Scavenging of superoxide anion radical by chaparral.

Chaparral is considered to act as an antioxidant. However, the inhibitory effects of chaparral on specific radical species are not well understood. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in combination with spin trapping techniques, we have found that chaparral scavenges superoxide anion radical (O2*-) in a dose-dependent manner. 5,5-dimethyl-lpyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) was used as a spin trapping agent and the reaction of xanthine and xanthine oxidase as a source of O2*-. The kinetic parameters, IC50 and Vmax, for chaparral scavenging of O2*- were found to be 0.899 microg/mL and 8.4 ng/mL/sec, respectively. The rate constant for chaparral scavenging O2*- was found to be 1.22 x 10(6) g(-1) s(-1). Our studies suggest that the antioxidant properties of chaparral may involve a direct scavenging effect of the primary oxygen radical, O2*-.