Iron chelating ability desferrioxamine

Afanas ev et al. demonstrated the ability of rutin to form a stable complex with Fe2+ at physiological pH [142]. The absorption spectrum of the Fe2+-rutin complex did not change during 8 hours [142]. Morel et al. investigated radiochemically the capacity of three flavonoids (catechin, quercetin and diosmetin) and desferrioxamine - a powerful chelator of Fe3+ - to remove Fe3+ from iron-loaded hepatocytes [18, 143]. Nitrilotriacetic acid - a low affinity iron-chelator - was used to maintain Fe3+ in a soluble state. The iron-chelating ability decreased in the following order desferrioxamine > catechin > quercetin > diosmetin (which had a very low activity) [18, 143]. 

More recently, the notion that the beneficial effects of iron-chelating agents are simply due to chelation of the metal ion has been challenged [64]. This is due to the demonstrated ability of the commonly used hydroxamate iron chelator desferrioxamine to act as a superoxide and hydroxyl-radical scavenger [65]. The relatively stable desferrioxamine nitroxide free radical (T1/2 10 min)... 

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