoparticles in water at pH 7.4 are unable to quench alkylperoxyls (ROO˙), which are the radicals responsible for the propagation of lipid peroxidation, despite PDA reacting with the model DPPH˙ and ABTS˙⁺ radicals. PDA nanoparticles prepared by copolymerization of dopamine with the dialkyl nitroxide 4-NH₂TEMPO show instead good antioxidant activity, thanks to the ROO˙ trapping ability of the nitroxide. Theoretical calculations performed on a quinone-catechol dimer, reproducing the structural motive of PDA, indicate a reactivity with ROO˙ similar to catechol. These results suggest that PDA nanoparticles have an "onion-like" structure, with a catechol-rich core, which can be reached only by DPPH˙ and ABTS˙⁺, and a surface mainly represented by quinones. The importance of assessing the antioxidant activity by inhibited autoxidation studies is also discussed.

Methods to Determine Chain-Breaking Antioxidant Activity of Nanomaterials beyond DPPH•. A Review

This review highlights the progress made in recent years in understanding the mechanism of action of nanomaterials with antioxidant activity and in the chemical methods used to evaluate their activity. Nanomaterials represent one of the most recent frontiers in the research for improved antioxidants, but further development is hampered by a poor characterization of the ''antioxidant activity'' property and by using oversimplified chemical methods. Inhibited autoxidation experiments provide valuable information about the interaction with the most important radicals involved in the lipid oxidation, namely alkylperoxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals, and demonstrate unambiguously the ability to stop the oxidation of organic materials. It is proposed that autoxidation methods should always complement (and possibly replace) the use of assays based on the quenching of stable radicals (such as DPPH• and ABTS•+). The mechanisms leading to the inhibition of the autoxidation (sacrificial and catalytic radical trapping antioxidant activity) are described in the context of nanoantioxidants. Guidelines for the selection of the appropriate testing conditions and of meaningful kinetic analysis are also given.

Absolute Antioxidant Activity of Five Phenol-Rich Essential Oils

Essential oils (EOs) have promising antioxidant activities which are gaining interest as natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants in the food and cosmetic industries. However, quantitative data on chain-breaking activity and on the kinetics of peroxyl radical trapping are missing. Five phenol-rich EOs were analyzed by GC-MS and studied by oxygen-uptake kinetics in inhibited controlled autoxidations of reference substrates (cumene and squalene). Terpene-rich Thymus vulgaris (thymol 4%; carvacrol 33.9%), Origanum vulgare, (thymol 0.4%; carvacrol 66.2%) and Satureja hortensis, (thymol 1.7%; carvacrol 46.6%), had apparent k_inh (30 °C, PhCl) of (1.5 ± 0.3) × 10⁴, (1.3 ± 0.1) × 10⁴ and (1.1 ± 0.3) × 10⁴ M⁻¹s⁻¹, respectively, while phenylpropanoid-rich Eugenia caryophyllus (eugenol 80.8%) and Cinnamomum zeylanicum, (eugenol 81.4%) showed apparent k_inh (30 °C, PhCl) of (5.0 ± 0.1) × 10³ and (4.9 ± 0.3) × 10³ M⁻¹s⁻¹, respectively. All EOs already granted good antioxidant protection of cumene at a concentration of 1 ppm (1 mg/L), the duration being proportional to their phenolic content, which dictated their antioxidant behavior. They also afforded excellent protection of squalene after adjusting their concentration (100 mg/L) to account for the much higher oxidizability of this substrate. All investigated EOs had k_inh comparable to synthetic butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were are eligible to replace it in the protection of food or cosmetic products.

SET and HAT/PCET acid-mediated oxidation processes in helical shaped fused bis-phenothiazines

Helical shaped fused bis-phenothiazines 1-9 have been prepared and their red-ox behaviour quantitatively studied. Helicene radical cations (Hel.+ ) can be obtained either by UV-irradiation in the presence of PhCl or by chemical oxidation. The latter process is extremely sensitive to the presence of acids in the medium with molecular oxygen becoming a good single electron transfer (SET) oxidant. The reaction of hydroxy substituted helicenes 5-9 with peroxyl radicals (ROO. ) occurs with a 'classical' HAT process giving HelO. radicals with kinetics depending upon the substitution pattern of the aromatic rings. In the presence of acetic acid, a fast medium-promoted proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process takes place with formation of HelO. radicals possibly also via a helicene radical cation intermediate. Remarkably, also helicenes 1-4, lacking phenoxyl groups, in the presence of acetic acid react with peroxyl radicals through a medium-promoted PCET mechanism with formation of the radical cations Hel.+ . Along with the synthesis, EPR studies of radicals and radical cations, BDE of Hel-OH group (BDEOH ), and kinetic constants (kinh ) of the reactions with ROO. species of helicenes 1-9 have been measured and calculated to afford a complete rationalization of the redox behaviour of these appealing chiral compounds.

Nitroxides as Building Blocks for Nanoantioxidants

Nitroxides are an important class of radical trapping antioxidants whose promising biological activities are connected to their ability to scavenge peroxyl (ROO^•) radicals. We have measured the rate constants of the reaction with ROO^• (k_inh) for a series of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) derivatives as 5.1 × 10⁶, 1.1 × 10⁶, 5.4 × 10⁵, 3.7 × 10⁵, 1.1 × 10⁵, 1.9 × 10⁵, and 5.6 × 10⁴ M^-1 s^-1 for -H, -OH, -NH₂, -COOH, -NHCOCH₃, -CONH(CH₂)₃CH₃, and ═O substituents in the 4 position, with a good Marcus relationship between log (k_inh) and E° for the R₂NO^•/R₂NO⁺ couple. Newly synthesized Pluronic-silica nanoparticles (PluS) having nitroxide moieties covalently bound to the silica surface (PluS-NO) through a TEMPO-CONH-R link and coumarin dyes embedded in the silica core, has k_inh = 1.5 × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1. Each PluS-bound nitroxide displays an inhibition duration nearly double that of a structurally related "free" nitroxide. As each PluS-NO particle bears an average of 30 nitroxide units, this yields an overall ≈60-fold larger inhibition of the PluS-NO nanoantioxidant compared to the molecular analogue. The implications of these results for the development of novel nanoantioxidants based on nitroxide derivatives are discussed, such as the choice of the best linkage group and the importance of the regeneration cycle in determining the duration of inhibition.

Hydrogen Atom Transfer from HOO. to ortho-Quinones Explains the Antioxidant Activity of Polydopamine

Melanins are stable and non-toxic biomaterials with a great potential as chemopreventive agents for diseases connected with oxidative stress, but the mechanism of their antioxidant action is unclear. Herein, we show that polydopamine (PDA), a well-known synthetic melanin, becomes an excellent trap for alkylperoxyl radicals (ROO. , typically formed during autoxidation of lipid substrates) in the presence of hydroperoxyl radicals (HOO. ). The key reaction explaining this peculiar antioxidant activity is the reduction of the ortho-quinone moieties present in PDA by the reaction with HOO. . This reaction occurs via a H-atom transfer mechanism, as demonstrated by the large kinetic solvent effect of the reaction of a model quinone (3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone) with HOO. (k=1.5×107 and 1.1×105  M-1  s-1 in PhCl and MeCN). The chemistry disclosed herein is an important step to rationalize the redox-mediated bioactivity of melanins and of quinones.

Synergic antioxidant activity of γ-terpinene with phenols and polyphenols enabled by hydroperoxyl radicals

Antioxidant interactions of γ-terpinene with α-tocopherol mimic 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-chromanol (PMHC) and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), used as models, respectively, of mono- and poly-phenols were demonstrated by differential oximetry during the inhibited autoxidation of model substrates: stripped sunflower oil, squalene, and styrene. With all substrates, γ-terpinene acts synergistically regenerating the chain-breaking antioxidants PMHC and CAPE from their radicals, via the formation of hydroperoxyl radicals. The inhibition duration for mixtures PMHC/γ-terpinene and CAPE/γ-terpinene increased with γ-terpinene concentration, while rate constants for radical-trapping were unchanged by γ-terpinene, being 3.1 × 10⁶ and 4.8 × 10⁵ M^-1s^-1 for PMHC and CAPE in chlorobenzene (30 °C). Using 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-bezoquinone we demonstrate that γ-terpinene can reduce quinones to catechols enabling their antioxidant activity. The different synergy mechanism of γ-terpinene with mono- and poly-phenolic antioxidants is discussed and its relevance is proven in homogenous lipids using natural α-tocopherol and hydroxytyrosol as antioxidants, calling for further studies in heterogenous food products.

Proton-Sensitive Free-Radical Dimer Evolution Is a Critical Control Point for the Synthesis of Δ2,2'-Bibenzothiazines

The mechanism of the acid-dependent interring dehydrogenation in the conversion of the single-bonded 3-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzothiazine dimer 2 to the Δ^2,2′-bi(2H-1,4-benzothiazine) scaffold of red hair pigments is disclosed herein. Integrated chemical oxidation and oxygen consumption experiments, coupled with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analyses and DFT calculations, allowed the identification of a key diprotonated free-radical intermediate, which was implicated in a remarkable oxygen-dependent chain process via peroxyl radical formation and evolution to give the Δ^2,2′-bi(2H-1,4-benzothiazine) dimer 3 by interring dehydrogenation. The critical requirement for strongly acidic conditions was rationalized for the first time by the differential evolution channels of isomeric peroxyl radical intermediates at the 2- versus 3-positions. These results offer for the first time a rationale to expand the synthetic scope of the double interring dehydrogenation pathway for the preparation of novel symmetric double-bond bridged captodative heterocycles.

Magnetic nanoantioxidants with improved radical-trapping stoichiometry as stabilizers for inhibition of peroxide formation in ethereal solvents

Graphite-coated magnetic cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) decorated with hindered phenolic antioxidant analogues of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT, E321) provided easily removable nanoantioxidants capable of preventing the autoxidation of organic solvents as tetrahydrofuran (THF).

Ditocopheryl Sulfides and Disulfides: Synthesis and Antioxidant Profile

Symmetrical ditocopheryl disulfides (Toc)₂ S₂ and symmetrical and unsymmetrical ditocopheryl sulfides (Toc)₂ S were simply prepared under remarkably mild conditions with complete control of the regiochemistry by using δ-, γ-, and β-tocopheryl-N-thiophthalimides (Toc-NSPht) as common starting materials. The roles of sulfur atom(s), H-bond and aryl ring substitution pattern on the antioxidant profile of these new compounds, which were assembled by linking together two tocopheryl units, are also discussed.

Calibration of Squalene, p-Cymene, and Sunflower Oil as Standard Oxidizable Substrates for Quantitative Antioxidant Testing

The autoxidation kinetics of stripped sunflower oil (SSO), squalene (SQ), and p-cymene ( p-C) initiated by 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) at 303 K were investigated under controlled conditions by differential oximetry in order to build reference model systems that are representative of the natural variability of oxidizable materials, for quantitative antioxidant testing. Rate constants for oxidative chain propagation ( k_p) and chain termination (2 k_t) and the oxidizability ( k_p/√2 k_t) were measured using 2,6-di- tert-butyl-4-methoxyphenol, 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-chromanol, BHT, and 4-methoxyphenol as reference antioxidants. Measured values of k_p (M^-1 s^-1)/2 k_t (M^-1 s^-1)/oxidizability (M^-1/2 s^-1/2) at 303 K in chlorobenzene were 66.9/3.45 × 10⁶/3.6 × 10^-2, 68.0/7.40 × 10⁶/2.5 × 10^-2, and 0.83/2.87 × 10⁶/4.9 × 10^-4, respectively, for SSO, SQ, and p-C. Quercetin, magnolol, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, and 2,4,6-trimethylphenol were investigated to validate calibrations. The distinctive usefulness of the three substrates in testing antioxidants is discussed.

Enhanced Antioxidant Activity under Biomimetic Settings of Ascorbic Acid Included in Halloysite Nanotubes

Antioxidant activity of native vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AH₂) is hampered by instability in solution. Selective loading of AH₂ into the inner lumen of natural halloysite nanotubes (HNT) yields a composite nanoantioxidant (HNT/AH₂), which was characterized and investigated for its reactivity with the persistent 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical and with transient peroxyl radicals in the inhibited autoxidation of organic substrates, both in organic solution (acetonitrile) and in buffered (pH 7.4) water in comparison with native AH₂. HNT/AH₂ showed excellent antioxidant performance being more effective than native ascorbic acid by 131% in acetonitrile and 290% (three-fold) in aqueous solution, under identical settings. Reaction with peroxyl radicals has a rate constant of 1.4 × 10⁶ M-1 s-1 and 5.1 × 10⁴ M-1 s-1, respectively, in buffered water (pH 7.4) and acetonitrile, at 30 °C. Results offer physical understanding of the factors governing HNT/AH₂ reactivity. Improved performance of HNT/AH₂ is unprecedented among forms of stabilized ascorbic acid and its relevance is discussed on kinetic grounds.

Singlet oxygen quenching- and chain-breaking antioxidant-properties of a quercetin dimer able to prevent age-related macular degeneration

A dimer of quercetin prepared through a Mannich reaction protects pyridinium bisretinoid A2E from photooxidation at 430 nm in aqueous medium at pH 7.4. In the presence of light and O₂, A2E is quickly attacked by ¹O₂ produced in situ (by excited A2E) to give nonaoxirane and other oxygenated compounds which can be involved in diseases of the macula. Peroxyl radicals might have only a marginal role on the photooxidation of A2E. The dimer is actually a potent quencher of ¹O₂ with a rate constant k_Q of 8.5 × 10⁸ M^-1 s^-1 in methanol at room temperature. On the other hand, its antioxidant abilities against ROO^· radicals are quite limited since k_ROO· = 7.3 × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1 (in buffer solution at pH 7.4), the value being essentially identical to that of quercetin. The quenching of ¹O₂ by the dimer is therefore the main reason for the A2E protection and prevention of age-related macular degeneration.

The Role of Onium Salts in the Pro-Oxidant Effect of Gold Nanoparticles in Lipophilic Environments

Metal nanoparticles are reported to be toxic due to the generation of free radicals at their surface. Relatively inert thiol-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been reported to induce radical formation in the presence of hydroperoxides, which would conflict with their potential use as inert scaffolds for the design of novel nano-antioxidants. With the aim of clarifying this aspect, we investigated the pro-oxidant activity of dodecanethiol-capped AuNPs (∼5 nm diameter), prepared through the Brust-Schiffrin synthesis, by oxygen-uptake kinetic studies. The pro-oxidant activity was found to be proportional to the impurities of the transfer agent tetraoctylammonium bromide (TOAB) left from the synthesis and decreased on repeated washing of the nanoparticles. Under identical settings similar batches of AuNP (∼9 nm diameter) prepared through the Ulman method without onium salts showed no pro-oxidant behavior. The alternative onium phase-transfer agents Oct₄ NBF₄ (Oct=octyl), Hex₄ NBF₄ (Hex=hexyl), and Hex₄ NPF₆ were comparatively investigated and showed lower pro-oxidant activity depending on the counterion (Br^- >PF₆^- >BF₄^- ).

Methods To Measure the Antioxidant Activity of Phytochemicals and Plant Extracts

Measurement of antioxidant properties in plant-derived compounds requires appropriate methods that address the mechanism of antioxidant activity and focus on the kinetics of the reactions involving the antioxidants. Methods based on inhibited autoxidations are the most suited for chain-breaking antioxidants and for termination-enhancing antioxidants, while different specific studies are needed for preventive antioxidants. A selection of chemical testing methods is critically reviewed, highlighting their advantages and limitations and discussing their usefulness to investigate both pure molecules and raw extracts. The influence of the reaction medium on antioxidants' performance is also addressed.

Antioxidant activity of nanomaterials

Nanomaterials represent one of the most promising frontiers in the research for improved antioxidants. Some nanomaterials, including organic (i.e. melanin, lignin) metal oxides (i.e. cerium oxide) or metal (i.e. gold, platinum) based nanoparticles, exhibit intrinsic redox activity that is often associated with radical trapping and/or with superoxide dismutase-like and catalase-like activities. Redox inactive nanomaterials can be transformed into antioxidants by grafting low molecular weight antioxidants on them. Herein, we propose a classification of nanoantioxidants based on their mechanism of action, and we review the chemical methods used to measure antioxidant activity by providing a rationale of the chemistry behind them.

Chain-breaking antioxidant activity of hydroxylated and methoxylated magnolol derivatives: the role of H-bonds

Chemical modification of magnolol, an uncommon dimeric neolignan contained in Magnolia genus trees, provides a unique array of polyphenols having interesting biological activity potentially related to radical scavenging. The chain-breaking antioxidant activity of four new hydroxylated and methoxylated magnolol derivatives was explored by experimental and computational methods. The measurement of the rate constant of the reaction with ROO˙ radicals (k_inh) in an apolar solvent showed that the introduction of hydroxyl groups ortho to the phenolic OH in magnolol increased the k_inh value, being 2.4 × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1 and 3.3 × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1 for the mono and the dihydroxy derivatives respectively (k_inh of magnolol is 6.1 × 10⁴ M^-1 s^-1). The di-methoxylated derivative is less reactive than magnolol (k_inh = 1.1 × 10⁴ M^-1 s^-1), while the insertion of both hydroxyl and methoxyl groups showed no effect (6.0 × 10⁴ M^-1 s^-1). Infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations allowed a rationalization of these results and pointed out the crucial role of intramolecular H-bonds. We also show that a correct estimation of the rate constant of the reaction with ROO˙ radicals, by using BDE(OH) calculations, requires that the geometry of the radical is as close as possible to that of the parent phenol.

The Antioxidant Activity of Quercetin in Water Solution

Despite its importance, little is known about the absolute performance and the mechanism for quercetin's antioxidant activity in water solution. We have investigated this aspect by combining differential oxygen-uptake kinetic measurements and B3LYP/6311+g (d,p) calculations. At pH = 2.1 (30 °C), quercetin had modest activity (kinh = 4.0 × 103 M-1 s-1), superimposable to catechol. On raising the pH to 7.4, reactivity was boosted 40-fold, trapping two peroxyl radicals in the chromen-4-one core and two in the catechol with kinh of 1.6 × 105 and 7.0 × 104 M-1 s-1. Reaction occurs from the equilibrating mono-anions in positions 4' and 7 and involves firstly the OH in position 3, having bond dissociation enthalpies of 75.0 and 78.7 kcal/mol, respectively, for the two anions. Reaction proceeds by a combination of proton-coupled electron-transfer mechanisms: electron⁻proton transfer (EPT) and sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET). Our results help rationalize quercetin's reactivity with peroxyl radicals and its importance under biomimetic settings, to act as a nutritional antioxidant.

A synergic nanoantioxidant based on covalently modified halloysite–trolox nanotubes with intra-lumen loaded quercetin

Synergic antioxidant activity was achieved by grafting α-tocopherol derivatives on halloysite nanotubes, and by loading quercetin in the inner lumen.

A Straightforward Route to Potent Phenolic Chain-Breaking Antioxidants by Acid-Promoted Transposition of 1,4-Benzo[b]oxathiines to Dihydrobenzo[b]thiophenes

The transformation of simple phenols with limited antioxidant activity into potent chain-breaking antioxidants was achieved by a three-step protocol, consisting of the conversion of phenols into 1,4-benzo[b]oxathiines followed by an unprecedented acid-promoted transposition to o-hydroxydihydrobenzo[b]thiophenes, or dihydrobenzo[de]thiochromenes, starting from phenols or naphthols, respectively. These derivatives, bearing a benzo-fused heterocycle with a sulfide sulfur ortho to the phenolic OH, have a rate constant of reaction with alkylperoxyl radicals (kinh ) comparable to that of α-tocopherol. A solid rationale for the transposition mechanism as well as for the structure-antioxidant activity relationship is presented.

Antioxidant Activity of Magnolol and Honokiol: Kinetic and Mechanistic Investigations of Their Reaction with Peroxyl Radicals

Magnolol and honokiol, the bioactive phytochemicals contained in Magnolia officinalis, are uncommon antioxidants bearing isomeric bisphenol cores substituted with allyl functions. We have elucidated the chemistry behind their antioxidant activity by experimental and computational methods. In the inhibited autoxidation of cumene and styrene at 303 K, magnolol trapped four peroxyl radicals, with a kinh of 6.1 × 10(4) M(-1) s(-1) in chlorobenzene and 6.0 × 10(3) M(-1) s(-1) in acetonitrile, and honokiol trapped two peroxyl radicals in chlorobenzene (kinh = 3.8 × 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)) and four peroxyl radicals in acetonitrile (kinh = 9.5 × 10(3) M(-1) s(-1)). Their different behavior arises from a combination of intramolecular hydrogen bonding among the reactive OH groups (in magnolol) and of the OH groups with the aromatic and allyl π-systems, as confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Comparison with structurally related 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbiphenyl-4,4'-diol, 2-allylphenol, and 2-allylanisole allowed us to exclude that the antioxidant behavior of magnolol and honokiol is due to the allyl groups. The reaction of the allyl group with a peroxyl radical (C-H hydrogen abstraction) proceeds with rate constant of 1.1 M(-1) s(-1) at 303 K. Magnolol and honokiol radicals do not react with molecular oxygen and produce no superoxide radical under the typical settings of inhibited autoxidations.