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Title: Relationship between redox potentials, the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and the production of toxic oxygen species by flavonoids

Journal Article · · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6933327

Flavonoids have been shown to inhibit mitochondrial respiration and produce oxy-radicals. They have also been shown to possess diverse biological activities, some of which have been speculated to be dependent upon their redox activity. The authors have investigated the redox behavior of a series of structurally related flavonoids employing cyclic voltammetry under physiological conditions. The flavonoids that autoxidized and produced oxygen radicals had reduction potentials (E 1/2) significantly lower (-30 to +60 mV) than those that didn't autoxidize (+130 to +340 mV). The E 1/2 values for the autoxidizable flavonoids compare to the E 1/2 range of -70 to +30 mv (le/sup -/ reduction potential) for optimum quinone induced production of superoxide (O/sub 2//sup -/) in mitochondrial NADH-CoQ reductase (complex I). The authors reported that the most potent flavonoid inhibitors of mitochondrial succinate-CoQ reductase (complex II) possessed hydroxyl configurations capable of supporting redox reactions. For a series of 3,5,7-trihydroxyflavones which differed by b-ring hydroxylation it was found that decreasing E 1/2 of the flavonoids was associated with decreasing I/sub 50/ values towards succinoxidase. These findings suggest that the electrochemical properties of the flavonoids may contribute to their biological activity.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Nevada, Reno
OSTI ID:
6933327
Report Number(s):
CONF-8606151-
Journal Information:
Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States), Vol. 45:6; Conference: 76. annual meeting of the Federation of American Society for Experimental Biology, Washington, DC, USA, 8 Jun 1986
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English