Radical Adduct Formation Mechanisms Research Articles

Is Vitamin A an Antioxidant or a Pro-oxidant?

Antioxidant efficiency of all-trans-retinol has been studied on the basis of characteristic thermochemical properties using density functional theory. The influence of the solvent polarity has also been evaluated. It is found that retinol may act in parallel as an effective antioxidant via H atom donating as well as a pro-oxidant in yielding reactive hydroxyl radical. In fact, the lowest values of bond dissociation enthalpy were found at the C18-H and C18-OH positions. Retinol was also determined to be a good electron donor but bad acceptor in the single electron transfer (ET) reaction with hydroperoxyl (HOO•) radical. In addition, potential energy surfaces of H atom transfer (HAT) and radical adduct formation (RAF) reactions between retinol and HOO• radical were also investigated in the gas phase and in the solvent. The results demonstrated that the RAF mechanism was generally more predominant than ET and HAT ones. The most favored radical addition position was found at the C2═C3 double bond in the cyclohexenyl ring. Moreover, the radical scavenging reactivity via RAF reactions was strongly exergonic and thermodynamically feasible while the ET one was endergonic. Natural bond orbital analysis showed that the lone pairs of electrons on the oxygen atom of the HOO• radical were donated to the unoccupied antibonding orbital of transferred H atom in HAT reactions. In contrast, in the case of RAF reactions, strong interactions between 2p orbitals on oxygen atoms of the radical and the π orbital of the double bond on the retinol molecule were recognized. The results obtained in this work were in agreement with previous experimental observations.

A Theoretical Study on the Antioxidant Activity of Piceatannol and Isorhapontigenin Scavenging Nitric Oxide and Nitrogen Dioxide Radicals.

The antioxidant activity of naturally occurring stilbene compounds piceatannol (PIC) and isorhapontigenin (ISO) scavenging two free radicals (NO and NO2) were studied using density functional theory (DFT) method. Four reaction mechanisms have been considered: hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), radical adduct formation (RAF), single electron transfer (SET), and sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET). The reaction channels in water solution were traced independently, and the respective thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were obtained. We found PIC and ISO scavenge NO mainly through RAF mechanism, and scavenge NO2 through HAT mechanism. The capacity of PIC scavenging NO2 is much higher than ISO, but the reactivity of scavenging NO is lower than ISO.

Kinetic Reaction Mechanism of Sinapic Acid Scavenging NO2 and OH Radicals: A Theoretical Study.

The mechanism and kinetics underlying reactions between the naturally-occurring antioxidant sinapic acid (SA) and the very damaging ·NO2 and ·OH were investigated through the density functional theory (DFT). Two most possible reaction mechanisms were studied: hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and radical adduct formation (RAF). Different reaction channels of neutral and anionic sinapic acid (SA-) scavenging radicals in both atmosphere and water medium were traced independently, and the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were calculated. We find the most active site of SA/SA- scavenging ·NO2 and ·OH is the –OH group in benzene ring by HAT mechanism, while the RAF mechanism for SA/SA- scavenging ·NO2 seems thermodynamically unfavorable. In water phase, at 298 K, the total rate constants of SA eliminating ·NO2 and ·OH are 1.30×108 and 9.20×109 M-1 S-1 respectively, indicating that sinapic acid is an efficient scavenger for both ·NO2 and ·OH.

Is Silybin the Best Free Radical Scavenger Compound in Silymarin?

Silymarin is a natural mixture with beneficial properties for health, specifically due to its antiradical characteristics. The major components of this mixture are silybin (SIL), silychristin (SILYC), isosilybin (ISOSIL), silydianin (SILYD), and taxifolin (TAX). In this report, the electronic properties of these substances are investigated using density functional theory calculations, mainly in order to fully understand the free radical scavenger properties of these compounds. Optimized geometries and Raman spectra are reported. These results could be experimentally useful for identifying some of the major components of the mixture. The relative abundance of deprotonated species under physiological conditions is also included. The free radical scavenger capacity is studied in relation to three mechanisms: the single electron transfer (SET), the radical adduct formation (RAF), and the hydrogen atom transfer (HAT). According to this investigation, the HAT mechanism is the most efficient mechanism for scavenging free radicals for these compounds followed by the RAF mechanism where intramolecular hydrogen bonds are formed in order to stabilize the (•)OOH free radical. A particularly important factor is that none of the compounds being studied showed an outstanding antiradical capacity performance compared to the others. In this sense, silymarin is an interesting mixture with antiradical properties and we now know that one single component should be as effective as the mixture.

Free Radical Scavenger Properties of α-Mangostin: Thermodynamics and Kinetics of HAT and RAF Mechanisms

Mangosteen is a tropical fruit that presents beneficial effects on human health since it is rich in anthocyanins and xanthones, which are considered bioactive compounds that have been described as good free radical scavengers. One of its most active compounds is α-mangostin. In this report, a theoretical study on the free radical scavenger capacity of α-mangostin and its monoanion is analyzed using the density functional theory approximation. Two well-known reaction mechanisms are investigated: the hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and the radical adduct formation (RAF). Two other mechanisms are also considered: sequential electron proton Transfer (SEPT) and proton coupled electron transfer (PCET). According to thermodynamics and kinetics, α-mangostin and its deprotonated form are good free radical scavenger through the HAT mechanism, with the anionic (deprotonated) form being more reactive than the neutral one. Their capacity to scavenge OOH free radical is similar to that of carotenes, higher than that of allicin, much higher than that of melatonin and N-acetylcysteine amide, and about 15 times lower than that of 2-propenesulfenic acid.

Theoretical study on the chemical fate of adducts formed through free radical addition reactions to carotenoids

It is well known that free radicals are responsible for oxidative stress and cause numerous health disorders. As a result, the study of molecules that can scavenge free radicals is significant. One of the most important classes of free radical scavengers are carotenoids (CAR). In this work, the effectiveness of the CAR in terms of the radical adduct formation (RAF) reaction is studied using density functional theory calculations (in polar and non-polar environments). The reactions between four CAR [β-carotene (BC), zeaxanthin (ZEA), canthaxanthin (CANTA) and astaxanthin (ASTA)] with eight different radicals (•OH, •OOH, •CH3, •O–CH3, •OO–CH3, •SH, •O–CH2–CH=CH2, and •OO–CH2–CH=CH2), as well as substantial further reactions involved in the radical chain propagation, are analyzed. According to our results, the RAF reactions are controlled to a larger extent by the nature of the free radical than by the particular CAR they are reacting with. Thermochemistry calculations predict that each CAR molecule is able to scavenge at least two free radicals, which would lead to the termination of the radical chain process. Epoxy and diepoxy CAR species can be formed, being epoxy molecules as good free radical scavengers as their parent CAR. ASTA and CANTA are predicted to be less reactive, when reacting through RAF mechanism, than BC and ZEA.

Influence of Point Defects on the Free-Radical Scavenging Capability of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

The effect of point defects on the free-radical scavenging activity of armchair and zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), through a radical adduct formation mechanism, has been studied using density functional theory calculations. SWCNTs with different vacancy (V), adatom (AA), and Stone−Wales (SW) defects have been considered, as well as their pristine partners. All the studied reactions were found to be significantly exothermic and exergonic, which supports their viability. The presence of point defects in the carbon lattice of SWCNTs is predicted to increase their free-radical scavenging activity. The AA and V point defects, involving C atoms with dangling bonds, are expected to cause a larger increase on the SWCNTs’ reactivity toward free radicals than the SW and vacancy defects without C atoms with dangling bonds. The studied Stone−Wales point defect shows the largest site-dependent effect on the free-radical scavenging activity of SWCNTs. The presence of nonpolar environments is not expected to change the proposed trends. Characteristic infrared bands in the 3300 and 900−1100 cm−1 regions have been assigned to the νO−H and νC−O vibrations of the OH radical adducts.

Reactions of OOH Radical with β-Carotene, Lycopene, and Torulene: Hydrogen Atom Transfer and Adduct Formation Mechanisms

The relative free radical scavenging activity of beta-carotene, lycopene, and torulene toward OOH radicals has been studied using density functional theory. Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and radical adduct formation (RAF) mechanisms have been considered. All the possible reaction sites have been included in the modeling, and detailed branching ratios are reported for the first time. The reactions of hydrocarbon carotenoids (Car) with peroxyl radicals, in both polar and nonpolar environments, are predicted to proceed via RAF mechanism, with contributions higher than 98% to the overall OOH + Car reactions. Lycopene and torulene were found to be more reactive than beta-carotene. In nonpolar environments the reactivity of the studied carotenoids toward peroxyl radical follows the trend LYC > TOR > BC, whereas in aqueous solutions it is TOR > LYC > BC. OOH adducts are predicted to be formed mainly at the terminal sites of the conjugated polyene chains. The main addition sites were found to be C5 for beta-carotene and lycopene and C30 for torulene. The general agreement between the calculated magnitudes and the available experimental data supports the predictions from this work.