Inhibitory activity of natural occurring antioxidants on Thiyl radical-induced trans-arachidonic acid formation

trans-Fatty acids in humans not only may be obtained exogenously from food intake but also could be generated endogenously in tissues. The endogenous generation of trans-fatty acids, especially in the cell membranes induced by radical stress, is an inevitable source for the living species. Thiyl radicals generated from thiols act as the catalyst for the cis-trans isomerization of fatty acids. Arachidonic acid (5c,8c,11c,14c-20:4) with only two of the four double bonds deriving from linoleic acid in the diet can be used to differentiate the exogenous or endogenous formation of double bonds. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effective compounds in preventing thiyl radical-induced trans-arachidonic acid formation during UV irradiation in vitro. The trans-arachidonic acids were found to be 75% after 30 min UV irradiation of all-cis-arachidonic acid. Myricetin, luteolin, and quercetin had the highest thiyl radical scavenging activities, whereas sesamol, gallic acid, and vitamins A, C, and E had the lowest. The structures of flavonoids with higher thiyl radical scavenging activities were a 3',4'-o-dihydroxyl group in the B ring and a 2,3-double bond combined with a 4-keto group in the C ring. These effective compounds found in the present work may be used as lead compounds for the potential inhibitors in the formation of trans-fatty acids in vivo.