Skip to main content
Log in

Free radical-scavenging activity of indolic compounds in aqueous and ethanolic media

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Indolic compounds are a broad family of substances present in microorganisms, plants and animals. They are mainly related with tryptophan metabolism, and present particularities that depend on their respective chemical structures. The most important members of the family are the plant hormone, indole-3-acetic acid, and the animal hormone, melatonin. An important characteristic of some indolic compounds is that they may be useful as chemical preventive agents against diseases such as cancer, oxidative stress, etc. For this reason, the possible antioxidant activities (free radical-scavenging activity) of several indoles were studied. The2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid /H2O2/HRP decoloration method was applied to determine both hydrophilic (in buffered media) and lipophilic (in organic media) antioxidant properties of the indolic compounds. Also, a study of the hydrophilic antioxidant activities of indoles at different pH values (between 4.5 and 8.5) was made. Finally, their possible role as diet plant antioxidants is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Davies PJ (1995) Plant hormones: physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, 2nd edn. Kluwer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bartel B, LeClere S, Magidin M, Zolman BK (2001) J Plant Growth Regul 20:198–216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. 3 Patten CL, Glick BR (1996) Can J Microbiol 42:207–220

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Sandberg G, Crozier A, Ernstsen A (1987) Indole-3-acetic acid and related compounds. In: Rivier L, Crozier A, eds. Principles and practice of plant hormone analysis, vol II. Academic, New York, pp 169–301

  5. Reiter RJ (1991) Endocr Rev 12:151–180

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Reiter RJ, Tan DX, Burkhardt S, Manchester, LC (2001) Nutr Rev 59:286–290

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Burkhardt S, Tan DX, Manchester LC, Hardeland R, Reiter RJ (2001) J Agric Food Chem 49:4898–4902

    Google Scholar 

  8. Poeggeler B, Balzer I, Hardeland R, Lerchl A (1991) Naturwissenschaften 78:268–269

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Manchester LC, Tan DX, Reiter RJ, Park W, Monis K, Qi W (2000) Life Sci 67:3023–3029

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Poeggeler B, Pappolla MA, Hardeland R, Rassoulpour A, Hodgkins PS, Guidetti P, Schwarcz R (1999) Brain Res 815:382–388

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Srivastava B, Shukla Y (1998) Cancer Lett 134:91–95

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Broadbent TA, Broadbent HS (1998) Curr Med Chem 5:337–352

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Broadbent TA, Broadbent HS (1998) Curr Med Chem 5:469–491

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bradlow HL, Sepkovic DW, Telang NT, Osborne MP (1999) Ann N Y Acad Sci 889:204–213

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Oganesian A, Hendricks JD, Pereira CB, Orner GA, Bailey GS, Williams DE (1999) Carcinogenesis 20:453–458

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Reiter Rj, Tan Dx, Acuña-Castroviejo D, Burkhardt S, Karbownik M (2000) Curr Topics Biophys 24:171–183

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Reiter RJ, Tan DX, Manchester LC, Qi W (2001) Cell Biochem Biophys 34:237–256

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Reiter RJ, Burkhardt S, Cabrera J, Garcia JJ (2002) Curr Med Chem 2:45–58

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Cano A, Hernández-Ruiz J, García-Cánovas F, Acosta M, Arnao MB (1998) Phytochem Anal 9:196–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Cano A, Acosta M, Arnao MB (2000) Redox Rep 5:365–370

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Arnao MB, Cano A, Acosta M (2001) Food Chem 73:239–244

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Arnao MB, Cano A, Acosta M (1999) Free Radic Res 31:S89–96

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Arnao MB (2000) Trends Food Sci Technol 11:419–421

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Goyal RN, Kumar N, Singhal NK (1998) Biolectrochem Bioenerg 45:47–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Beyer CE, Steketee JD, Saphier D (1995) Biochem Pharmacol 56:1265–1272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Sweetser PB, Swartzfager DG (1978) Plant Physiol 61:254–258

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Hemberg T, Tillberg E (1980) Physiol Plant 50:176–180

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Guerrero JR, García–Ruíz P, Sánchez–Bravo J, AcostaM, Arnao MB (2001) J Liq Chrom Rel Technol 24:3095–3104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Mattivi F, Vrhovsek U, Versini G (1999) J Chromatogr A 855:221–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Vinson JA, Hao Y, Su X, Zubik L (1998) J Agric Food Chem 46:3630–3634

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Rice–Evans CA, Miller NJ, Paganga G (1997) Trends Plant Sci 2:152–159

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (I.N.I.A., Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, Spain) project CAL00-062 and by the project PI-9/00759/FS/01 (Fundación Séneca, C.A. Murcia). A. Cano has a contract in the project CAL00-062 with the University of Murcia. The authors wish to thank A.N.P. Hiner for checking the draught manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marino B. Arnao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cano, A., Alcaraz, O. & Arnao, M.B. Free radical-scavenging activity of indolic compounds in aqueous and ethanolic media. Anal Bioanal Chem 376, 33–37 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-003-1848-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-003-1848-7

Keywords

Navigation