Flavonol antioxidant effect

The phenolic antioxidant activity in the corn oil emulsions of 17 selected Spanish wines and two Californian wines was examined for their preventive capability for lipid oxidation as dietary antioxidants. The inhibition of hydroperoxide formation [measured as percent of control for 10 iM gallic acid equivalents (GAE)] was increased from 8.4 to 40.2% in the presence of the red wines, from 20.9 to 45.8% with the rose wines, and from 6.5 to 47.0% with the white wines. The inhibition of hydroperoxide formation at 20 xM GAE was increased from 11.9 to 34.1% in the presence of red wines, from 0.1 to 34.5% with the rose wines, and from 3.3 to 37.2% with the white wines. The inhibition of the hexanal formation at 10 (jlM GAE was increased from 23.6 to 64.4% in the presence of red wines, from 42.7 to 68.5% with the rose wines, and from 28.4 to 68.8% with the white wines. Moreover, the inhibition of the hexanal formation at 20 xM GAE was increased from 33.0 to 46.3% in the presence of red wines, from 11.3 to 66.5% with the rose wines, and from - 16.7 to + 21.0% with the white wines. The antioxidant effect declined apparently with increasing concentration. The antioxidant activity might be ascribed to the five main groups of phenolics identified in the wines benzoic acids, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, and hexanal [38]. 

Flavonols induce cardioprotective effects, including antioxidant effects (protectiOTi against LDL oxidation) and inhibition of platelet activity and vasodilatatimi [48, 69], while very little information is available on their potential anticancer effects. 

Fruifs and vegetables also contain ofher bioactive substances such as polyphenols (including well-known pigments anthocyanins, flavonols) and non-provitamin A carotenoids (mainly lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) that may have protective effects on chronic diseases. Polyphenols and carotenoids are known to display antioxidant activities, counteracting oxidative alterations in cells. Besides these antioxidant properties, these colored bioactive substances may exert other actions on cell signaling and gene expression. 

Tudela JA, Cantos E, Esprn JC, Tomas-Barberan FA and Gil MI. 2002. Induction of antioxidant flavonol biosynthesis in fresh-cut potatoes. Effect of domestic cooking. J Agric Food Chem 50(21) 5925-5931. 

Makris DP and Rossiter JT. 2001. Domestic processing of onion bulbs (Allium cepa) and asparagus spears (Asparagus officinalis) effect on flavonol content and antioxidant status. J Agric Food Chem 49(7) 3216-3222. 

The application of flavonoids for the treatment of various diseases associated with free radical overproduction is considered in Chapter 29. However, it seems useful to discuss here some studies describing the activity of flavonoids under certain pathophysiological conditions. Oral pretreatment with rutin of rats, in which gastric lesions were induced by the administration of 100% ethanol, resulted in the reduction of the area of gastric lesions [157]. Rutin was found to be an effective inhibitor of TBAR products in the gastric mucosa induced by 50%i ethanol [158]. Rutin and quercetin were active in the reduction of azoxymethanol-induced colonic neoplasma and focal area of dysplasia in the mice [159], Chemopreventive effects of quercetin and rutin were also shown in normal and azoxymethane-treated mouse colon [160]. Flavonoids exhibited radioprotective effect on 7-ray irradiated mice [161], which was correlated with their antioxidative activity. Dietary flavones and flavonols protected against the toxicity of the environmental contaminant dioxin [162], Rutin inhibited ovariectomy-induced osteopenia in rats [163],... 

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