Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Catechins are important components of human diet and have received special attention due to their antioxidant capacity. The purpose of this paper was to study the antioxidant action of (+)-catechin (CTQ) in the presence of vitamin B(2) (riboflavin) as light-absorbing agent. Furthermore, two model compounds, catechol (CTC) and resorcinol (RSC), were selected in order to elucidate the reactive target of the CTQ molecule. The influence of pH-medium was investigated. METHODS: Stationary photolysis, polarographic detection of dissolved oxygen, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavengers, time-resolved near-IR phosphorescence detection, stationary, and time-resolved fluorescence and laser flash photolysis techniques were employed. RESULTS: CTQ interacts with riboflavin under visible-light photoirradiation as well as with different ROS which are generated in this mechanism. Radical-scavenging activity increases with increasing of pH-medium. DISCUSSION: pH-effect of the medium on radical-scavenging activity comes from the increased electron-donating ability of CTQ upon deprotonation. These results are very interesting due to the fact that the pH of the food products displays important variations. The [Formula: see text]-scavenging ability of CTQ, would be equal to the additive contribution of each reactive center, CTC, and RSC, present at the molecule of CTQ. However, CTQ would have a moderate ability to removal of [Formula: see text]-species at pH 7.