Free radical scavenging abilities of flavonoids as mechanism of protection against mutagenicity induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide or cumene hydroperoxide in Salmonella typhimurium TA102

Mutagenicity induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (BHP) or cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) in Salmonella typhimurium TA102 was effectively reduced by flavonols with 3',4'-hydroxyl groups such as fisetin, quercetin, rutin, isoquercitrin, hyperoxide, myricetin, myricitrin, robinetin, and to a lesser extent also by morin and kaempferol (ID50=0.25-1.05 micromol per plate). With the exception of isorhamnetin, rhamnetin, morin, and kaempferol, closely similar results were obtained with both peroxides. Hydrogenation of the double bond between carbons 2 and 3 (dihydroquercetin, dihydrorobinetin) as well as the additional elimination of the carbonyl function at carbon 4 (catechins) resulted in a loss of a…