Cited by 9,085Phytochemicals and Antioxidant ActivitiesFree Radicals and AntioxidantsAntioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress

Structure-antioxidant activity relationships of flavonoids and phenolic acids

Rice-Evans, Catherine A., Miller, Nicholas J., Paganga, George·1996·Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Abstract

The recent explosion of interest in the bioactivity of the flavonoids of higher plants is due, at least in part, to the potential health benefits of these polyphenolic components of major dietary constituents. This review article discusses the biological properties of the flavonoids and focuses on the relationship between their antioxidant activity, as hydrogen donating free radical scavengers, and their chemical structures. This culminates in a proposed hierarchy of antioxidant activity in the aqueous phase. The cumulative findings concerning structure-antioxidant activity relationships in the lipophilic phase derive from studies on fatty acids, liposomes, and low-density lipoproteins; the factors underlying the influence of the different classes of polyphenols in enhancing their resistance to oxidation are discussed and support the contention that the partition coefficients of the flavonoids as well as their rates of reaction with the relevant radicals define the antioxidant activities in the lipophilic phase.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/0891-5849(95)02227-9

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120 of 120 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Ferulic acid is a potent phenolic antioxidant found ubiquitously and at high concentrations in plants.

    “Ferulic acid is a potent phenolic antioxidant found ubiquitously and at high concentrations in plants (Graf, 1992;Rice-Evans et al, 1996;Ou and Kwok, 2004).”
  • Antioxidant activity of flavonoids depends on the availability of the donation of phenolic hydrogens.

    “The antioxidant activity of flavonoids depends on the availability of the donation of phenolic hydrogens (Rice-Evans et al. 1996).”
  • Polyphenols can chelate transition metal cations (e.g., Cu2+ and Fe2+), thus preventing Haber-Weiss and Fenton reactions and inhibiting the activity of many enzymes involved in free radical generation.

    “Polyphenols can also chelate transition metal cations (e.g., Cu2+ and Fe2+), thus preventing Haber–Weiss and Fenton reactions (which lead to the generation of the extremely reactive hydroxyl radical •OH) and also inhibiting the activity of many enzymes involved in free radical generation (e.g., xanthine oxidase, protein kinase and lipoxygenase).”

    From Bioactive Compounds for Skin Health: A Review (2021) · cites this paper as [194]

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Authors
Rice-Evans, C. A., Miller, N. J., & Paganga, G.
Affiliations
Guy's Hospital (GB)
Venue
Free Radical Biology and Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
1996
Volume
20
Issue
7
Pages
933-956
ISSN
0891-5849 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2086959952
Cited by
9,085
References
122
Citations by year
2026: 269 · 2025: 200 · 2024: 215 · 2023: 301 · 2022: 340 · 2021: 379 · 2020: 371 · 2019: 409 · 2018: 402 · 2017: 380 · 2016: 385 · 2015: 441 · 2014: 496 · 2013: 514 · 2012: 515
FWCI
48.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
erratum (1996-01-01)
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Free Radical Biology and Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Free Radicals and Antioxidants
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
Keywords
flavonoids, phenolic acids, antioxidant activity, structure-activity relationship, hydrogen atom transfer, free radical scavenging, polyphenols, partition coefficient, aqueous phase, fatty acids, liposomes, low-density lipoprotein, oxidation resistance
MeSH terms
Diet, Flavonoids, Spectrophotometry, Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet, Structure-Activity Relationship, Molecular Structure, Free Radical Scavengers, Hydroxybenzoates

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