Polyphenols and red wine as antioxidants against peroxynitrite and other oxidants

VALDEZ, LAURA; ALVAREZ, SILVIA; ZAOBORNYJ, TAMARA; BOVERIS, ALBERTO

BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Sociedad de Biología de Chile

Lugar: Santiago de Chile ; Año: 2004 vol. 37 p. 279 - 286

0716-9760

The antioxidant capacity  of polyphenols (+)catechin, (-)epicatechin and myricetin, and of different types of red wines (cabernet sauvignon, melbec and blended wine) was evaluated by three assays: (a) NADH oxidation by peroxynitrite (b) Peroxynitrite initiated chemiluminescence in rat liver homogenate and (c) Lucigenin chemiluminescence in aortic rings. All the assayed red wines were able to scavenge the oxidants and free radical species that generate the signal in each assay. Cabernet sauvignon was the red wine with the highest antioxidant capacity in comparison with malbec and blended wine. It is concluded that the use of sensitive biological systems provides important information in addition to the results from chemical and biochemical assays and offers advances in the physiological role of polyphenols.