Two-electron electrochemical oxidation of quercetin and kaempferol changes only the flavonoid C-ring

Free Radic Res. 1998 Oct;29(4):339-50. doi: 10.1080/10715769800300381.

Abstract

Bulk electrolysis of the antioxidant flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol in acetonitrile both yield a single oxidation product in two-electron processes. The oxidation products are more polar than their parent compounds, with an increased molecular weight of 16g/mol, and were identified as 2-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranone and 2-(4-hydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranone for quercetin and kaempferol, respectively. Two-electron oxidation of the parent flavonoid is suggested to yield a 3,4-flavandione with unchanged substitution pattern in the A- and B-ring, which may rearrange to form the substituted 3(2H)-benzofuranone through the chalcan-trione ring-chain tautomer. The acidity of the 3-OH group is suggested to determine the fate of the flavonoid phenoxyl radical, originally formed by one-electron oxidation, as no well-defined oxidation product of luteolin (lacking the 3-OH group) could be isolated despite rather similar half-peak potentials: Ep/2 = 0.97V, 0.98 V and 1.17 V vs. NHE for quercetin, kaempferol and luteolin, respectively, as measured by cyclic voltammetry in acetonitrile.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Benzofurans / chemistry
  • Benzofurans / metabolism*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Electrolysis*
  • Electrons*
  • Flavonoids / chemistry
  • Flavonoids / metabolism
  • Kaempferols*
  • Luteolin
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Quercetin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Quercetin / chemistry
  • Quercetin / metabolism*
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • 2-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranone
  • Benzofurans
  • Flavonoids
  • Kaempferols
  • kaempferol
  • Quercetin
  • Luteolin