Sequestering ability of butylated hydroxytoluene, propyl gallate, resveratrol, and vitamins C and E against ABTS, DPPH, and hydroxyl free radicals in chemical and biological systems.

The antioxidant capacity of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT; 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol), propyl gallate (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid n-propyl ester), resveratrol (trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene), and vitamins C (l-ascorbic acid) and E [(+)-alpha-tocopherol] was studied in chemical and biological systems. The chemical assays evaluated the capacity of these antioxidants to sequester 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS.) and 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH.). A new colorimetric method to determine hydroxyl radical scavenging is also described. The biological tests use the eucaryotic cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae treated with the antioxidants in the presence of the stressing agents apomorphine, hydrogen peroxide, and paraquat dichloride (methylviologen; 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride). The results in chemical systems showed that all of the antioxidants were able to significantly inhibit the oxidation of beta-carotene by hydroxyl free radicals. The assays in yeast showed that the antioxidant activity of the tested compounds depended on the stressing agent used and the mechanism of action of the antioxidant.