title: Antioxidant properties of low molecular weight phenols present in the mediterranean diet.
abstract: The antioxidant capacity of low molecular weight phenols found in olive fruit and in virgin olive oil has been investigated. The radical scavenging activity of some of the investigated phenols is higher than that of the most used antioxidants, and among them, 3,4- or 2,5-dihydroxyl phenols are also able to chelate copper ions leading to chelates that are only slightly active in the promotion of free radical reactions. The ability of tested phenols to reduce Cu(II) and their activity-structure relationships was also studied, showing that their reducing capacity is connected to the presence of a specific ligand of the reduced ion. The number of reduced ions per mole of phenol is lower than that calculated for some flavonols and isoflavones so exerting a lower prooxidant action. This fact may be important in vivo when free transition metal ions are involved in oxidation processes.
authors: Institute of Protein Biochemistry, CNR Via Marconi, 10-80125 Naples, Italy.
authors: Raffaella
authors: R
authors: Briante
authors: Ferdinando
authors: F
authors: Febbraio
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Nucci
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000737:chemistry; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D031658:Olea / Q000737:chemistry*; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002614:Chelating Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005609:Free Radicals; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010636:Phenols; D010938:Plant Oils; D003300:Copper