Antioxidative effects of flavonols and their glycosides against the free-radical-induced peroxidation of linoleic acid in solution and in micelles.

The antioxidative effect of flavonols and their glycosides against the peroxidation of linoleic acid has been studied in homogeneous solution (tBuOH/H(2)O, 3:2) and in sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide micelles. The peroxidation was initiated thermally by the water-soluble initiator 2,2'-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride, and the reaction kinetics were studied by monitoring the formation of linoleic acid hydroperoxides. The synergistic antioxidant effect of the flavonols with alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) was also studied by following the decay kinetics of alpha-tocopherol and the alpha-tocopheroxyl radical. Kinetic analysis of the antioxidative process demonstrates that the flavonols are effective antioxidants in solution and in micelles, either alone or in combination with alpha-tocopherol. The antioxidative action involves trapping the initiating radicals in solution or in the bulk-water phase of the micelles, trapping the propagating lipid peroxyl radicals on the surface of the micelles, and regenerating alpha-tocopherol by reducing the alpha-tocopheroxyl radical. It was found that the antioxidant activity of the flavonols and their glycosides depends significantly on the position and number of the hydroxy groups, the oxidation potential of the molecule, and the reaction medium. The flavonols bearing ortho-dihydroxy groups possess significantly higher antioxidative activity than those without such functionalities, and the glycosides are less active than their parent aglycones. The activity of the flavonols is higher in micelles than in solution, while the activity of alpha-tocopherol is lower in micelles than in solution. This is because the predominant factor for controlling the activity is the hydrogen-bonding interaction of the antioxidant with the micellar surface in the case of hydrophilic flavonols, while it is the inter- and intramicellar diffusion in the case of lipophilic alpha-tocopherol.