Free-Radical Scavenging by Polyphenolic Flavonoid Compounds

Flavonoids are plant natural products that can reduce the abundance of oxidative free radicals in a biochemical system by scavenging and quenching radical species. Measurements of flavonoid reduction potentials and direct comparisons of flavonoids with other antioxidant compounds have been reported.  However, the specific mechanism of flavonoid antioxidation activity has not been elucidated. By identifying the major oxidative products formed by the reaction of model flavonoids with radical species, these radical generated products have provided insight into specific mechanisms of flavonoid-antioxidant reactions.