Evaluation of scavenging rate constants of DOPA and tyrosine enantiomers against multiple reactive oxygen species and methyl radical as measured with ESR trapping method.

The scavenging rates of DOPA (dl- and l-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)alanine) and Tyr (tyrosine (dl- and l-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)alanine)) against five reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methyl radical were measured with the use of electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping method and the scavenging rate constants of DOPA and Tyr were determined. The scavenging rate constants for multiple active species increased in the order of O2(-)<RO<(1)O2<H3C<HO for Tyr and RO≈O2(-)<(1)O2≈H3C<HO for DOPA, and the differences in the radical scavenging abilities for l-enantiomers and dl-mixtures of DOPA and Tyr were shown. Further, based on the redox potentials, we have suggested that the primary chemical process of antioxidant reactions with O2(-) and (1)O2 can be characterized with the electron transfer of antioxidants (DOPA and Tyr).