Antioxidant Complex Quenches Seroxide Radicals

SAN FRANCISCO—A recent study at the University of California, San Francisco, aimed to determine the ability of two putative antioxidant solutions to suppress the formation of seroxide anion radicals. (J Cosmet Derm. 2008;7(2):96-100) (DOI: 10.1111/j.1473-2165.2008.00370.x). Two solutions, containing 3 percent antioxidant complex and 1 percent idebenone were tested. The complex consisted of an aqueous combination of botanical extracts rich in ferulic acid, caffeic acid and other polyphenols. Each was dissolved in lipid soluble reagents (solutions) and run through a Photochem® (photochemiluminometer system) device. Their antioxidant capacity was expressed as nmol equivalents of synthetic vitamin E. Nine aliquots of each compound were measured. The mean antioxidant capacities for the 3 percent antioxidant complex and 1 percent idebenone were 525 ± 23 and 213 ± 14 nmol, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the two compounds (P<0.001). The 3 percent antioxidant solution antioxidative capacity was 2.5 times greater than the known antioxidant idebenone in a 1 percent solution as shown by the quenching of superoxide anion radicals measured by photochemiluminescence.