The antioxidant activity of glucosamine hydrochloride in vitro.

The antioxidant potency of chitin derivative-glucosamine hydrochloride was investigated employing various established in vitro systems, such as superoxide (O2*-)/hydroxyl (*OH)-radical scavenging, reducing power, and ferrous ion chelating potency. As expected, we obtained several satisfying results, as follows: first, glucosamine hydrochloride had pronounced scavenging effect on superoxide radical. For example, the O2*- scavenging activity of glucosamine hydrochloride was 83.74% at 0.8 mg/mL. Second, the *OH scavenging activity of glucosamine hydrochloride was also strong and was about 54.89% at 3.2 mg/mL. Third, the reducing power of glucosamine hydrochloride was more pronounced. The reducing power of glucosamine hydrochloride was 0.632 at 0.75 mg/mL. However, ferrous ion-chelating potency was soft. Furthermore, ferrous ion-chelating potency, the scavenging rate of radical, and the reducing power of glucosamine hydrochloride increased with their increasing concentration, and they were concentration dependent. The multiple antioxidant activity of glucosamine hydrochloride was evident as it showed considerable reducing power, superoxide/hydroxyl-radical scavenging ability. These in vitro results suggest the possibility that glucosamine hydrochloride could be effectively employed as an ingredient in health or functional food, to alleviate oxidative stress.